Give me your best and worst possible combination of the following players.

[Kblaze8855]

Which potential combo of two makes your team most likely to win in 2021 and which combo makes that the hardest when you know nothing else about the team?



Magic Johnson
Dirk
Duncan
Lebron
Steve Nash
Hakeem
Kevin Durant
Jordan
James Harden
Kobe
Kevin Garnett
Larry Bird
Steph Curry
Shaq
Giannis
Leonard




I assume you build a bigman combo to make winning less likely(despite the Lakers dragging the bigman back to glory) or maybe some bad defensive combo. Whatever. Up to you.

Just give me your "That team is winning....period" duo and the combo you would be least afraid of.

[starface]

Most likely: Lebron and anyone

Least likely: Harden and anyone


If you somehow paired Lebrons infinite winner energy with Harden’s infinite loser energy... I think the world simply explodes.

[And1AllDay]

Which potential combo of two makes your team most likely to win in 2021 and which combo makes that the hardest when you know nothing else about the team?



Magic Johnson
Dirk
Duncan
Lebron
Steve Nash
Hakeem
Kevin Durant
Jordan
James Harden
Kobe
Kevin Garnett
Larry Bird
Steph Curry
Shaq
Giannis
Leonard




I assume you build a bigman combo to make winning less likely(despite the Lakers dragging the bigman back to glory) or maybe some bad defensive combo. Whatever. Up to you.

Just give me your "That team is winning....period" duo and the combo you would be least afraid of.

most likely win

bran
kobe
curry
durant
duncan

cant win
giannis
leonard
harden
dirk
nash

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Worst:

Harden + Giannis

Rockets could literally trade Westbrook for Giannis straight up this upcoming season and I'm not sure I would pick the Rockets to win the title.

Best:

Hakeem + LeBron

Hakeem is the key to me. He is the perfect modern 5. Mobile on defense, dominant in the post (especially given contemporary standards), has a jumper, good passer. Maybe he could shoot 3s, but his jumper was a bit of a line-drive and his ft% is uninspiring. Nonetheless I see this as a much superior version of AD+Old LeBron, which just won a title surrounded by a below-average supporting cast.

I can see an argument for replacing LeBron with a different perimeter player: Magic/Bird/Jordan. However, not knowing who is on the rest of the team I feel LeBron is the safe choice for a few reasons.

It guarantees, not knowing the the roster, I have at least one player capable of being a primary ball-handler. Magic would obviously qualify, but I'd rather take LeBron given that him combined with Hakeem guarantees a quality defense.

I think guys like Bird/Magic may be better on better teams than Lebron, but Lebron is a better scrub-carrier. I could just take Lebron Hakeem and a bunch of KCPs and win.

Edit: Also, LeBron + Hakeem are incredibly durable. Can't really say the same for a lot of the other players. LeBron basically never gets hurt, so even if Hakeem misses some games LeBron's scrub-carrying abilities guarantees me a relatively high seed.

[Jasper]

wish it was based on modern day players (I would say CP3 and Giannis)

[Reggie43]

Curry and Nash would probably be the worst defensive backcourt ever.

[Kblaze8855]

But given at least 6 halfway competent players they would score 130ppg.

[SouBeachTalents]

Top 3
1. LeBron/Jordan
2. Bird/Shaq
3. Kawhi/Hakeem

The worst is probably Giannis/Harden

[tpols]

Most likely to win

Bird & MJ

Least likely Nash/Harden

[Manny98]

Best

LeBron + Curry

Worst

Harden + Giannis

[brownmamba00]

Curry and Shaq would be insane

[Reggie43]

But given at least 6 halfway competent players they would score 130ppg.

And then proceed to give up the same to teams with decent guards...

[red1]

want to win - jordan and lebron


self-explanatory.


worst combo IMO:

harden and nash


redundant strengths - two ball-dominators who are sub-par defenders.

[Kblaze8855]

I doubt it. A decent lineup and coaching would be enough to keep it respectable. The offensive difference between a Steph/Nash backcourt and a normal one would be a lot more than the defensive difference. The Hawks had some epic defensive lapses and gave up 119. I doubt a Steph/Nash backcourt could do worse....but I’m sure they do better on offense.

