10 NBA All-Stars Who Need Superstar Sidekicks

The NBA All-Star game provides not only the fans with a chance to see superstars play alongside each other, but it also offers certain star athletes the opportunity to run with the prolific sidekick they never had.

Superstar tandems have become a staple in the NBA, yet not every star in the league has the luxury of being complemented by another one.

While the All-Star game is simply meant to be an exhibition of good-spirited competition, it also inadvertently serves as a glimpse into what could have been, or what could still be, for a number of star-studded athletes who lack a heralded sidekick. 

Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Joe Johnson's Atlanta Hawks started off hot but have since cooled off, losing seven of their last 10.

While Johnson may be forced to miss this year's All-Star Game thanks to an injured left knee, such an absence will not prove to be his biggest loss of the season. 

The Hawks, although somewhat of a surprise, are not equipped enough to win a championship, even at full-strength, as Johnson lacks the type of sidekick modern day All-Stars crave.

Josh Smith is explosive, but to call him a superstar is a bit of a stretch, and Al Horford, while solid, is the product of wafer-thin competency at the center position.

Johnson is one of the most accurate spot-up shooters in the league. He thrives off passes from the inside and needs very little room to get a shot off, and he is best served alongside a high-scoring center who will draw a lot of double-teams.

Even when healthy, Horford is not a volume scorer nor a nightly double-team candidate. There are a number of others who are, though, and consequently would bring out more of the best in Johnson.

Star Centers Who Fit Best Alongside Johnson: Dwight Howard, Al Jefferson and Andrew Bynum

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

To say that Dwight Howard is in need of a superstar sidekick is an understatement, as he has kept the Orlando Magic relevant by his lonesome for nearly a decade.

While it's easy to chastise Howard for keeping one foot out the door in Orlando, the current team structure doesn't scream bona fide championship contender, yet it would if the roster boasted another athlete who held a similar level of clout to Howard.

Unfortunately, thanks to a plethora of dollar-heavy contracts, Howard's best chance to play alongside another superstar—aside from the All-Star game—lies outside of Florida.

Given Howard's penchant for dominating inside, he is best served with a star point guard who can create easy points at the basket for him by navigating through the paint with ease. And while the Magic can hardly offer such a circumstance, a number of other teams can.

Star Point Guards Who Fit Best Alongside Howard: Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo and Deron Williams

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

What the San Antonio Spurs have been able to accomplish this season amidst bouts with injuries and age is nothing short of spectacular. That being said, Tony Parker could use a younger and healthier superstar sidekick than he is currently being presented with. 

Tim Duncan and Richard Jefferson are shells of their former self, and Manu Ginobili is struggling to stay healthy, which has left Parker to carry the burden as the team's lone superstar.

While the Spurs' current concoction of players has worked to this point, we have seen this movie before. San Antonio is undoubtedly capable of contending for a title, but age and injuries could force them to fade down the stretch.

And at 29, amidst a career year, it's clear that Parker could use another star, preferably a prolific wingman who he can drive-and-kick to on a nightly basis. You know, the way he and Ginobili used to run things.

Sharp-shooting Stars Who Fit Best Alongside Parker: Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay and Kevin Martin

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are losers of four straight, a stretch in which it has become clear that their aging core is not poised for one more championship run.

While Paul Pierce is no longer a symbol of youth, he still has plenty of swagger, but Boston will be unable to make the most of his remaining days without pairing him alongside another All-Star.

Rajon Rondo is a great playmaker, but the Celtics continue to shop him, and Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen simply don't have enough star-power left.

Pierce excels at creating for himself but absolutely thrives off the play of explosive point guards. Rondo, while an adept passer, is not considered a scoring threat from outside the paint. Pierce needs someone who can fire on all cylinders so that he is able to play his inside-out style the best he can.

Star Point Guards Who Fit Best Alongside Pierce: Steve Nash, John Wall and Derrick Rose

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have unexpectedly kept pace with the rest of the league's elite teams thus far, but their early rise to prominence has not erased the need for Andre Iguodala to be paired with a player as prolific as himself.

Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young have performed admirably, but they are not All-Star material, not yet anyway. 

