
While there certainly are a few players who do offense so well that coaches are willing to tolerate them being defensive liabilities, 3-and-D players are anything but. You can probably see how important both of those things are in the modern NBA game. As capable shooters, they stretch the opposition defense, and as versatile defenders, they can switch between defending smaller guards and big men. What Is A 3 and D Player?Īs the name itself suggests, 3-and-D players are specialist players that bring two things to their teams, long-range three-point shooting (3) and defense (D). We’ll go over what a three and D player is and dive deeper into what makes a great three and D player, what makes them so sought after, and who are the NBA’s best ones in recent years.

Out of all the possible types of role players in the NBA, there is one that is head and shoulders above the rest, the “three and D” player. You can usually count on the stars to get their numbers, so it’s usually the role players (players with a specific skill/duty) who really swing the outcomes of close games. Most of them can hope to, at best, play their careers out as starters on decent teams.

Most NBA players never get to be superstars or even stars for their teams.
