The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: The five best trios in franchise history

By Caleb Manser

Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton, Utah Jazz. (Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton, Utah Jazz. (Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz.(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

Number Four

Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio, 2017-2019

Playoff Appearances: Two. Made it to the first round (2019), and second round (2018)

All-Stars: Zero

This big three was an emblem of hard-nosed defense and unselfish offense. They showed great leadership on the court with their play and off the court with their friendliness and good camaraderie.

They also quite exceeded expectations in their first year together. Many experts pegged them to finish somewhere between sixth to 10th place in the Western Conference, and nobody picked them to hit 48 wins.

It’s no wonder they became fan favorites in their two season together. This group finished first and second in defensive rating according to NBA.com, leaning on suffocating defense to win games.

Rudy Gobert won the prestigious Defensive Player of the Year not once, but twice in this era. He wasn’t just a defensive force either, leading the league in screen assists both years and becoming a dangerous roll weapon off a pass from Donovan Mitchell or Ricky Rubio.

Mitchell nearly won Rookie of the Year and went toe-to-toe with then-reigning MVP Russell Westbrook in the first playoff series of his career. Ricky Rubio added a signature triple-double game in that series to pull off the upset.

This Big Three, albeit a not very long-tenured one, will be remembered by Utah Jazz fans forever.