NBA Rankings: The Top 10 Player Partnerships in the NBA

The NBA is the ultimate in entertainment. The league has existed for a while now, and it has only gotten better over the ages.

Legends have passed through the league's doors and have proven what it is made of. Earlier it was Larry Bird and Magic Johnson while now it's LeBron James and Dwight Howard who are dominant players.

Not only have players flourished as individuals, but they have developed partnerships that have proven unstoppable. The premier example used to be Shaq and Kobe, but now I will give you a list of the 10 best partnerships the league has to offer right now.

10: Tony Parker and Tim Duncan

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have flourished as teammates, with Duncan exploiting his master bank shot and Parker providing assist after assist. 

Their partnership has been something to keep in the books, as it has lasted for a while now. Under their leadership, the Spurs had a memorable run in 2007 and won the league magnificently.

It will certainly be a dreadful day when these two are broken up.

With age being a factor, these two don't have much time left to generate their sparks together. This is saddening to the Spurs' players, the fans and head coach Greg Popovich.

Duncan has magnificent talent that has been proven in prior years. Parker has unbelievable vision that has made him one of the league's best passers. This partnership might end soon, but it will be remembered for years to come. 

9: Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce

Holy Smokes! Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce certainly are a dominant duo. They have led their team to various championship finals and wins.

In 2008, the Boston Celtics had a great run in which they met their arch-rivals the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. They took them out in a classy series.

Who knew that this legacy would resume in the 2010 finals. This was an epic battle of the greats which lasted seven games. Because the Lakers had won more regular-season games, they had the upper hand.

The first six games were quite interesting, but the seventh was a classic. It featured back-and-forth lead changes, but eventually the Lakers prevailed in a long game. The Celtics ended up leaving the Staples center with sad faces.

In recent times, Rondo has been the key facilitator of this Boston team while Pierce has been the main executor of plays. He's made the shots, made the drives and been the aftershock.

Rondo has started all the attacks and set the play while Pierce has been the receiver. This partnership is beneficial for both sides of this duo, as Rondo is credited for creating while Pierce is credited for scoring

It's a fair share for both. 

8: Derrick Rose and Luol Deng

Derrick Rose certainly has been worthy of his MVP award.

His point guard abilities have dazzled the NBA in all possible ways. His penetration is amazing, his vision is quite good and he's a speedster. Shooting is the only part of his game that could really improve.

Luol Deng is a small forward who has added some attacking depth to this Chicago Bulls team. He has good driving skills and his shooting is pretty good to boot. 

Together, these two players make quite an effective partnership.

Last season, the Bulls made a memorable run all the way to the conference finals, in which their efforts fell short against the Miami Heat in a 4-1 series defeat. After finishing as the top seed in the East, they knew they still had room for improvement.

Luol Deng and Derrick Rose's partnership has certainly been one of the reasons why the Bulls have reached their current level. These two players still have years to play together, and I'm sure they'll make the most of it.

7: Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis certainly do have a partnership that has benefited the team, despite their team's lack of success. These two players have talents that go hand-in-hand.

Stephen Curry is the ideal point guard; he has good vision and driving abilities while also being a good shooter. Basically, he is the complete point guard package.

Monta Ellis is one of the better players on this Golden State team. He can shoot as well as drive; what more could you want from a player?

These two players obviously have room for improvement, but despite their flaws, they make up quite a duo.

6: Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph

Last season, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph proved their worth. The Memphis Grizzlies made it into the playoffs, clinching the eighth seed, and then they did the impossible by beating the Spurs in an amazing series filled with star-studded performances.

Unfortunately, their great run fell short in a seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Zach Randolph is quite a talented player. His post moves are fabulous and his turn-around shot never ceases to amaze me. He is the ultimate package when one looks for a power forward. He can shoot, and he can perform magic in the post. What more could you want?

Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol's brother, is a center who has certainly been a huge factor in this team's performance.

