Ranking the Greatest Frontcourt Duo from each NBA Team in League History

A pair of great players in an NBA frontcourt can make life miserable for opposing teams, both on offense and defense. After all, having one great player down low is a recipe for success. Two is a recipe for something more. 

The frontcourt is defined as the group of players who don't line up at the guard positions, meaning that small forwards, power forwards and centers are all eligible for this list. 

With that in mind, let's take a look through the best frontcourt duos of all time, one for each team, ranked No. 30 through No. 1. 

It is important to note that only the parts of these players' careers that occurred when they were both on the same team are included. 

30. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin and Chris Kaman

Played together from 2010-present

We only have one season to work with here, but it's pretty incredible just how good Blake Griffin was. Chris Kaman was the second man here almost by default. Expect to see his name replaced by DeAndre Jordan's sooner rather than later. 

Griffin, the 2011 Rookie of the Year, improved as the season went on, dazzled crowds and YouTube video viewers and averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. 

Kaman meanwhile only played in 32 games, but he averaged 12.4 points and 7.0 boards per game. 

29. New Jersey Nets: Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson

Played together from 2001-2004

Don't make the mistake of thinking these guys represented their current selves when they were in the beginnings of their respective careers back in 2001-2004. 

Kenyon Martin was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft and put together three very good seasons during this time frame. Jefferson meanwhile was drafted in 2001 and made an immediate impact for the Nets.

The two were good but not great individually yet seemed to work quite well together. 

As many good players as the Nets have had historically, they just haven't ever seemed to have two standouts in their prime both line up in the frontcourt simultaneously. 

28. Charlotte Bobcats: Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor

Played together from 2004-2008

The Charlotte Bobcats haven't been around for very long (2004 in fact), and they certainly haven't been any good in that time frame. 

Emeka Okafor and Gerald Wallace have probably been the best two players in the franchise's history, so it only makes sense to have them here. 

Okafor was the Rookie of the Year in 2005 and was a good, but not great, player during this time. Wallace on the other hand is a stat-stuffing machine capable of doing almost anything at a high level. 

27. New Orleans Hornets: Jamal Mashburn and Jamaal Magloire

Played together from 2000-2004

With one-a'ed Jamal Mashburn at small forward and two-a'ed Jamaal Magloire at center, the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets had the greatest frontcourt duo of their short history. The duo was good, just not enough to top many on this list.

The high-scoring Monster Mash was in the twilight of his career but still a 20-points-per-game scorer in each of the four seasons here.

Magloire on the other hand started out as a rookie in 2000 and took until 2002 to truly become a valuable contributor. He went on to have two of the three best seasons of his career before the 2004 campaign ended.  

26. Toronto Raptors: Tracy McGrady and Charles Oakley

Played together from 1998-2000

Tracy McGrady (small forward) and Charles Oakley (power forward and center) only lined up together for two seasons, but in the short history of the Toronto Raptors, this was still the best duo. I searched for a while trying to find a better duo with Chris Bosh involved, but the 1999-2000 seasons pushed this over top all competitors. 

That year, the Raptors made it to the playoffs before getting swept by the New York Knicks. T-Mac, in his second season in the league, broke out by averaging 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Oakley meanwhile started all 80 games and averaged 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest while providing an undeniable veteran boost to the squad. 

Was the duo great? No, definitely not. But you'd be hard pressed to find a better one. 

25. Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph

Played together from 2009-present

Marc Gasol is still coming into his own while Zach Randolph continues to put up great numbers despite not actually being able to run or jump. 

This is a frontcourt duo that will move up the rankings if Gasol chooses to stay in Memphis during this year's free-agency period, whenever that may occur. 

But for now, this is the highest I can really justify putting them. Both are great players and will continue to have success regardless of the situations they wind up in. 

24. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler

Played together from 2010-present.

This frontcourt duo, as most of you certainly are already aware, managed to win a championship in their first and only season together. 

With Dirk Nowitzki providing the scoring punch, and Tyson Chandler shutting down the other team's big men, the Dallas Mavericks had a pretty sick frontcourt this past season. 

