NBA: The Big 3 Preview
The Big 3, a 3-on-3 tournament presented by Ice Cube, is beginning on June 25, 2017, and the regular season runs through August 13, followed by the playoffs the following two weeks. Each game will be broadcasted on Fox Sports 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET every Monday, until the championship game, which will be live. The locations are Brooklyn, Charlotte, Tulsa, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Lexington, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Las Vegas. Headlining players are former NBA All-Stars Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Kenyon Martin, and Stephen Jackson. Here is a team-by-team breakdown and final standings predictions.
3's Company: Allen Iverson is obviously going to be the most attention grabbing player in this league, and rightfully so, given that he was one of the best scorers in the NBA for more than a decade in the 2000's, while leading his Philadelphia 76ers team to the 2001 NBA Finals. But he will have to carry the load for his team offensively because Dermarr Johnson and Mike Sweetney aren't exactly go-to scorers. 3 Headed Monsters: Jason Williams has lost a ton of speed, as has Kwame Brown, but they're still formidable players in this type or competition, while Rashard Lewis is one of the best shooters in this tournament.
And if he can relive some of his glory days with the Seattle Supersonics and Orlando Magic, the Monsters could compete with anybody. Ball Hogs: Brian Scalabrine, the Red Mamba, is always a fan favorite, but I don't think he's going to be very good in this series because he'll have to battle bigger and stronger players in the post for rebounds and that's just not his game at all. Josh Childress and Rasual Butler can score the ball, but this is one of the lower-level teams in my opinion. Killer 3s: Chauncey Billups is one of the best shooters in NBA history, capitalized by his 2004 NBA title with the Detroit Pistons and his All-Star appearances.
Stephen Jackson is going to be shorter than most of the other teams' big men, but he's extremely crafty and physical, which will give him an advantage. Lastly, Larry Hughes was a good slasher in his day, and I assume still has some left in the tank. Expect this squad to go 5-3 at the minimum. Trilogy: Rashad McCants was the No. 1 overall pick in the Big 3 Draft, because of his relatively young age and how much potential he showed us while at North Carolina. Kenyon Martin, a former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, is still athletic and in shape, while Al Harrington's range is still around. Trilogy, alongside 3's Company and Killer 3's, are my teams to watch.
Power: Cuttino Mobley could really score the ball, especially when he was with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, which will bode well for this team. Corey Maggette's game won't fair as well, though, because he relied more on athleticism than perimeter scoring which is more likely to decrease with age. Jerome Williams is along the same lines. This team will give people fits, but I'm not expecting a deep playoff run from them. Tri State: Jermaine O'Neal was once one of the most dominant big men in the NBA after entering the league right out of high school, and even though he's since aged, O'Neal still has his height.
Mike James and Bonzi Wells must do a lot of the scoring, but they won't have to worry much about rebounding or interior defending. Ghost Ballers: Mike Bibby was a sight to see in his career, showing his talents with a number of teams like the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat, and he's likely to still be consistent from beyond the arc (and possibly at the four-point area). Ricky Davis is infamous for his unique triple-double as a Cleveland Cavaliers guard, but he always had immense jumping ability, as did Mo Evans. The Ghost Ballers should be somewhere in the middle of the pack at the end of the season. Prediction of Final Standings: 1. Trilogy (6-2) 2. 3's Company (6-2) 3. 3 Headed Monsters (5-3)
4. Killer 3s (5-3) 5. Ghost Ballers (4-4)
6. Power (4-4)
7. Tri State (3-5) 8. Ball Hogs (2-6)
Photo Credit: New York Times.