By: Mike Patt
Original Date: 12/25/23
Hello sports fans, and welcome back to the IE Sports Radio Blog. Christmas is here, and much like how the NFL has taken a hold on Thanksgiving, the NBA has laid a claim to Christmas. This year, you will be able to watch in the area of 13 hours (including commercials) of basketball on ESPN. It is truly a spectacle to behold. The marquee match-up of the day is the Boston Celtics v. the Los Angeles Lakers, but all five games feature quality teams. There will be no shortage of stars either, as there are easily 15+ all-star caliber players appearing in these contests. If you want to watch high-end, entertaining basketball, this will be the day to do so.
In honor of this holiday, and the kick-off of the 2023-24 NBA season, we at IE Sports Radio wanted to do something fun. For years, the trend in the league has been assembling teams of stars to make a run at a championship. Specifically, this trend has focused on trios as was established by the Celtics and Miami Heat in the late 2000s. We decided it would be fun to try our hand at assembling trios of superstars to compete against each other. All rules about salaries and trades were off (especially since teams find ways around these restrictions anyways). The only rule was that the players cannot have previously played with each other, excluding things like all-star games and national teams. Let’s take a look at what the IESR team came up with.
Jenn B, Host of the Show of the Land – F Giannis Antetokounpo, G Luka Doncic, and G Donovan Mitchell
The host of our Cleveland show, Jenn put together an offensive juggernaut. Here trio features two of the top ten players in the league in Giannis and Luka. One is triple double machine whose production is elite, and the other is nicknamed the “Greek Freak” for a reason. Mitchell is no slouch in his own right. He’s a dynamic guard who is a threat to score 40+ on any given night. As she states, “They would be nearly unstoppable together if they all stayed healthy! All three are scoring machines & virtually unguardable.” Could not have said it better myself, Jenn.
Davidson Crooks, Co-Host of Fast Break – G Jalen Brunson, F/C Bam Adebayo, G Anthony Edwards
From the man who studies the game and talks basketball week after week, we have a trio that many would not have expected. None of these guys are considered top ten in the league, maybe more, but this group just works. Bam is a low-post enforcer who provides elite defense. He is a bit undersized by traditional standards, but the league has changed and that is not as important as it once was. Brunson and Mitchell are electric playmakers who can score in bunches. They would feed off of each other well, and leave it up to Bam to clean up whatever misses.
Mike Patt, Host of Let’s Wine about DMV Sports – G Steph Curry, C Joel Embiid, F Kawhi Leonard
Okay, I know i’m the boring one. I wanted to make a trio that did three things; score on all levels, defend on all levels, and shoot in bunches. Embiid covers the scoring and defense down low, and is one of the best in the league at both. Curry covers the scoring and shooting, and with this team, I do not need him to defend. He will have the freedom to pop threes and dish to the others as he sees fit. I am taking a risk with Leonard’s recent injury history. The upside is too good as an elite defender who can score in the mid-range and shoot the three. What more could I ask for?
Now comes the fun part. We can debate among ourselves which team we believe is best, but why not leave the judgment up to the fans. We ask YOU, listeners of IE Sports Radio, to tell us which trio is best. There will be a poll on X starting Christmas Eve and ending the day after Christmas. Please get on and vote for your favorite team. Tune in to Let’s Wine About DMV Sports, hosted by Mike Patt, on Fridays at 9PM EST/6PM PST. Be sure to check out all of our shows throughout the week, as well as the live calls on our partner station USRN. Shout out to sponsor Planet Jerky and all you wonderful listeners that continue to support our network as it grows. Thank you for reading, and we will see you next time on IE Sports Radio; your direct feed for ALL that is sports.