However, they've only spent one season together, and Chandler isn't going to be mistaken for anything but a great defensive player with limited offensive abilities. 

23. Miami Heat: LeBron James and Chris Bosh

Played together from 2010-present

This may be a pretty unconventional duo, seeing as LeBron James is a small forward, and Chris Bosh is a power forward, but it's a damn good one. 

James and Bosh may have taken a lot of heat during their first season with the Miami Heat, but they both had terrific seasons. James was a bona fide MVP candidate, and Bosh managed to play at an All-Star level, averaging 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. 

As they have more seasons together, they'll move up these rankings.

22. Golden State Warriors: Wilt Chamberlain and Nate Thurmond

Played together from 1963-1965

These two only co-existed for a little over one season before Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers just 38 games into the 1964-1965 season. 

But they did spend one glorious year together. 

Wilt the Stilt averaged a league-leading 36.9 points and 22.3 rebounds per game while playing suffocating defense. Nate the Great was a little less stellar but still averaged seven points and 10.4 rebounds per game, proving in the process that he could help mitigate the damage the team would suffer from trading away Chamberlain. 

21. Sacramento Kings: Jack Twyman and Jerry Lucas

Played together from 1963-1966

Going way back to the days of the Cincinnati Royals, Jack Twyman and Jerry Lucas combined to form the greatest frontcourt duo in this franchise's lengthy history, lining up at the small forward and power forward spots, respectively. 

Both players are now Hall of Famers thanks to their work on the court. 

Twyman made the last All-Star team of his career in 1963 and kept declining until he retired in 1966, but any slack he left was picked up for by Lucas. During these three seasons, the big man was unstoppable. 

As a rookie, Lucas averaged 17.7 points and 17.4 rebounds per game before averaging over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game for each of the next two years. 

20. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tom Chambers and Jack Sikma

Played together from 1983-1986.

Just before his All-Star seasons, Tom Chambers was a very valuable member of the Seattle SuperSonics, capable of lining up at either power forward or center. 

During these seasons, Jack Sikma was finishing up his extraordinary career for the franchise now loaded in Oklahoma City. He did make two All-Star teams in these three seasons. 

On most nights, these two guys combined for about 36 points and 17 rebounds. That's not too shabby. 

19. Denver Nuggets: Kiki Vandeweghe and Dan Issel

Played together from 1980-1984.

Dan Issel was in the twilight of his career, but Kiki Vandeweghe was only just getting started from 1980-1984. 

Issel, one of the greatest players in ABA history, didn't have quite as much success in the better league, but he was still a great player for the Denver Nuggets. He consistently averaged over 20 points per game and came pretty close to 10 rebounds per contest in quite a few seasons. 

As Issel's scoring prowess declined, Kiki's rose until he averaged a remarkable 29.4 points per game in 1983-1984. Vandeweghe made two All-Star teams during this time. 

18. Milwaukee Bucks: Glenn Robinson and Vin Baker

Played together from 1994-1997. 

Glenn Robinson, a small forward, was drafted in 1994 and made an immediate impact for the Milwaukee Bucks. His first three seasons saw him average 21.9, 20.2 and 21.1 points per game. Scarily enough, he was also a good defensive player, particularly when it came to stealing the ball, and he both crashed the boards and found teammates proficiently. 

Vin Baker took a little longer to adjust to playing power forward in the NBA, but it all clicked during his sophomore seasons with the Bucks. During this same three-year span, Baker averaged 17.7, 21.1 and 21.0 points per game. 

The scoring punch these two provided out of the frontcourt was fantastic. Both players are pretty underrated historically. 

17. Atlanta Hawks: Bob Pettit and Ed Macauley

Played together from 1956-1959

We're going old school for this one. 

In my opinion, Bob Pettit is the greatest Atlanta Hawk of all time, even though he technically only played for the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks before they moved to Atlanta. 

During these three seasons, he won one of his two MVP awards, made three All-Star teams, made three All-NBA first teams and led the Hawks to their only championship in franchise history. He even won a scoring title in those three years.

Joining him in the frontcourt was Ed Macauley. The power forward and center made two All-Star teams, one in 1956 and another in 1957 and was a valuable all-around contributor to the Hawks' efforts.  

