When LeBron James said he was going to create “the best big three f***ing ever” with Khem Birch and Luke Babbitt, the league quaked. Such a star-studded trio would immediately usher in a new Lakers dynasty. Rival GMs all around the league immediately drew up their tanking plans. Thankfully for fans of parity everywhere, that particular big three did not come to pass, with Birch instead dominating the Lakers tonight with a sick 0/1/0/0/0 line in fifteen minutes and Babbitt… I actually can’t find out what he’s doing right now. Is he dead?
Anyway, LeBron had to settle for Quinn Cook and Troy Daniels as the backup participants in his dreams of a big three to rival The Heatles. A bit of a downgrade to be sure, but the fit was still there. Surrounding LeBron with shooters is the surest path to success that exists in the league, and Cook and Daniels, well, they are definitely willing to shoot the ball.
The Lakers’ big three had perhaps their most successful game yet in terms of points, with Cook leading the way by scoring 22, Daniels dropping 17, and James bringing up the rear with a 19-point/19-assist performance. It wasn’t enough to get the win, as the Magic, led by the number-one-overall-pick superstar point guard Markelle Fultz proved that one sometimes is greater than three.