Like picture swapping Klay for Nash and putting Steph at the 2.

Way worse D?

Sure.

But they would be blowing teams out of the water on offense. You couldn’t have such a combo and not be good.

Some guard would put up 38ppg in a series vs them and probably lose anyway.

[red1]

Most likely to win

Bird & MJ

Least likely Nash/Harden

this is exactly what I posted except I substituted bird for lebron.


the defense and speed jordan and lebron would play with would be incredible.

[Ainosterhaspie]

I like LeBron and KG. Can play 4/5 in "small" lineup, but not really giving anything up at all. Depending on the quality of your five, easy to have them be the 3/4. The defense of these two together would be insane. And the PnR/PnP game would be deadly as well.

Worst I'll go Nash/Harden for the exploitable defense and because I don't think they will mesh well with primary fault being Harden.

[Reggie43]

Of course a Nash/Steph team probably wont give up 130 on the regular, the same way they wont get close to averaging 130 when much better offensive teams never came close to that.

Obviously the worst combo among those players would play great against the regular nba but a Nash/Curry would be near the bottom of that list.

[Kblaze8855]

I don’t know if 130 is out of reach. The bucks just did 119 for a season and I wouldn’t have thought that possible a few years ago. We just keep going down this path it seems.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Best is LeBron/Durant. Thats simply a perfect combo with zero flaws... match made in heaven on both ends


Worst is anything with curry, unless you give him 4 other HOFers which I noticed wasn't part of the deal.

Curry/nash is probably the overall worst. No defense, and nash would be the alpha of the team, which lowers their potential.

[Stanley Kobrick]

stephen curry seems to be the common choice for worst on users choices. very interesting

[RRR3]

LeBron/MJ and Shaq/Curry would be gamebreakingly unfair.

[starface]

Tbh, leaving Pippen off the list feels like an agenda. Why would you put Nash, Harden, Giannis etc on the list but not have SP??

Obvi if you include him, everyone takes MJ/Pip automatically because theres empirical evidence of winning six straight (sort of) chips together. Which just proves how strong and perfect of a running mate Big Dick Pip was. No one on the list but MJ played with a teammate in their prime who was such a perfect match. Especially not Lebron.

It kinda sheds light on how easy MJ actually had it. Which is why the omission feels a bit intentional.

[Gougou]

Lebron with anyone is the best.

Harden and Duncan is the worst i think, Harden always iso, doesn't pass the ball to Duncan, and Duncans fundamental basketball wont work with Harden.

[kawhileonard2]

Top 3
1. LeBron/Jordan
2. Bird/Shaq
3. Kawhi/Hakeem

The worst is probably Giannis/Harden

This is good.

MJ/Shaq or Hakeem would be legendary as well as Kawhi/Hakeem or Kawhi and Shaq.

[kawhileonard2]

Lebron with anyone is the best.

Harden and Duncan is the worst i think, Harden always iso, doesn't pass the ball to Duncan, and Duncans fundamental basketball wont work with Harden.

Lebron couldn't even win with Shaq. He also got bronze medal with Duncan. Lost in the finals with Wade.

[kawhileonard2]

Most likely: Lebron and anyone

Least likely: Harden and anyone


If you somehow paired Lebrons infinite winner energy with Harden’s infinite loser energy... I think the world simply explodes.

Lebron and Shaq got to round 2.

Lebron and Duncan got bronze medal.

[AussieSteve]

Most likely: LeBron and Curry

Least likely: Giannis and Nash

[houston]

nash/shaq is the worst combo

[tpols]

Tbh, leaving Pippen off the list feels like an agenda. Why would you put Nash, Harden, Giannis etc on the list but not have SP??

Obvi if you include him, everyone takes MJ/Pip automatically because theres empirical evidence of winning six straight (sort of) chips together. Which just proves how strong and perfect of a running mate Big Dick Pip was. No one on the list but MJ played with a teammate in their prime who was such a perfect match. Especially not Lebron.

It kinda sheds light on how easy MJ actually had it. Which is why the omission feels a bit intentional.

That's an absurd assumption to come to... like MJ & Hakeem wouldn't have won more or in more dominant fashion.