16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett and Wally Szczerbiak

Played together from 1999-2006

Wally Szczerbiak was a forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves from the time his career began in 1999 until he was traded midseason to the Boston Celtics in 2006. A one-time All-Star, the man whose name should be a spelling bee word be a very talented scorer during all of those seasons. 

As for Kevin Garnett, well, he was pretty good with the Wolves too. 

15. Orlando Magic: Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard

Played together from 2004-2009.

Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard both joined the Orlando Magic in 2004 and ushered in a new era for the franchise. 

Howard dominated off the bat, averaging a double-double in his rookie season. You all know just how good the perennial MVP candidate has been since then. 

Turkoglu was still in the prime of his career and showed that he could be a terrific scorer, especially in the clutch moments of games, from the forward position. 

14. Phoenix Suns: Shawn Marion and Amar'e Stoudemire

Played together from 2002-2008

The versatility of Shawn Marion and the offensive prowess of Amar'e Stoudemire was a frightening combination in the frontcourt for the run-and-gun offensive of the Phoenix Suns in the 2000s. 

No titles came out of their playing together, but Marion averaged around 20 points per game for the first four seasons of this time, and Stoudemire did for all but his rookie season in 2002-2003. 

There was no stopping these two guys on that end of the floor, although it didn't hurt that Steve Nash was feeding them beautiful passes from the point guard position. 

13. Cleveland Cavaliers: Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance

Played together from 1987-1994

Other than LeBron James, Brad Daugherty is the best player in the history of the Cleveland Cavaliers. So it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he's going to be represented in this slideshow, and it doesn't hurt that a great player like Larry Nance gets to join him. 

The High-Ayatolla of Slamola, as Nance was known for his dunking prowess, made two All-Star teams during this time and was a mainstay on the All-Defensive team rosters. 

Daugherty on the other hand scored a lot. And then scored some more. He ended up making five All-Star squads in his career, all during this time. 

12. Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace

Played together from 2003-2006

Both playing during the primes of their career, the two Wallaces dominated in the frontcourt for the Detroit Pistons. 

Ben won three Defensive Player of the Year awards during this time while Rasheed racked up countless technical fouls and made just one All-Star team.

In their first full season together, the defensively-oriented pair helped lead their team to the 2004 NBA Championship.  

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton

Played together from 1976-1978

Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton only played together for two seasons, but they were both in their prime.

Lucas, a power forward, averaged 20.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game for the first and 16.4 and 9.1 for the second. Walton, on the other hand, put up 16.1 and 13.4 and then 18.6 and 14.4 during the second season from the center position. 

Add to that great defense and the best outlet passes of all time from Walton and you've got a killer combo for two seasons. It's no surprise that both made All-Star teams, the team won a championship in 1977, and Walton was the league MVP in 1978. 

10. Los Angeles Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy

Played together from 1982-1989.

Even though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in the last decade of his career when James Worthy joined the Los Angeles Lakers, he was still a remarkable player. 

The all-time leading scorer in NBA history was still scoring 20 points per game and racking up All-Star selections while playing terrific defense at the center position. 

The Lakers only got better when Worthy joined the team as a small forward and provided a massive offensive boost, especially when the games mattered most. 

Anytime two top-50 players of all time join forces in the frontcourt, the duo is going to be pretty solid. The only problem is that a lot of these years came either during Worthy's first seasons in the NBA or Kareem's final ones. Neither was in their prime for a good bit of this time frame. 

9. Philadelphia 76ers: Wilt Chamberlain and Billy Cunningham

Played together from 1965-1968

Wilt Chamberlain had just been acquired in a trade when Billy Cunningham was drafted. Wilt the Stilt and The Kangaroo Kid would go on to have a whole lot of success. 

Wilt was still one of the most dominant statistical forces in the NBA when he joined the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging a league-leading 33.5 points and 24.6 rebounds during his first full season with the team. He would go on to average just about 24 points and 24 rebounds per game during the rest of this time frame. 

