Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett and the Top 15 Duos We'd Love to See Together
How many times have you seen two superstars playing against one another and wondered how awesome it would be to see them team up?
I have had many of those thoughts come into my head ever since I started watching basketball, and the last few years haven't been any different.
Here is a list of the 15 most exciting duos that are not playing on the same team right now.
Enjoy!
Historical Duos
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Larry Bird and Bill Russell
Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal
Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain
Oscar Robertson and Hakeem Olajuwon
Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone
Honorable Mention
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Al Horford and Stephen Curry
Josh Smith and Brandon Roy
Joakim Noah and Eric Gordon
Brook Lopez and Kevin Martin
Andre Iguodala and Gerald Wallace
15. Danny Granger and Chris Bosh
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Both of these players are great scorers and good all-around players, but both of them have tendencies to take bad shots or to settle for shots on the perimeter.
Maybe, if given the chance to work together, they would be able to help one another by getting rid of the other one's flaws.
Chris Bosh is a great player with a very prolific offensive game, which includes his skills outside of the paint. However, since he is a power forward, he should learn to spend more time in the post without worrying about playing near the perimeter as much as he does.
Danny Granger is a great athlete and has the potential to be a superstar, but his tendency to settle for bad shots prevents him from being one.
Granger has been lacking a running mate in Indiana since his arrival, and Bosh is the clear third option for the Heat right now. By providing Granger with a superstar teammate and allowing Bosh to be a co-first option on a team again, success would not be a far-fetched prediction.
As long as these two men would help one another out in fixing the flaws in their offensive games, this would be a very exciting duo to follow.
14. Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd
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Yes, both of these players are old! Yes, both of their best years are already behind them! Yes, this duo would probably need a superstar to help compliment their games!
With all that being said, these two players are two of the most skilled players the league has ever seen. Both of them are great all-around players, still to this day, and would make an excellent duo.
Jason Kidd still can pass, rebound and defend the ball really well. He has never been much of a scoring threat, but is good three point shooter and has improved his free throw shooting severely.
Tim Duncan is also a great all-around player on both ends of the floor. He rebounds the ball very well, is a good passer for a big guy and a great defensive player. His shots off the glass are flawless and can still score the ball when asked upon.
These two together would showcase what basketball truly is about. They would need a good team around them in order to succeed, due to their ages, but these two leaders and proven winners would be an amazing complimentary duo to any superstar in the league.
This duo actually almost came together back in 2003, when Kidd almost joined the San Antonio Spurs, but he decided to re-sign with the New Jersey Nets, and this dream pairing never came to fruition.
Upsetting, as It would be a lot of fun to watch!
13. Manu Ginobili and Paul Pierce
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Both of these men may be aging, but they are still both very good scorers, efficient defenders and play with a lot of intensity.
Manu Ginobili is good at slashing and creating his own shots, which leads to a lot of layups. He is a good ballhandler, changes directions very well due to his quickness, rebounds fairly well and is a very good teammate.
Paul Pierce is also a very good penetrator and also creates his shot very well. He is a reliable three point and free-throw shooter, has good moves and is an efficient rebounder as well.
Most importantly, both of these players are good teammates and proven winners. They have accumulated a ton of playoff experience throughout their careers and have combined to win four championship rings...so far.
Sure, they would probably need one more star on their team, as both of them have won their championships with two stars at their sides, but I don't think it would be a burden trying to convince someone to play with this duo, even if for a little less money.
12. Tony Parker and Zach Randolph
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It would be really fun to see what these two could do together in the post if they were to be paired up together.
Tony Parker is probably the best guard at scoring inside the paint. With his combination of speed and swift moves, the man constantly finds ways to make lay-ups or score in different ways. His talent and athleticism is truly fun to watch.
Of course, if he were to miss a shot inside the post, guess who would be there for the rebound and put back?
Zach Randolph is one of the best rebounders in the game today. He cleans up many mistakes made by his teammates on the offensive end. His footwork and mobility in the post are very impressive, so if Parker wouldn't be able to maneuver his way into the paint, he could just look for Randolph to inflict some damage.
Defense would be a small concern for this duo, especially with Randolph as a part of the team, but hopefully, Parker would make up for some of the problems Randolph possesses on the defensive end.
11. Joe Johnson and Deron Williams
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Combining a great passer with a great scorer just makes perfect sense,doesn't it?
Add in solid all-around games from both of those players, and you have the making of a very good duo.
Joe Johnson is a great scorer, but also rebounds, defends and passes the ball really well.
Deron Williams is one of the best passers in the game today. However, just like Johnson, he is a good shooter and knows how to defend the ball very well, in addition to being a solid rebounder for a man that plays his position.
