GOAT duos...

[HoopsNY]

A lot is made of the GOAT debate (MJ, LeBron, Wilt, Kareem, etc), and the best 1-2 punches (Kobe/Shaq, MJ/Pippen, Magic/Kareem)...but how about the GOAT level players who didn't have an elite sidekick.

Ducan had Robinson coming into the league, who even though wasn't the same by 1999, was still there in 1998.

What duo would be unstoppable together aside from the duos already established in league history and two GOAT level players (also from the same era)? Here's some that come to mind.

Dirk/LeBron: Dirk brings everything offensively to the table that a player like AD brings and more. He was tough, resilient, clutch, and an alpha scorer against the best of the best at his position. LeBron would not only have a great scorer as a sidekick, but a shooter that combines the skillsets he needed to win. Imagine Dirk+LeBron in the late 2000s.

Malone/GP: Imagine if the Jazz in '97 and '98 had GP instead of Stockton? I don't think Chicago wins in either year. GP already locked down MJ in '96. Utah having him to square up against MJ in '97 and '98 would have been amazing to watch.

Nique/Barkley: This duo doesn't offer as much defense, but I think this duo would have been fun to watch and probably challenges Detroit and Chicago to make a finals run or two in the late 80s.

KG/T-Mac: Imagine KG and TMac played together? They would have definitely challenged SA and LAL out West, especially if KG was on Orlando and ended up in the finals.

Kawhi/CP3: I would have loved to watch these two play together. The 2018 Rockets made it to the WCF game 7 when CP3 was injured for games 6 and 7. Imagine Kawhi and CP3 together (healthy). Do they knock off the 2017 Warriors?

I'm sure you all can think of some more.

[RRR3]

Good picks but I don’t think Nique and Barkley gets past the Bulls. LeBron and Curry is a pretty ideal fit imo and it would be gamebreaking when both were in their primes.

[HoopsNY]

Good picks but I don’t think Nique and Barkley gets past the Bulls. LeBron and Curry is a pretty ideal fit imo and it would be gamebreaking when both were in their primes.

Given both of those guys are GOAT level, can you think of another pair?

[HoopsNY]

The ones I'd most like to see

Jordan/Hakeem
Curry/Shaq
Magic/Bird
Kobe/Duncan
Wade/Dirk

These are mostly top 10 pairs. Can you think of some other pairs? Only including 1 top 10 and another player?

[HoopsNY]

I'm wondering what a pair like Nash and Ben Wallace would do. THAT would have been fun to watch.

[HoopsNY]

If Jason Kidd plays with Chris Webber in the early 2000s, do the Nets or Kings win a chip?

[SouBeachTalents]

These are mostly top 10 pairs. Can you think of some other pairs? Only including 1 top 10 and another player?
Yeah, I didn't see that qualifier. In that case

Jordan/Robinson
Shaq/Dirk
Hakeem/Kawhi
Bird/Giannis
Magic/KG

[HoopsNY]

Yeah, I didn't see that qualifier. In that case

Jordan/Robinson
Shaq/Dirk
Hakeem/Kawhi
Bird/Giannis
Magic/KG

I should have specified from the same era, lol.

[FultzNationRISE]

Pippen and MJ

Lebron and a ball

[RRR3]

Given both of those guys are GOAT level, can you think of another pair?
No GOAT level players? And I’m assuming you don’t want me to use people you mentioned. And I’m just seeing you said from the same era.

Well I think T-Mac and Shaq would be pretty hard to beat.

[HoopsNY]

No GOAT level players? And I’m assuming you don’t want me to use people you mentioned. And I’m just seeing you said from the same era.

Well I think T-Mac and Shaq would be pretty hard to beat.

Agreed. Another duo that comes to mind is David Robinson and Reggie Miller, or Robinson and Mitch Richmond.

[GrayGoat]

Read a stat that said Tatum and Brown are the 3rd duo in the last 30seasons to score 30pts + each 15 or more times in the same game. The only other duos to do that are Shaq/Kobe Durant/Westbrook

[Patrick Chewing]

Brad Lohaus and Mark Price

I think a lot of people throughout the years have looked over the physical prowess and sheer dominance in and out of the paint that Brad Lohaus possessed. His one year with the Heat, he decided to break away from his low post dominance, and that year he shot over 40% from beyond the arc.