Cunningham's career got off to a great start as he averaged 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a rookie. He went on to average just about 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the next two seasons. It wasn't until Wilt left for Los Angeles that he would really take flight though. 

The two did win a championship in 1967, thus validating their time spent together. 

8. Utah Jazz: Karl Malone and Mark Eaton

Played together from 1985-1993

Karl Malone was drafted in 1985 and immediately became a contributor for the Utah Jazz, forming a terrific frontcourt duo at the power forward position alongside 7'4" center Mark Eaton. 

While we all know just how tremendous The Mailman was, seeing as he's universally regarded as a top 20 player all time, Eaton has flown a little bit under the radar. 

The bearded giant won two Defensive Player of the Year awards during this span while setting the all-time records for single-season and career blocks per game averages. 

Malone and Eaton never won a title together, but they came close a few times. 

7. New York Knicks: Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere

Played together from 1968-1974

With the incredible defense of Dave DeBusschere at the power forward position and the scoring and rebounding prowess of Willis Reed at the center position, the New York Knicks were a force to be reckoned with during this time and ended up winning two championships. 

This frontcourt stifled opponents and provided unforgettable moments galore, namely "Here comes Willis!" in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. 

In these years, they combined to make 10 All-Star teams out of a possible 12. 

6. Houston Rockets: Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon

Played together from 1983-1988

The were called The Twin Towers for a reason: Ralph Sampson at a towering 7'4" played center for the Houston Rockets while Hakeem Olajuwon, a tiny 7'0" guy, lined up at power forward (kind of). 

Olajuwon and Sampson were both incredible players, even early in their careers. Sampson made four All-Star teams in this span while The Dream did the same and added some All-NBA and All-Defensive selections. 

This is one of the most famous frontcourt duos in NBA history—and for good reason. 

5. Indiana Pacers: Mel Daniels and George McGinnis

Played together from 1971-1974

Back when the Indiana Pacers were an ABA team, George McGinnis and Mel Daniels formed a duo for the ages in the frontcourt. 

They won two ABA Championships together, and each was an MVP of the league. 

McGinnis consistently scored almost 30 points in each game and was a constant source of double-doubles from the power forward position. Daniels though grabbed a career-high 18.0 rebounds per game during the 1970-1971 season and maintained his incredible play throughout his ABA career. 

4. Washington Wizards: Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes

Played together from 1972-1981

With both players capable of lining up at either center or small forward, this duo put together their off-the-court issues with each other in order to create a lot of success under the lights. 

They won a championship together in 1978 and were both great defensive players and rebounders throughout the duration of their time together. 

Elvin Hayes provided most of the scoring punch, averaging as many as 23.7 points per game during the 1976-1977 season while Unseld was content to clean up the glass whenever a member of the team missed. 

3. Chicago Bulls: Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman

Played together from 1995-1998

Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were both incredible players. Pippen was a scorer and one of the best defenders of all time. Rodman, likewise, was a terrific defender, but he was also the best pound-for-pound rebounder ever. 

During these three seasons, they won three championships. I guess that's okay...

It doesn't hurt that they had some guy named Michael Jordan helping them out.

2. Boston Celtics: Larry Bird and Kevin McHale

Played together from 1980-1992

This was the toughest duo to choose as five duos immediately came to mind: Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn, Larry Bird and Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish and Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. 

In the end, I had to settle for the pair that helped dominate the 1980s for the Boston Celtics. No disrespect meant to the other guys, but Bird and McHale are two all-time greats and complemented each other's place quite well. 

They played together for 11 seasons and made a combined 19 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA teams and nine All-Defensive teams. They also won three championships, and Bird racked up three MVP awards. 

1. San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan and David Robinson

Played together from 1997-2003

Was there any doubt that this duo would find themselves at No. 1?

Tim Duncan and David Robinson won two championships together while forming the greatest frontcourt duo of all time. 

Duncan, who would win MVPs in both 2002 and 2003, was drafted in 1997 and immediately taken under the large wings of The Admiral, who was nearing the end of his career. Combining terrific offense with tremendous size and offensive skill, there was no way to consistently beat these guys down low. 

Both players are top 10 all time and amazingly underrated defenders. There's really not even much of an argument at all for this spot.