A “3-and-D” (or “three-and-D”) basketball player is someone (usually a wing player, such as a small forward or a shooting guard) who can hit three-point shots and who can play defense. A 3-and-D player usually isn’t a center or a power forward (who both play near the basket), nor can a 3-and-D player handle the ball well enough (like a point guard) to consistently drive to the basket. However, the 3-and-D player can help stretch the spacing on the floor for other players on offense and also help with team defense.
 
“A ‘Three-and-D’ Shooting Guard” was part of the article “Know Your Role” by John Krolik, published in SLAMonline on September 12, 2008.
 
“3-and-B” (blocks) is a related term that was coined in 2017.
     
     
Glossary of basketball terms
3-and-D
21st-century term for a player, usually a wing, whose main assets are three-point shooting (“3”) and defense (“D”), usually against other wings
   
SLAMonline
September 12, 2008
Know Your Role
By John Krolik
(...)
3. A “Three-and-D” Shooting Guard
These guys aren’t quite the shooters that the Bona Fide Snipers are, but they’re great athletes and defensive stoppers who don’t require the ball in their hands.
 
Why they’re tough to find: If you want to be a defensive stopper, you’ve got to be a hell of an athlete. And most great athletes aren’t good enough shooters do be effective camping out behind the line. And from an ego standpoint, it’s hard to find a great athlete who can drain threes who’s going to be enthusiastic about doing all the hard work on defense but never getting to create plays on offense – an entirely thankless job.
 
Twitter
Kevin Pelton
‏@kpelton
“Three-and-D” - love it. RT @kevinarnovitz: Solid write-up on Delonte West, the player, by @JohnKrolik http://tiny.cc/ewG4T
5:05 PM - 20 Oct 2009
 
Twitter
Evan Dunlap
‏@BQRMagic
Ime Udoka’s a great pickup for the Kings. Could have been a 3-and-D specialist for a contender.
6:27 PM - 4 Nov 2009
     
ESPN.com
11/6/2009
Who is Quinton Ross?
By Kevin Arnovitz
(...)
Bruce Bowen came to personify that role over his career in San Antonio. Since Bowen, there has been a string of “Three-and-D” specialists around the league.
   
Real Basketball Talk
VP
PostSubject: Re: How do people like J.J. Redick now?  Fri Dec 25, 2009 8:42 pm
Yes, Redick has undoubtedly gotten musclier and his shot is still as smooth, but he struggles playing defense because of his height deficiency. Until he becomes an effective defender, he won’t really go far. But if he works on it, he can be one of those 3 and D guys like Bruce Bowen and James Posey, among others.
   
48 Minutes of Hell
August 12, 2011
Jaren Jackson: The Original Three-and-D
by Jesse Blanchard
(...)
It took Popovich some time to form the Three-and-D role player archetype that went on to produce multiple championships. At the ground floor, changing perceptions with a quick release, and a shake of his head, was journeyman Jaren Jackson.
 
Jackson is best remembered — for those that remember him — for shutting down the historic Los Angeles Forum with 22 and 20-point performances. The reserve shooting guard punctuated the Spurs sweep with nail-in-the-coffin-three-pointers and a head shaking celebration that was mimicked by impressionable young fans around San Antonio playgrounds (okay, so maybe just by me).
   
Pounding the Rock
Who are the NBA’s best 3-and-D players?
By Jesus Gomez  @JejeGomez_PtR on Aug 17, 2013, 2:04p
The 3 and D player has never been more popular than now. Every team wants a low-usage wing that can spot up efficiently from outside the arc and excel defensively; the glue guy that doesn’t need plays called for him and is instead happy to just wait for the ball to swing his way while spacing the floor for his more offensively talented teammates.
 
But with the advent of this type of role player, it seems every shooter that can’t dribble and every solid defender that can’t score seems to be called a 3-and-D guy. But what is a 3-and-D player really? And which ones are the best?
   
Bleacher Report
Breaking Down the Best 3-and-D Guys in the NBA Entering 2013-14
By Adam Fromal , National NBA Featured Columnist Sep 26, 2013
As NBA teams start to value three-point shooting and defensive excellence more, the “three-and-D” guy has become increasingly in vogue.
 
Elite teams love filling up the bench with players who can either drill shots from the perimeter or step onto the court and shut down their assignments. It’s quite the luxury when players are able to do both, as it saves both roster space and money.
   
USA Today
‘3-and-D’: The specialist’s path to a long NBA career
Adi Joseph, USA TODAY Sports 12:23 p.m. EST November 26, 2014
(...)
Temple is part of a rising class of NBA players: the “three-and-D” specialists, who put almost all of their focus on perimeter shooting and defense. The product of modern analytics and on-court humility, these players have popped up on rosters throughout the NBA as teams look to spread the court and the basketball.