Had he been able to have a true Point Guard feed him the rock, I firmly believe Lohaus would have a couple MVP's and a couple of championships right now. And back then, a guy like Mark Price would have been able to find Lohaus down in the post for the jam, or on the perimeter for the three point bucket.

[SATAN]

Karl Malone and John Rogers would have won several championships in the 90s.

[Full Court]

Pippen and MJ

Lebron and a ball

^This.

I just don't understand why the Lakers won't pair Lebron up with a ball this year. Makes no sense.

[Druckenmiller]

^This.

I just don't understand why the Lakers won't pair Lebron up with a ball this year. Makes no sense.

LeBrawn and Scottie Pimpin

[Phoenix]

I always thought Mark Price with Mailman in place of John Stockton would have been pretty deadly, given that Stock was a reluctant scorer. Price's ability to split the D/PnR and having the willingness and shooting ability to call his own number adds a different twist. And Price was still a great passer( not the tough nosed defender that Stockton was, but there's always trade-offs).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Blyl2hU_FFo

[Spurs m8]

Jason Terry and JJ Barea

[GrayGoat]

Jason Terry and JJ Barea

They swept Kobe and took Bron out in 6. Goat stuff

[John8204]

Thinking of my top twenty/thirty...

MJ/Curry
Wilt/Hakeem
Lebron/Durant
Bird/Bill Russell
Magic/Oscar
KAJ/West
Mikan/CPIII
Kobe/Moses
Dr J/Barry
Havlicek/Giannis
Dirk/Pettit
Shaq/Isiah Thomas
Frazier/Iverson

[Airupthere]

Jason Terry and JJ Barea

:applause: :roll: stopped a superteam that was supposed to win not 8…

[3ba11]

Every duo listed in the OP are elite scorers and all-time 1st options except Pippen

Only MJ lacked an elite-producing sidekick, so what if he actually had one?

What if MJ got to play with an all-time 1st option like Kareem, Kobe, Wade or Curry?

How many guys actually won with secondary producers like Klay or Pippen instead of all-time 1st options like like Kareem, Kobe, or Wade?

So this thread doesn't work because Pippen's low production and secondary status sticks out like a sore thumb among all-time 1st options like Kareem, Kobe, Wade, Curry, etc

Only MJ had to win a bunch of rings with secondary or even tertiary production from a sidekick.. Pippen's garbage production especially in the 4th was inflated by the winning spotlight into all-time status.. stats show that Kukoc was actually the 2nd option in the 2nd halves of playoff games... Pippen never played above an Iggy or Wiggins caliber but the winning spotlight inflated him to all-time status.

so OP is just a misguided by the mainstream media - OP has actually crunched numbers that show Jordan had the least scoring help ever but was unbeatable the rare times Pippen played over his head and provided the same scoring help that everyone else had - OP made a whole thread about this.

[Manny98]

Curry and LeBron would be unstoppable

[HoopsNY]

Thinking of my top twenty/thirty...

MJ/Curry
Wilt/Hakeem
Lebron/Durant
Bird/Bill Russell
Magic/Oscar
KAJ/West
Mikan/CPIII
Kobe/Moses
Dr J/Barry
Havlicek/Giannis
Dirk/Pettit
Shaq/Isiah Thomas
Frazier/Iverson

Do you think a lot of those duos would have worked well together? I doubt Frazier and Iverson, Magic and Oscar, or LeBron and KD would have worked well together.

[beau_boy04]

Prime MJ and young Shaq would have been insane to say the least.

Just imagine Prime MJ back in 1992, and Bulls trading away Pip and other assets for rookie Shaq? wowww win/win scenario for both teams.

[j3lademaster]

Curry and Giannis. If we're going all time probably Curry and maybe Duncan. Talent is one thing, but these guys are also the lowest ego stars I've ever seen. A third star can easily join this team and there'd be no chemistry issues at all.

[3ba11]

Pippen said that he can't play with dominant centers because it requires him to shoot too many jumpers - that was his excuse for averaging 14 on 40% and being a Westbrick-like fit with Hakeem in 99'

So Pippen with any dominant center is a big no-no.. Pippen is also the only guy on the list that isn't an elite scorer and all-time 1st option, so he doesn't belong on the list... The list is for all-time 1st options to team-up, not secondary producers like Pippen, Klay or Wiggins