Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time

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Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#1 » by durantbird » Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:19 pm

What is your list of best 3&d wings of all time?

Trying to define a 3&d for the sake of the post: only include players who were not clear offensive stars. You can pick players who were stars at the past and then adopted the role of a 3&d role player, or vice versia - 3&d role players who later became stars. If we'll try to quantify it, USG% should be below 20% and ideally around 15%. Of course, they should be great defenders and good 3pt shooters :)
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#2 » by parsnips33 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:30 pm

Pre-breakout Kawhi has to be up there
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#3 » by rk2023 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:05 pm

^ 13 George as well (his usage exceeds 20 however)
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#4 » by SHAQ32 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:12 pm

Dennis Scott, aka 3D
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#5 » by penbeast0 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:14 pm

Can we count pure jump shooters from before the 3 point era like Mike Riordan? How about Bruce Bowen or Raja Bell? They didn't shoot many 3's by modern standards but they were an extremely high percentage of those shots in the day.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#6 » by homecourtloss » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:26 pm

SHAQ32 wrote:Dennis Scott, aka 3D


Lots of 3, not much D.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#7 » by durantbird » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:26 pm

penbeast0 wrote:Can we count pure jump shooters from before the 3 point era like Mike Riordan? How about Bruce Bowen or Raja Bell? They didn't shoot many 3's by modern standards but they were an extremely high percentage of those shots in the day.

Pre-3pt era players don't belong here imo. Bowen and Bell certainly.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#8 » by Whopper_Sr » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:27 pm

Shane Battier (38.4% and 12.9 usage for career) and a cerebral defender (hand over shooter’s eyes)
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#9 » by SHAQ32 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:29 pm

homecourtloss wrote:
SHAQ32 wrote:Dennis Scott, aka 3D


Lots of 3, not much D.

To each their own, but I wouldn't underestimate his D.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#10 » by durantbird » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:29 pm

rk2023 wrote:^ 13 George as well (his usage exceeds 20 however)

He's the type of players I'd keep out of the conversation, he qualifies for the clear offensive star role. Also players like Klay. Kawhi is somewhat of a borderline case with a short 3&d phase. I'd prefer to list players with somewhat of a longevity of 3&d play.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#11 » by rk2023 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:38 pm

durantbird wrote:
rk2023 wrote:^ 13 George as well (his usage exceeds 20 however)

He's the type of players I'd keep out of the conversation, he qualifies for the clear offensive star role. Also players like Klay. Kawhi is somewhat of a borderline case with a short 3&d phase. I'd prefer to list players with somewhat of a longevity of 3&d play.


In this regard, I like Battier a ton whether it's Houston or Memphis. Danny Green in the mid 2010s an underrated shout here as well.
Mogspan wrote:I think they see the super rare combo of high IQ with freakish athleticism and overrate the former a bit, kind of like a hot girl who is rather articulate being thought of as “super smart.” I don’t know kind of a weird analogy, but you catch my drift.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#12 » by parsnips33 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:14 pm

rk2023 wrote:^ 13 George as well (his usage exceeds 20 however)


Yeah I think he had too much juice offensively to fit here. Granted maybe Kawhi did too, he just had more guys ahead of him on the pecking order at that point
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#13 » by parsnips33 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:15 pm

PJ Tucker absolutely has to be mentioned

Ariza too, but I just don't think his D is on the level of Battier or Tucker
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#14 » by rk2023 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:23 pm

2018 Robert Covington comes to mind in the scope of this question as well.
Mogspan wrote:I think they see the super rare combo of high IQ with freakish athleticism and overrate the former a bit, kind of like a hot girl who is rather articulate being thought of as “super smart.” I don’t know kind of a weird analogy, but you catch my drift.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#15 » by penbeast0 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:33 pm

Going down the list of more than 1 All-D awards by player and ruling out those who didn't shoot a lot of 3's for their era or who were mainly PGs like Blaylock or PFs like Draymond gives us some names to look at:

Bowen
Cooper
Christie
Eddie Jones (may have scored too much)
Battier
Bell
Iggy (may not have had enough of a 3 ball)
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#16 » by parsnips33 » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:36 pm

Yeah I think Iguodala is a different beast all together
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#17 » by Saints14 » Wed Sep 27, 2023 12:43 am

Off the top of my head:

Danny Green, Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, Robert Covington, Shane Battier, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PJ Tucker, Trevor Ariza, Patrick Beverley, Serge Ibaka

Edit: I ignored the instructions for wings specifically, though I think Beverley and Ibaka are some of the top 3&D players for being basically the prototypes for that role at their positions (I would add Myles Turner and (late career) Brook Lopez as well)
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#18 » by SilentA » Wed Sep 27, 2023 1:56 am

Ima throw in Ron Artest/Metta World Peace for some seasons. A little weaker on shooting, but all time stuff on defense.

I somehow wanna shout out Derek Fisher for being the much rarer "3&D point guard" archetype, great fit next to Kobe, but he's not a wing.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#19 » by Tomtolbert » Wed Sep 27, 2023 2:58 am

Most of the top ones have been mentioned. These are some other older ones, even if they don't perfectly fit the bill:

Bobby Phills
Dan Majerle
James Posey
Craig Ehlo

Lindsey Hunter is a 3&D guy who often gets forgotten, but of course isn't a wing.
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Re: Top 10 3&d role player wings of all time 

Post#20 » by jojo4341 » Wed Sep 27, 2023 3:13 am

Late in his career, Michael Cooper certainly qualifies. He might have been one of the first 3&D players along with Craig Ehlo.

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