The third season of the BIG3 got off to a hot start over the weekend, with four more teams and a number of new, familiar faces taking the court. The standout from Week 1 was defending champion Power, who dominated their opener and earned the top spot in the first edition of the BIG3 Power Rankings.
Since each team has only played one game, these could change a lot by next week, but as of now here is the pecking order in the BIG3.
1. Power (1-0)
The only worry that Power has after Week 1 is whether an NBA team will sign Cuttino Mobley and force him to stop playing in the BIG3. Mobley was phenomenal on Saturday, putting up 28 points, six rebounds and four assists while knocking down five 3-pointers. Nancy Lieberman's defending champions didn't miss a beat despite being without 2018 MVP Corey Maggette. Big "Baby" Davis and Chris "Birdman" Andersen are terrors inside with Quentin Richardson and Mychel Thompson (Klay's brother) providing shooting. This is going to be a tough squad to beat.
2. Triplets (1-0)
Joe Johnson isn't far removed from contributing in the NBA, and it showed in his BIG3 debut on Sunday. Iso Joe put up 27 points, 16 rebounds and four assists as his team cruised to a 50-40 win, and the 17-year NBA vet earned BIG3 Player of the Week honors in the process. We still need to see what the rest of the squad can bring, but if Johnson continues to play like this it might not matter.
ISO Joe Johnson’s BIG3 debut was 🔥🔥 @thebig3 @icecube 👀💯
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 25, 2019
🎥 @cazzieballislife (IG) #ballislife pic.twitter.com/SIO38PMVwh
3. Ghost Ballers (1-0)
Mike Bibby didn't score a point and his team still won by 11 -- that's a good sign. Jamario Moon showed out in the first game of his second BIG3 season, scoring 20 points and pulling down seven rebounds. Four different players knocked down 3-pointers with Carlos Boozer out of the lineup, which makes the Ghost Ballers a dangerous team moving forward.
4. Killer 3's (1-0)
In what can only be deemed a monumental upset, Killer 3's overcame a 26-17 halftime deficit without the services of their captain, Stephen Jackson, to beat an incredibly talented Tri-State team. Josh Powell led the way with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Donte Greene provided the heroics with a game-winning 3-pointer in a hard-fought overtime victory.
Killer 3s makin' buzz with a hard-fought battle against Tri-State! 🐝🐝🐝 pic.twitter.com/D4qzgKgc6I
— BIG3 on CBS (@thebig3) June 23, 2019
5. 3 Headed Monsters (1-0)
It wasn't the prettiest game, but Gary Payton's squad pulled off the Week 1 win over Trilogy, 51-46. Rashard Lewis had 18 points and 11 rebounds, but the star of the game was Reggie Evans, who scored 22 points and pulled down a BIG3-record 25 rebounds. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had a rare off night, so the 3 Headed Monsters should have an even stronger effort in Week 2.
6. Bivouac (1-0)
Will Bynum scored 22 points to give Bivouac a handy 50-43 win in their opening game, but their opponent keeps them last among opening-week winners. Enemies looked like one of the worst teams in the league without Gilbert Arenas and with Royce White's early ejection (Bivouac's Josh Smith was ejected as well). Bivouac could have more in the tank, but we didn't get to see it in Week 1 despite the win.
7. Tri-State (0-1)
Led by Amar'e Stoudemire (26 points, 10 rebounds) and Jason Richardson (17 points, 10 rebounds), Tri-State lost in overtime to a plucky Killer 3's team. Despite being unable to put the game away after reaching game-point, Tri-State proved that it's going to be a force to be reckoned with in the BIG3 -- and they were without both Jermaine O'Neal and Bonzi Wells.
8. Trilogy (0-1)
Trilogy used a spread scoring attack led by James White's 17 points to keep things close with 3 Headed Monsters in the opener. Patrick O'Bryant had a strong BIG3 debut with 10 points and showcased a sweet shooting stroke. Jason Terry disappointed with just two points, but you'd have to think he'll get better once he gets accustomed to the 3-on-3 game.
9. Aliens (0-1)
Despite losing their debut, the Aliens played well behind 13 points and seven rebounds from Brandon Rush. Andre Owens added 11 points and three 3-pointers, and the twin towers of Greg Oden and Ryan Hollins give the team hope that things will improve in coming weeks.
10. 3's Company (0-1)
After getting blitzed in the first half by a devastating Power run, 3's Company settled down and only lost the second half by one point. Drew Gooden showed his range by hitting four 3-pointers and DerMarr Johnson even knocked in a 4-pointer in the loss. If and when Baron Davis returns healthy, this will be a team to watch.
11. Enemies (0-1)
A healthy Gilbert Arenas will change this team dramatically, but as of now they look a step below their competition. Lamar Odom was admittedly rusty and out of sorts, and we didn't get a chance to see No. 1 overall BIG3 draft pick Royce White due to his early ejection after a scuffle with Josh Smith. The loss did show everyone how useful Craig Smith can be, as he put up a monster game of 26 points and 11 rebounds, hitting three 3-pointers in the process.
12. Ball Hogs (0-1)
Rick Barry's team was, well, not great in their opening loss to the Ghost Ballers. Without co-captain Josh Childress, big man Will McDonald showed his skills with a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds. Captain Brian Scalabrine had a disappointing game with just two points and one rebound, while Marcus Williams dished out five assists. It can only go up from here.