Trayce Jackson-Davis of the Warriors has given a new nickname to the franchise’s iconic big three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, calling them the three-headed GOAT.
“It’s great. I call them the three-headed GOAT. They’re monsters. Being able to play with them, the experience they’ve given me, the confidence coach Kerr has given me. Also, throwing in Chris Paul in the equation, it’s been great.”
In terms of NBA trios, it’s hard to rank any historic trip above these three. In terms of pure talent, maybe the Bulls’ trio of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman would be better, but what the Warriors three have achieved with each other has been a joy to watch.
Co-existing and thriving for over a decade is not easy for most NBA duos, let alone trios, but the chemistry between these three might be the best we’ve ever seen in the NBA. It’s hard to imagine Golden State without the three playing together, which is a testament to their shared greatness.
The Trio Is No Longer Dominating The NBA
In their prime, this core trio was responsible for the greatest regular season record in history, leading Golden State to 73-9 in 2016. Unfortunately, that year didn’t end with a championship but the three had already proved their quality when they won a title in 2015 together.
While the addition of Kevin Durant in 2017 broke the continuity of the trio succeeding together, they emphasized their greatness by winning the 2022 title without Durant. They went through a nine-year stretch where no Western Conference beat them in the playoffs, which is an incredible achievement in itself as well.
Curry is the best player of the three, but the other two play the perfect style to enable Curry to be the dominant force in the NBA that he has been. Dray is one of the best defenders of this era and might be one of the greatest pick-and-roll defenders we’ve ever seen, while Klay Thompson is considered the second-greatest pure shooter behind his teammate by many.
The trio combined the perfect ball movement and individual skill sets to make up for any flaw anyone else had, truly resembling a three-headed GOAT. With last year’s second-round exit, the trio added a massive chink in their armor, something teams around the NBA have been chipping away at this year.
The Warriors are 44-35 this season, having spent the last few months in the No. 10 seed. A win over the Trail Blazers tonight will temporarily tie their record with the Lakers, but the Warriors would take No. 9 based on the season tiebreaker.
