Top 5 Alley-Oop Combinations in the NBA

Every once in a while in the NBA, we are treated to a duo having terrific chemistry playing together.

It's a rare occurrence to have two players sync up so well that it almost leads to automatic points whenever they're in the open court, but we do have that in the league today in five specific duos that have created some of the best plays in the history of the game.

Thanks to their chemistry, court awareness, and athleticism, we have been treated with the most exciting play in the NBA: the alley-oop.

For those new to the game, an alley-oop features one player (usually a guard) lofting up a pass to a teammate who is already airborne and going to the rim so that he may catch it and proceed to slam it through.

With so many superstars teaming up, we get to see more spectacular highlight reel-worthy plays than ever.

The electricity and excitement that an alley-oop can create can shift the momentum of a game, as it gets the crowd into the contest and possibly gives the team a little more inspiration of what they are capable of accomplishing.

So let's take a look at five of these alley-oop duos and how their highlights stack up against each other.

5. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin

They've only hooked up a few times in their two preseason games together, but do we really need an explanation as to why an alley-oop combination of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin is up here?

Even if we've only seen it once or twice, CP3 and Griffin are going to devastate the NBA with the amount of alley's that they'll be connecting for.

With Paul's expert court vision and passing abilities combined with Griffin's athleticism, vertical leap and ability to get open, these two should hook up for more alley-oops than any other duo in the league.

4. Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard

An alley-oop combination that we may not get to see too much of in the near future, we'll have to take note of the remaining connections between Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard over the next few months.

Wherever Howard goes, however, he's sure to form another top-five-caliber alley-oop combination with the point guard there.

While Jameer is a solid point guard who has a solid passing ability, it's Howard that makes every one of these dunks look as nice as possible.

For a player of his size at 6'11" to get to the rim with such ease and utilize his athleticism to nearly touch the top of the backboard, Howard is one of the top recipients of an alley-oop pass.

Unfortunately for Orlando, they might not get to see much more of this unless they start bringing in some pieces to convince Howard to stay.

3. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith

Not your average point guard/center combination, but it's no matter to the likes of Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, who combine to form one of the most electric alley-oop duos in the game.

With Johnson usually on the passing end, it allows Josh Smith to put his athleticism and unbelievable vertical leap out there for all to see.

The two have combined for a number of highlight reel-worthy throwdowns, as the 6'7" Joe Johnson is able to see the court better than the majority of the league's guards.

2. John Wall and JaVale McGee

The youngest alley-oop duo out of any other on the list, the athleticism of point guard John Wall and center JaVale McGee has allowed these two to already earn a name for themselves as one of the league's most dangerous tandems.

With Wall's speed and expertise in the open court and McGee's vertical leap, athleticism and ability to catch and finish, the Washington Wizards duo will only feature more of these alley-oops as the years progress and they gain experience.

These two are always looking to run and with youth on their side, they're able to do so. With both players being relatively new to the league, they're able to co-exist faster since they both share the same amount of athleticism as any young player would have.

1. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James

The Miami Heat weren't the most consistent team last season, but they did know how to do one thing every night and that was to entertain.

The duo combined for some of the most star-studded alley-oops last season, including so many that they actually made a top ten list just to show off the best ones.

Both players were extremely deadly in the open court and on fast breaks before they teamed up in Miami.

They're now letting their athleticism and court vision do the talking for them, as they shut down every arena in the NBA with their acrobatic assaults above the rim.