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Floor spacing and defense are keys to winning games, especially in the modern game. As a result, 3-and-D players are highly sought after by NBA teams that are aiming to win championships. Although 3-and-D players are hardly the superstars of their teams, they carry a huge burden in making open three point shots offensively while also locking down a top player from the opposing team.
Throughout the past decade, we’ve seen that most championship teams carry at least one 3-and-D player which only goes to show how crucial it is for a team to get the services of one in today’s game. For this piece, let’s rank the five best 3-and-D players of today.
Honorable Mention
Some players who barely made the cut are OG Anunoby, Jae Crowder, and Kawhi Leonard. Leonard also makes the honorable mention, since he also started his NBA career as a formidable 3-and-D player and would easily top this list. However given that The Claw has already blossomed into a superstar after expanding his game, it might be better to include him as part of the honorable mention.
5. Jerami Grant
Career stats: 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 blocks, 0.6 steals
Jerami Grant is arguable one of the best 3-and-D players that we have today. His rise with the Oklahoma City Thunder and fine play with the Denver Nuggets have gotten the attention of the NBA. This of course was shown after Grant signed a three year, $60 million contract with the Detroit Pistons during free agency this year.
We last saw Grant with Denver Nuggets, as he was a factor on both ends of the floor which helped the team pull of the historic feat of coming back from a 1-3 hole twice during the same postseason that helped the Nuggets make the Western Conference Finals since 2009. Grant was also a handful for the Lakers during the Western Conference Finals, as he even exploded for 26 points in Game 3 while defending the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis to give the team its lone win in the series which goes to show the versatility of the former Nuggets forward.
With Grant approaching his prime years, fans can expect him to continue to develop his game, especially with the Pistons giving him an enormous contract. Although he will probably miss being teammates with great passers like Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap, Grant’s skills will be utilized as a two way player given that the Pistons franchise has historically and culturally been known for their work on the defensive end. With that, Grant sits at the fifth spot of this list.
4. Robert Covington
Career stats: 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.9 blocks
Awards: 1x NBA All-Defensive First Team
Not a lot of undrafted players make noise in the NBA, but Robert Covington has showed that it is possible to just that. As one of the premier 3-and-D players in the league today, Covington has emerged to become a valuable asset for the teams he has played for.
We saw him breakout in the league with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he put up a career best 13.5 points per outing during his sophomore year and earning the All-Defensive First Team distinction in 2018.
Recently, we also saw him give a good account of himself during the Rockets’ postseason run in the 2020 NBA Bubble. With the Rockets running a ‘small-ball” system that puts premium on transition plays and long range shooting, Covington surprisingly manned the center position. But despite playing out of his natural position in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, he still put up 11.2 points and 5.0 boards per outing while shooting a high clip of 50% from deep.
Although the Rockets didn’t get past the eventual champions Los Angeles Lakers in the second round and Covington eventually getting traded to the Portland Trailblazers for veteran Trevor Ariza, the 6’7 forward can definitely do some damage for the Trailblazers while playing alongside elite guards in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt Covington is one of the best two way players in the league today which places him fourth in this list.
3. Khris Middleton
Career stats: 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.2 blocks
Awards: 2x NBA All-Star
3-and-D players may not be the players so often in the middle of the spotlight. However, they can deliver like a NBA All-Star. As the Bucks’ second option, Khris Middleton has emerged to become one of the best two way players of today. While playing alongside reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton has reached new heights in his career, including last season which saw him log in a career high 20.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, which was enough to declare him an All-Star for the second straight year. Middleton also shot 41.5% from rainbow country which proves that he isn’t a player you should leave open on defense. Furthermore, the Bucks has also attained the best record in the league in the past two seasons.
Although Middleton and the Bucks succumbed to the hands of the eventual Eastern Conference Champions in the Miami Heat, there is no doubt that the Bucks forward will continue to give opposing teams a hard time in the upcoming season especially with Giannis possibly leaving the franchise if they continue to fall short in the postseason.
If Middleton continues to be consistent on his three-point shooting, it might not be long before Middleton can make a case to be the one of the best second options in league history with his fine two-way play.
2. Danny Green
Career stats: 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.8 blocks
Awards: 3x NBA Champion, 1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Danny Green makes a case to be one of the most successful 3-and-D players in NBA history. The former North Carolina standout has helped three differences franchises reach the pinnacle of the NBA that includes the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and recently with the Los Angeles Lakers. The only other players to achieve this feat are Robert Horry, John Salley, and former teammate LeBron James.
With Green’s catch and shoot abilities, his teams certainly had an easier time spacing the floor. Furthermore, his contributions on the defensive end more often than not give opposing players a tough night. In his stint with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2013 NBA Finals, we saw Green shot 27 three point shots, which was a record at that time before it was broken by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in 2016. The sharp shooting swingman also made his presence felt in the Raptors’ championship run in 2019 where he had a 18 point outburst in Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals which was spiked by six big three point shots.
Green’s recent Lakers stint wasn’t all too bad as he averaged 8.0 points per game as a starter. However, his stint with the purple and gold was marred by a missed three point shot in the dying moments of Game 5 that wouldn’t have required the Lakers another game to beat the Miami Heat in order to hoist the championship trophy.
Currently, Green is no longer with the Lakers as it was announced that he was part of the deal that would land Dennis Schröder in Los Angeles which sent the hot-shooting guard to the Sixers. Although Green was recently traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, despite just freshly winning a championship, there’s no doubt the three time NBA champion can help push the contending Sixers to a deep playoff run with his championship experience. Furthermore, his 3-and-D skills will compliment the team’s current stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
1. Klay Thompson
Career stats: 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks
Awards: 3x NBA Champion, 5x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA Third Team, 1x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, 1x NBA Three-Point Contest Champion, 1x NBA All-Rookie First Team
As one half of the Splash Brothers in Golden State, there is no question that Thompson is arguably the best 3-and-D player in the NBA today. Playing alongside Stephen Curry, Thompson has easily opened up defenses by making his shots from beyond the arc at a deadly rate of 41.9% during his entire NBA career so far. In fact, he even dropped a career-high 60 points in just 29 minutes against the Indiana Pacers in 2016. What’s crazier was the fact that he only dribbled 11 times, which goes to show how Thompson hardly forced or created his own shot. It is also worth noting that Thompson holds the record for most three point field goals made in a single game, as he accomplished this feat by making 14 threes in 24 attempts against the New York Knicks in 2018 where he finished with 52 points.
Although he is widely known for his red hot shooting, his ability to keep in step with elite players on defense is often overlooked. Due to his size and quickness, Thompson is versatile enough to defend smaller guards and bigger forwards during pick and roll situations. In fact, he has shown that he can limit great players such as Tony Parker, Lou Williams, and Chris Paul. It is worth noting even Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young would consider the Warriors guard as a Top Three Defender in the league.
Unfortunately, the three time NBA champion has not seen action on the NBA hardwood since the 2019 NBA Finals where he tore his ACL in a Game 6 loss against eventual champions, the Toronto Raptors. Although he was scheduled to make a come back for the 2020-2021 season, Thompson suffered a heartbreaking torn right achilles’ tendon that will sideline him for another year.
Once the sharp shooting swingman recovers, hopefully the five time NBA All-Star will be able to regain his old form, as he will certainly play a role in helping Golden State re-capture their championship glory. Nevertheless, his young career has already achieved a lot to the point that he makes a case to be the best 3-and-D player today.