Combining these two smart players together would make perfect sense, as Williams would be able to provide Johnson with many shots by penetrating to the basket and kicking the ball out to him for an open jump shot. In return, Johnson would try his best to look for an open Williams if he was being double-teamed by the defense, hopefully outside the three point line, as Williams is a good three point shooter.
It would be fun to see how well these two guards would be able to play together.`
10. Steve Nash and Ray Allen
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Five years ago, putting these two players together on one team would have formed the sickest backcourt duo in the NBA.
Today, they would still make up an awesome and great duo!
Just imagine, one of the best passers the league has ever seen seeking out one of the best pure shooters the league has ever seen on a nightly basis. How amazing would it be?
In addition, if warranted, the roles could be reversed. Although Ray Allen is not known for his passing abilities, he is a fairly decent passer with the capabilities of finding an open man. With that taken into consideration, Steve Nash is an amazing shooter who can shoot three pointers just as good as the next guy (Ray Allen).
Although this duo would probably provide their team with about 200 points a game, they would suffer a little bit on the defensive end, as both players are not exceptionally great defenders. However, the offense they would provide would more than make up for only a decent defensive output.
9. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett
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Sure, both men may be past their primes; however, their intensity, willpower and determination are still unmatched by any other player in the league.
Although both of their teams may have been eliminated early in the playoffs this season, I can almost guarantee that these men did everything in their power to make sure that their teams won the series.
Unfortunately, age may be beginning to defeat these guys. However, they are still playing great basketball, proven by their All-Star game selections and All-Defensive First Team selections this previous regular season.
Both players still had prolific all-around seasons, and although the dynasties they have built may look like they are coming to a close, they have not ended yet. With these being said, I would not be shocked at all if one or both of these players led their teams back to the 2012 NBA Finals.
One thing is for sure, if paired together, there would definitely not be a hungrier team for a championship than the team they would be leading!
This pair almost came together in Los Angeles prior to the 2007-2008 season. The Lakers, trying to convince Kobe Bryant to stay with the team at the time, did their best to acquire Kevin Garnett, but were not successful in doing so.
How unfortunate!!!
8. Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis
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Both are very good athletes! Both are very quick! Both would be great compliments to one another!
Rajon Rondo is one of the best defensive players in the league with his long arms and amazing quickness. He's a great rebounder for a point guard and, on the offensive end, is an amazing passer, as he was the second best player in the league this year in terms of assists per game.
This guy does everything exceptionally well except for one thing: scoring. That's not to say he is not a good scorer, but that's not an aspect of his game that stands out.
Enter Monta Ellis.
Ellis is on of the best scorers in the league. He is able to score in many ways and has a nice mid-range game. Unfortunately, that is the only part of his game that is exceptionally great. He plays defense well when he wants to, but none of his other abilities come close to matching his scoring abilities.
With Rondo as his point guard, this guy would probably average even more points a game than he did during this previous season. Rondo would probably average even more assists than he did during this previous season as well. These two would combine to form probably the backcourt combination in the league, and it surely would be a lot of fun to see what they could do together.
7. Russell Westbrook and LaMarcus Aldridge
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Both of these players emerged as bona fide superstars during this previous regular season, both being named to All-NBA teams. They stepped up their games big time for their respective teams down the stretch of the season, and both are looking to become the leaders of their teams next season.
Wouldn't it just be better to pair them up and let them both be the leaders?
LaMarcus Aldridge has a very good offensive game near the basket. He is very polished and relies on his talent and skills for success. In addition, he also possesses a good mid-range game.
Russell Westbrook has improved his offensive game a lot over the course of his three-year career. His field goal percentage has improved tremendously since his rookie year, and he is very good at penetrating to the basket due to his speed and athleticism.
Pair them up together, and you will have two options on the offensive end. You could either play through Aldridge in the post with Westbrook outside the paint ready for a jump shot. The second option is playing through a penetrating Westbrook, with Aldridge ready to utilize his mid-range game if Westbrook is unsuccessful in the paint.
Either way, it would be fun to watch!
6. Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol
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What do you get when you pair up two of arguably the best European basketball players to ever play in the NBA?
A matchup nightmare and probably the most skilled duo the NBA has ever seen.
Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen. His fadeaway jump shot is nearly impossible to block and he has mastered his form to near perfection. He is lethal from the three point line, rebounds the ball well and has the capability to handle the ball like a point guard does.
Pau Gasol is just as skilled as Nowitzki. His hook shot is very hard to block because of the fact that it is shot with a very high arc. In addition, he has a very nice mid-range game for a man his size. He has very good coordination and a great first step. His passing ability is a very pretty sight to watch, and the way he runs the floor is superior compared to the majority of NBA players.
