Best Duo – Bryant and Gasol

NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

The numbers don’t lie. As Sheen told Nick in the Jimmy Neutron movie, “Never argue with the data”. The best duo in today’s NBA is Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. There are quite a few dynamic duos in the NBA, but the data points to last year’s champions from the Los Angeles Lakers.

I examined all the relevant positive numbers — combined points, rebounds, assists, blocked shots and steals, plus-minus ratio (when the two are on the court) and victories. The two-player combos from the Magic, the Mavs, the Celtics, the Suns, the Spurs and the rest don’t factor.

Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer of the Jazz finish fifth.

Before Wednesday’s game, Durant and Westbrook produced, per game, 46.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.24 blocks for a total of 73.83. When playing as a tandem, they were 229-plus points over the opposition, and the Thunder had won 36 games.

In comparison, Anthony and Billups had 48.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 2.4 steals and .48 blocks — 70.46 overall. Surprisingly, when they shared the court, Melo and Chauncey were only plus-140. With the victory, the Nuggets are 40-21, have caught Dallas and are in position, with a favorable March, to win eight of their next 10.

How about James and Mo Williams of the Cavs? They’ve put together 73.67 — virtually even with the Thunder Two. They are at plus-237 and have won 48 games.

Finally, Bryant and Gasol, idle Wednesday, average 73.89 a game (.06 above Durant and Westbrook), and are a plus-299 points. And their team has won 46 games.

Who’s the best quinella in the NBA? Bryant and Gasol. They also won the NBA Finals last year. None of the other has won a championship.

source

Pau Gasol teams with Kobe Bryant to make the league’s best duo

There have been so many combinations of two great players on one team that it has become a somewhat respected fact that you need two stars to win a NBA Championship. It was almost an oddity when Joe Dumars first built the Pistons and won a title with 5 good players and no superstars. It is much more common to see Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce or Shaq and Kobe or Bird and McHale or Magic and Kareem, not to forget Jordan and Pippen. The list goes on and on.

The interesting thing is to see Durant and Westbrook from the fast rising Oklahoma Thunder. My first view of Kevin Durant was against my Michigan State Spartans in college and Kevin Durant was just amazing, but my first really good look at Westbrook was in this year’s All Star game. Sorry, have to keep up better, but the Thunder are not on TV very much around Michigan. Anyway, Westbrook impressed me a great deal; the man can put the ball in the bucket with ease. Durant and Westbrook are just kids. Man, are they going to be great in the future.
Photo source Newscom

As always, any NBA Basketball related comments are welcome.