Number Four
Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Gordon Hayward, 2011-13
Playoff Appearances: Made it to the first round (2012)
All-Stars: Zero
I know this group did make it to the playoffs whereas the previous one didn’t, so how come this one is rated as the lesser trio? Allow me to explain.
The trio built around Hayward, Favors, and Gobert had a clear identity they could always fall back on. If nothing else was working, then at least they knew they could rely on great defense to win games.
As for the Big 3 of Jefferson, Millsap, and Hayward? They were mediocre-to-good in a lot of areas, but not truly great in any facet of the game.
Believe it or not, this team actually had the sixth-best offense in the NBA during that shortened season, fueled by a healthy dose of Al Jefferson’s back-to-the-basket post moves.
Al Jefferson scored 19.2 points per game in his first full season as the focal point of the Jazz offense. He also led the team in minutes per game, usage percentage, and shot attempts per game, clearly being the best player on the roster.
He had some memorable moments in the clutch, such as the tip-in off an air-balled floater from Devin Harris in Sacramento, the improbable 3-pointer to send the game into overtime in Toronto, and the game-winning tip that beat the buzzer also in Toronto.
Yet most of his heroics have gone unappreciated in Jazz Nation due to the mediocrity of the team during his short stint in Utah.
The only time Big Al carried the Jazz to the playoffs, they made it in the postseason by the skin of their teeth, and for what? To be swept away in four blowout games at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward were two future All-Stars in waiting and fit in nicely as second and third options at the time. A lack of coaching and a lack of a reliable point guard hurt this group, but ultimately their ceiling wasn’t much higher than a first-round exit.
This “Big 3” wasn’t big enough to have sustained success in the NBA, and Dennis Lindsey allowed both Jefferson and Millsap to walk away in free agency as soon as he took over general manager duties.