With Gasol at the center position and Nowitzki at the power forward position, this duo would be nearly unstoppable on the offensive end. Coaches would have to make many adjustments to contain these two, and with Nowitzki's and Gasol's brains, I'm not sure just how well any adjustments would actually work.
Defense would be a problem for these two, but the offense would more than make up for the average defense.
5. Kevin Durant and Kevin Love
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Wouldn't it be awesome to combine two people named Kevin on one team?
Wouldn't it be even better if one was the best scorer in the league and the other one was the best rebounder in the league?
I think the answer to both of these questions is yes!
Kevin Love is a very good low-post scorer, has a nice offensive perimeter game and is absolutely an excellent rebounder.
Kevin Durant is an outstanding scorer due to his beautiful shot, is a good ballhandler and puts up good rebounding numbers.
Sure, both of these players have their deficiencies. Love lacks athleticism and Durant lacks muscle, but both of these men are not even 23 years old yet and have a lot of time to work on those deficiencies.
If paired up, there's no telling how dominant of a perimeter/post duo these two could be together.
4. Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul
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I think it would be really fun to watch two of the top all-around players for their positions play together on one team. I believe that this would be the best point/shooting guard duo of all time.
Chris Paul is arguably the best floor general in the NBA today. He has great knowledge of the game, knows how to score the ball well and is one of the top passers in the game right now.
On the defensive end, Paul is very quick and pretty strong, which helps him steal a lot of passes and helps keep him in front of his man. He is a very prolific defender on the ball.
Dwyane Wade can do it all! He's really good on the defensive end, compiling a lot of steals, and also a lot of blocks and rebounds for a man his size. He scores at will, especially when he drives to the hoop, has developed some very nice moves to trick his defenders, has improved his playmaking abilities and does a little bit of passing as well.
Due to both of their combinations of strength and athleticism, it would be a lot of fun to watch Paul and Wade run the pick and roll game together, run the floor on a fast break together and guard the perimeter together. Not many guards would score on this combo and not many guards would be able to contain them either.
3. Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire
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Combine two of the most physically talented and explosive big men in the league right now on one team, and how could you fail?
I don't know of another frontcourt player in the league right now who has the combination of size, athleticism, quickness and strength as both of these players do. They are both able to bully their way into the paint and love to throw down monstrous dunks for one reason: because they can. They are very aggressive as well, and above all, they actually possess talent.
On the basketball court, they would be a perfect complement to one another. Amare Stoudemire is one of the best offensive players in the game right now. He has great hands, has a good first step, a nice mid-range game, runs the floor very well and is a beast in the paint.
Dwight Howard, on the other hand, is the best defensive player in the game today, exemplified by his three straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. Very few players in the league could rebound the ball as well as he does, and he is also one of the best shot blockers in the game. Players are afraid to enter the paint with him protecting the basket, because odds are that they won't be making the shot that they attempt.
As great as it would be to watch these two go at each other during practices, it would be even more fun to watch them dominate their competition during live games!
2. LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony
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The combination of versatility, athleticism, talent and strength this duo would possess would be incomparable to any other duo in NBA history.
LeBron James could basically do it all. He scores at will, rebounds the ball like a power forward while possessing point guard passing abilities and defends the ball like a superstar. He truly is "the king" of the NBA.
Carmelo Anthony is one of the best and most clutch scorers in the league, as he is able to score in many different ways. He is also a very good rebounder.
The most interesting storyline, that would draw the most attention from fans, would be the way they would handle close ball games. Both of these players have egos that are bigger than James' giant peach, and I do not think Anthony would put his ego aside for the benefit of his team. James would eventually get aggravated with Anthony, leading to tension between the two friends.
Regardless of all that, watching these two superstars play together would be more entertaining than the James and Dwyane Wade duo in Miami.
1. Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin
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Youth. Athleticism. Talent. Humbleness.
Don't even try to tell me that you are not salivating over the idea of these two playing together on the same team. How disgusting would this be?
Just imagine this: Derrick Rose drives down the lane. He crosses over a defender and breaks his ankles. He enters the paint fearlessly and draws two defenders. Rose throws up an alley-oop and Blake Griffin throws the ball down over his defender.
The superior athleticism and skill both of these players possess would make this duo so fun to watch.
Not to mention, both of these players are still very young, very humble and have an incredible work ethic. These three characteristics would equal to an amazing duo that would dominate competition in all aspects of the game offensively for many years to come.
Not to mention that they are both slowly becoming really good defensive players as well.
If only! If only!