Iguodala has reinvented the role of a point forward and can defend any position on the floor. However, he often finds himself outside of the headlines—unless it's with regard to trade rumors— thanks to the absence of an explosive big man who can open up the floor and give him more room to work with.

That big man was supposed to be Elton Brand, but clearly, it isn't.

Star Big Men Who Fit Best Alongside Iguodala: Kevin Love, Amar'e Stoudemire and Paul Millsap

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki has been carrying the burden for the Dallas Mavericks on his own for far too long, and it's unlikely the Dallas Mavericks repeat as NBA champions as currently constructed.

Dallas' roster is laden with former superstars, but Nowitzki is its only current one. By not pairing the versatile big man with another star athlete, the Mavericks are essentially wasting the 33-year-old's remaining time at the top.

Nowitzki can play a wide range of roles, and because of that, he is compatible with any number of superstars. That said, his soft-shooting touch warrants an All-Star caliber point guard who can create even more open looks for him from the outside, as Jason Kidd simply isn't cutting it any longer.

As a backup, Dallas can do no better than Kidd, but as a sidekick to Nowitzki, there is much left to be desired.

Star Point Point Guards Who Fit Best Alongside Nowitzki: Deron Williams, Steve Nash and Jose Calderon

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers

LaMarcus Aldridge's Portland Trail Blazers were supposed to contend for an NBA title this year, yet heading into the All-Star break, they are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Aldridge has been phenomenal, but the Blazers as a whole lack another star presence to render them a more formidable opponent. Nicolas Batum has shown flashes of greatness but is much too inconsistent, and Raymond Felton has lost all confidence in himself.

Felton's demise casts the biggest shadow over the organization, as Aldridge's mid-range to inside game would thrive alongside a point guard who can not only penetrate but hit the outside shot consistently.

If Aldridge—outside of the All-Star Game—had the opportunity to play with a floor general of that caliber, Portland would be in a much better situation.

Star Point Guards Who Fit Best Alongside Aldridge: Steve Nash, Stephen Curry and Deron Williams

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwoles

Kevin Love has helped lead the Minnesota Timberwolves back to relevancy, but there is only so far he can take them without another superstar to help him along the way.

Ricky Rubio has introduced a dynamic that Minnesota hasn't seen since the days of Sam Cassell, but calling him a star is premature, and that's being kind. That being said, it's clear Love is not in need of another point guard but rather a superb small forward to take care of business from the outside in.

Love is a rare breed, as he can knock down a shot from anywhere on the court, but without a natural perimeter player who can do the same consistently, his efforts are liable to become fruitless.

No offense, Michael Beasley.

Small Forwards Who Fit Best Alongside Love: Paul Pierce, Rudy Gay and Andre Iguodala

Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets

If Brook Lopez had been healthy from the get go, the New Jersey Nets may have found themselves in a slightly better situation at the season's halfway point.

That said, with a proven superstar on the docket to go along with Deron Williams, the Brooklyn-bound Nets would have found themselves amidst those contending for a title.

Williams is a point guard you can build a team around, there's no argument to the contrary. He boasts the perfect balance of quickness and strength and can knock down shots from anywhere on the floor.

What would make him more dangerous, though? A prolific big man to draw double-teams and open up the floor for him even further.

That would be scary—for the opposition, anyway.

Star Centers Who Fit Best Alongside Williams: Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol and Roy Hibbert

Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

The 38-year-old Steve Nash is perhaps more in need of a prolific sidekick than anyone else in the league.

Nash has managed to keep a group of marginal role players competitive on a nightly basis, something few athletes let alone point guards could find the will to do.

Channing Frye, Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley have all flourished under Nash's watchful eye, but their success has been manufactured by their veteran floor general. He makes everyone around him better, regardless of their skill set.

And while Nash can turn any average Joe into a voluminous scorer, he was at his best when the Phoenix Suns had a surplus of athletic power forwards on the roster. He loves to run the floor and put the ball in the air for a teammate to flush, but he also needs a big man to kick out to when he hits traffic down low.

Put Nash alongside a prolific stretch 4, and the results will boggle the mind.

Star Power Forwards Who Fit Best Alongside Nash: Amar'e Stoudemire, Kevin Love and Dirk Nowitzki

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