Again, his post moves are quite good, and he has the necessary traits of an NBA big man. His rebounding is off-the-wall, and if you don't have a good rebounder, forget about winning games. Marc Gasol is overall a great player.

Together, these two big men create an amazing partnership, which is the reason why they went so far last season. These two have quite a few years ahead of them, so they should only look to keep their team's success going.

5: Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki

Last season, Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA title. Dirk was fabulous in all ways, most notably in his post moves and shooting. Kidd also played really well; his shooting was certainly on top of his game.

Together this point guard-power forward duo has benefited the Mavericks greatly.

Jason has only gotten better and better as a player. His vision is one of the reasons he is rated highly, and last season his shooting was great as well. He is the perfect point guard package.

Dirk Nowitzki couldn't stop amazing me with his wonder shots. He is arguably the best shooter I've seen in my days. He is the perfect power forward; who wouldn't want him on their team?

Unfortunately, the only thing that could end this great partnership is age. Both players have been in the league for a long time, so it's only a matter of time before they'll have to retire.  

4: Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol!

These two players are part of the reason the Los Angeles Lakers have won the NBA Finals two of the last three years. Last season wasn't their best, but if one looks back at prior seasons, he or she would certainly realize that this duo is one of the best.

I'm not even sure how many facial shots Kobe Bryant has made in his career. His ability to make difficult shots keeps me glued to my seat. He is one of the best scorers I have ever seen.

Pau Gasol is a really talented power forward who has good shooting range and post-up abilities. What more could one want from a power forward?

Unfortunately, last season seemed to be a step down for these two players. Kobe lacked what he had in previous seasons, while Pau just wasn't playing like himself. Pau's brother was rated higher than he was last season.

These two players need to pipe up together if they want to continue their big strides as Lakers.

3: Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have one of the best point guard-small forward partnerships in the league. Last season certainly was a turning point for the OKC Thunder, as they made a fabulous run that ended in the conference finals.

Despite their loss, these two players still performed really well together.

Kevin is one of the greatest players in the league. Just the fact that he is so young proves that he still has a lot to come in his basketball career. He is a great shooter and driver in addition to making the occasional assist. He is a great fit at small forward.

Russell Westbrook has practically all the attributes of a good point guard. He can make some wicked assists and he has a solid mid-range jumper. As long as he keeps playing the way he does and improves defensively, he should be one of the great point guards in the league.

Russell Westbrook is the perfect partner for a forward like Kevin Durant

2: Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire

Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire certainly developed a partnership that has been dominant in the league. Having two players of their magnitude on the same team is almost unfair. Despite them being on the same team, they didn't have an ideal run last year for the New York Knicks.

Carmelo is one of the greatest small forwards in the league. He is an amazing shooter, makes facials like Kobe, can make a great assist every once in a while and he can even make some pretty good defensive plays.

Amare is also one of the best power forwards in the league. He is quite a good shooter when he gets hot, is a magician in the post and can make an amazing block at least once or twice a game.

Together, these two powerhouse players make a great forward partnership that can easily dominate teams in the NBA. 

1: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade

Finally, at the top of this list are LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. These two are arguably the best players in the NBA.

Last season, after joining the Heat, LeBron James needed to settle down. Once that happened, he and Dwyane were able to establish a duo that made teams suffer. They were able to lead their team to the NBA finals in which they unfortunately fell at the feet of the Dallas Mavericks. Still, these two wizards have many more years with this team.

LeBron is arguably the best player in the league. He is the perfect small forward package. He can get the hot hand when shooting, his penetration always dominates and he makes great assists at least three times per game. He is the ideal forward for any team.

Dwyane is arguably the best guard in the league apart from Derrick Rose and maybe Chris Paul. Wade has great passing abilities, can shoot very well on some nights and his penetration never stops bothering other teams. He is not only a good player, he's a good leader. 

Together, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade make a partnership that makes sparks in every locker room they enter before a game. Their dominance reigns on the court like a king controls his dominion.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James still have a few years to come, so the other teams must still keep their eyes open for what I think is the best partnership in the NBA.