Are Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol the NBA's Best Post-Perimeter Duo?

The Los Angeles Lakers can thank Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol for their win against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night, because if the duo hadn't stepped up, the series could have a much different look than it does now.

The Lakers were able to take a commanding two-game lead against the Thunder because of the 64 points scored by Bryant and Gasol combined on a night where no other Laker reached double figures.

The 64 points accounted for more than two-thirds of the Lakers' total of 95, and Bryant's 15-point fourth quarter proved the deciding factor against an Oklahoma City team that plays nothing like an eight seed.

The Thunder are young but supremely talented, and they have one of the league's brightest stars in forward Kevin Durant, who was able to find his offensive game after a dismal showing in Game One.

Durant scored 32 points, and his teammates responded to being dominated in the paint in Game One by blocking 17 Lakers' field-goal attempts, and preventing Andrew Bynum from controlling the interior.

The Thunder did everything necessary to win except slowing Bryant and Gasol, so instead of heading back to the Ford Center with the series tied, Oklahoma City must now climb out of a two-game hole.

There is no question Bryant and Gasol are one of the more talented perimeter-post combinations in the league, but after witnessing Tuesday's dominant performance, I have to wonder, are they the best?

Few teams have two players with the ability to dominate a game either from the post or the perimeter, and that talent becomes paramount once the postseason begins.

San Antonio with their combination of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker immediately come to mind, but there are others such as Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups of Denver, as well as Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics.

Phoenix Suns' stars Steve Nash and A'mare Stoudemire deserve consideration, as does Utah's Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, who surprised everyone by stealing Game Two of their series against Denver, after an injury to Mehmet Okur.

An argument can be made on behalf of all of the above-mentioned duos, but there are some areas where Bryant and Gasol hold an upper hand, and it begins with their status as two of the best players at their respective positions.

Of all the duos mentioned, only Bryant and Gasol could make a case of being the premier players at their positions, and even if that claim is shot down by some, it would be hard to argue that each player is at least top three.

The Nuggets' Anthony is definitely one of the top three players in the NBA at his position, and some would consider the same of Billups, but with the abundance of talented point guards in the league, it's easy to make arguments for others.

For instance, Nash, Williams, Rondo, Derrick Rose, and Parker could all be debated as being a level or two above Billups, and that's just the point guards who qualified for the postseason.

The same is true of Williams and Boozer of the Jazz, because while there is little doubt that Williams is among the top three point guards in the league, Boozer doesn't exist in that same rarefied air as a power forward.

The Celtics' tandem of Rondo and Garnett would make the cut, but only if it was 2008, because while Rondo's star has continued to soar, Garnett has fallen victim to age and injuries as his skills have steadily diminished.

One duo not previously mentioned is Vince Carter and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, and in terms of talent and the ability to dominate a game from the post or perimeter, they are probably the closest to Bryant and Gasol.

Duncan and Parker of San Antonio are close, but Parker lacks the defensive ability of either Carter or Bryant, and although he is able to dominate a game from the point of attack, Parker is just as likely to be beaten on the defensive end.

The one problem with Carter is his tendency to lose focus at critical points, and if his perimeter shot is not falling, Carter is reluctant to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim, even though he has the ability to do so.

Howard is a much more physical presence than Gasol, but his game is not nearly as polished, and where Howard fails in the fundamental aspects of the game, Gasol excels.

The chemistry between Bryant and Gasol can not be discounted, because while there have been recent disagreements over how the Lakers' offense is most efficiently run, the triangle offense is at it's best when both players are in rhythm.

Bryant and Gasol have led the Lakers' to three consecutive Western Conference regular season championships, and they have played in the last two NBA Finals and won the league championship in 2009.

The Lakers' success since Gasol was added to the roster is a testament to their merits as the league's best tandem in itself, and currently the duo has Los Angeles poised to challenge for a repeat of their 2009 feat.

It remains unclear if Bryant and Gasol will be successful in their ultimate goal to repeat as NBA champions, but as far as the best post-perimeter tandems in the league go, they may have already sewn that honor up.