The Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics have had very different seasons up to this point. The Celtics are just coming off a finals appearance against the Golden State Warriors last season when they lost in six games. The Wizards are coming off missing the postseason last year and are hoping to bounce back with a rejuvenated roster. Washington is currently 11-13 and Boston is currently 19-5. The “Big 3s” for each team have contributed mightily and we will look at how they got their teams to where they are today.
For the Wizards, it’s been Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingus and Kyle Kuzma.
Bradley Beal was the third pick in 2012 by Washington and has since been very loyal to a franchise that always flies under the radar. For his first seven seasons, he played alongside all-star point guard John Wall, forming one of the most dangerous backcourts in the league. The duo’s peak came in the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals when they lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics led at the time by all-star Issiah Thomas. When John Wall tore his achilles in 2019, he was traded to Houston and the Wizards rebuilded by signing Beal to a five year extension and building a new team with him as the star.
Kristaps Porzingus was the fourth pick in 2015 by the New York Knicks. He was known as a strong power forward who could space the floor and dominate inside. For his first four seasons, he led the Knicks as their top scorer before tearing his ACL in 2018. Upon recovering, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks to pair up with European phenom Luka Doncic. During two and a half seasons in Dallas, Porzingus reached new heights in the bubble during the Covid-19 Pandemic with 30 PPG. In 2021-22, he was traded to Washington.
Kyle Kuzma was the 27th pick in 2017 by the Brooklyn Nets but was traded to the LA Lakers immediately. In his first game as a starter, he recorded a double-double of 21 and 13. He was a rising star and a rookie of the month in October of 2017. The height of his Lakers tenure was when he helped them win their 17th championship after defeating the Miami Heat in 6 games in the NBA Bubble in 2020.
Since joining together in Washington, Kyle Kuzma especially has really emerged as a true scoring option and has since expanded his offensive game after leaving the shadow of Lebron James in LA. His career averages are up and so is his confidence. Kristaps Porzingis has launched more outside shots from three than ever before. His expanded range has expanded the team’s offensive options and allowed more fluidity in the open floor. Bradley Beal has had to score less due to the increasing number of reliable scorers on the roster. He no longer has to aim for 40-50 points to be competitive and can ease off and focus on distributing while still taking over games when necessary.
For the Celtics, it’s been Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.
Jayson Tatum was the 3rd pick in 2017 by Boston and has gone from being a streaky rookie to an MVP candidate in such a short period of time. He led the team to the playoffs as a rookie after a 55 win season. He became an all star in 2019-20, and afterwards recorded several 30 point games on route to an East Finals appearance where they lost to the Miami Heat when Tatum’s game tying dunk was blocked. Tatum carried the team to the 2022 NBA finals against the Warriors when they lost in 6 to finals MVP Stephen Curry.
Jaylen Brown was the 3rd pick by Boston in 2016, one year ahead of Tatum. He was named to the NBA’s all rookie second team after averaging 6.6, 2.8, and 0.8 in 17.2 minutes in 78 games played. He struggled to start well for 2018-19, and was criticized for taking too many jump shots. He had a breakthrough year during 2019-20, and was rewarded with a new 4 year extension afterwards.
Marcus Smart is the longest tenured Celtics player since being drafted sixth in 2014. He was named to the all rookie second team in 2015. After being sent down to the G-league in December of 2014, he was called back a day later after dropping 25 points in just one G-League start. He started in place of the injured Isaiah Thomas for game 3 of the 2017 ECF and went on to hit 7 threes and 27 points. Last season, he was named Defensive player of the year and played excellent defense on Klay Thompson in the 2022 NBA finals against the Warriors.
They have been “the Big Three” for a while now. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can both score from all three levels and with the defense of Marcus Smart, there’s no stopping these beasts of the east. The amount of capable offensive and defensive threats Boston has is alarming and their ability to sign and resign star talent is tremendous meaning another finals appearance could be on the horizon.
Written by Owen Lomotan of Wootton High School
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons