RealGM

You must consider their career spans as well. They just get each other for the years they overlap, at the level each were in each season.

Duncan - James would have probably won 9-11 from 2005 to 2016

Bird and Magic was a perfect possibility. The Lakers acquired the 5th pick (from the Royals) of 1978 and then traded it away a month later for Wilkes. Bird was selected 6th. Either Bird or Magic would be in 11 of the next 12 Finals with both of them facing each other 3 times. Bird with the showtime Lakers would totally kill the 80's, win 10 or 11.

Edit: reread the topic

Kobe/Duncan

From 99-10, 9 of the 12 NBA titles were between those two. And 11 out of the 12 Finals had one of them in it. Pretty seemless combo, and great career overlap

Kareem & Dr. J in the 70s. Maybe Wilt & Oscar in the 60s.

An Unbiased Fan wrote:Kobe/Kareem

I believe the OP meant their careers have to overlap.

Mazter wrote:

An Unbiased Fan wrote:Kobe/Kareem

I believe the OP meant their careers have to overlap.

Yep, changed it

Depends on quality/fit of teammates, coaching, teambuilding vision and management in general, certainty of remaining together, cap rules, what butterfly effects are happening here (do we remove these players from their actual teams? create duplicates on an expansion/hypothetical perhaps league average team? put them both on the better team/teams that one played on?) ...

Also are we looking at average outcome or who has the highest upside?

Steph and Lebron?

Would basically be the best duo in the league every year from 2013 forward (barring 2020 Steph injury)

Kobe/Duncan

Jordan/Hakeem

Owly wrote:Depends on quality/fit of teammates, coaching, teambuilding vision and management in general, certainty of remaining together, cap rules, what butterfly effects are happening here (do we remove these players from their actual teams? create duplicates on an expansion/hypothetical perhaps league average team? put them both on the better team/teams that one played on?) ...

Also are we looking at average outcome or who has the highest upside?

Which two bring you the most titles?

Either Kobe/Duncan or Jordan/Hakeem to me, though James/Duncan timeline would also work pretty well.

Laimbeer wrote:

Owly wrote:Depends on quality/fit of teammates, coaching, teambuilding vision and management in general, certainty of remaining together, cap rules, what butterfly effects are happening here (do we remove these players from their actual teams? create duplicates on an expansion/hypothetical perhaps league average team? put them both on the better team/teams that one played on?) ...

Also are we looking at average outcome or who has the highest upside?

Which two bring you the most titles?

Assume this is regarding the last line, in which case you haven't understood my intent.

Pairing A might win an average of 5.5 titles if we run their careers over a thousand times with the highest total as 9.
Pairing B might win an average of 3 titles if we run their careers over a thousand times with the highest total as 12 or 15 (maybe they get the perfect roster construction, or another star - they probably have to have a more longevity [of quality years, though based on the numbers above, seemingly lower CORP].

The numbers are arbitrary. B's average could be 4.5 or 5.

There isn't just one number that a pair gets but a balance of probabilities, are you seeking to maximize upside (where one consequence would be longevity would matter more) or the highest average outcome?

KG and Duncan. 98-2016 dominance

So if I understand OP correctly, it's by the seasons they were actually in the league. In that case, my top choices would be

1. Jordan/Hakeem 1985-98
2. LeBron/Curry 2010-today
3. Kobe/Duncan 1998-2013
4. Magic/Bird 1980-91

LeBron/CP3 [Chance at title from 2007-2022]
Garnett/Kidd or Garnett/Kobe [Chance at title from 1999-2013]

Jokic/Giannis [Chance at title from 2018-Current]

Colbinii wrote:LeBron/CP3 [Chance at title from 2007-2022]
Garnett/Kidd or Garnett/Kobe [Chance at title from 1999-2013]

Jokic/Giannis [Chance at title from 2018-Current]

Yeah I think it's gotta be CP3 and Lebron

Jordan + Hakeem

And Russell + anyone (Bob Pettit maybe or Jerry West?) It's tough, the only way to improve is to get a chip every year he played.\

Edit: My mistake, missed the post-merger part as well

Jerry West and Bill Russell.

Might just win 10 straight.

Sorry, I can’t read. “Post merger”

everyone’s basically got the answers. Magic and Bird, Jordan and Hakeem, Kobe and Duncan, Lebron and Curry.

The only one I’d add to that is Lebron and KD. Celtics win in 2008, then KD helps Lebron to win in 2009 through 2019. Even post Achilles, they’d have a great shot at winning 2021.

Statlanta wrote:KG and Duncan. 98-2016 dominance

Doesn't Duncan hate KG

I always wonder if that kind of thing should come into play for exercises like this