Scottie Pippen/Kevin Durant or Ray Allen/Kevin Garnett

[Matt15]

Which duo would you rather build around in today’s league?

[Karate Diop]

Pippen / Durant.

Allen is the odd man out here.

[Cavsfansince84]

I'd be ok with Ray and KG. I can't really buy into Pip or KD leading a team which is compounded by having them both. Ray in today's game is at least Lillard level also imo.

[rand]

KD is so much better offensively than the others, and Ray so much worse defensively than all others, KD/Pip are going to be better on both ends of the court and they also offer better lineup versatility.

The level of your best offensive player also makes a larger difference than the level of your best defensive player. That go-to guy is such a huge factor in determining the strength of an offense especially in the playoffs. KD is a much better go-to scorer than either Ray or KG, which is not a knock on the latter two.

[Dutchball97]

Pippen's playmaking is the difference maker here. I'm not a fan of superstar duos where neither is a primary ballhandler.

[Jaivl]

Pippen and KD is probably a bit better on their peaks (and even then I doubt it), but Allen and KG played great for SO LONG that I can't bring myself to not pick them.

KD is so much better offensively than the others, and Ray so much worse defensively than all others, KD/Pip are going to be better on both ends of the court and they also offer better lineup versatility.

There's no chance than they are better defensively, lol. Garnett alone is an easily bigger needle-mover on defense than the other two combined.

[rand]

Pippen and KD is probably a bit better on their peaks (and even then I doubt it), but Allen and KG played great for SO LONG that I can't bring myself to not pick them.

KD is so much better offensively than the others, and Ray so much worse defensively than all others, KD/Pip are going to be better on both ends of the court and they also offer better lineup versatility.

There's no chance than they are better defensively, lol. Garnett alone is an easily bigger needle-mover on defense than the other two combined.

You're right, that defensive assessment was incorrect. But Allen was a net negative on defense for the most productive offensive seasons of his career whereas both Pip and KD were plus defenders, even if neither was near KD's defensive impact.

[Prokorov]

Which duo would you rather build around in today’s league?

Durant >> KG
Pippen >>> Allen

and Durant/pippen are a fit that better transcends eras

[dygaction]

Which duo would you rather build around in today’s league?

Durant >> KG
Pippen >>> Allen

and Durant/pippen are a fit that better transcends eras

I think you have one extra > in each one .
On offense, KG>Pippen. Pippen is a slightly better playmaker. Pippen's ppg was lower but he was not the first option like KG. Durrant >>> Allen. On defense, KG + Allen gives you higher ceiling, but Pippen + Durant is also enough to build an elite defensive team. I would not worry about Durant team's defense as much as KG team's offense.

[G35]

Easily Pippen and Durant.

KG and Ray don't like each other, whereas I think Scottie and Durant would fit very well together......


https://celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/12/boston-celtics-big-three-ray-allen-paints-picture-of-relationship-with-kevin-garnett-as-tenuous-from-the-start/

Deveney highlighted a number of interesting story lines from the book in a recent article, including several excerpts that suggest Allen’s notoriously icy relationship with Kevin Garnett may have been strained from the very start.

Allen recalled dribbling in front of his locker during the Celtics’ preseason trip to Rome in 2007, which was something Allen had done to prepare for games his entire career. The dribbling annoyed Garnett, though, who told Allen, “No, you’re not going to do that.”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Allen remembered responding, as teammates looked on. “You do what you do, and I do what I do.”

As Allen wrote, “Gee, can two grown men be any more juvenile?” And it was a similar experience when, before the start of the season, Garnett and Allen went out to dinner at a steakhouse in Boston and spoke about their roots together as teenage players in the 1990s, and the pain of being on losing teams in the past. After dinner, Allen wrote, he asked the waitress for the check.

“No,” Garnett said, “I tip way better than him, so you better give me the check.” It was the first time they’d gone to dinner together, and Allen pointed out that Garnett had no idea how much Allen tipped. “There was no point in arguing with the guy,” Allen writes. “What struck me was that he felt the need to be seen as being superior to me, even in something as petty as this.”

[oaktownwarriors87]

I said Allen/KG because KG's defense and rebounding is so hard to duplicate. KG also makes for an insanely good small ball center.

[Cavsfansince84]

I said Allen/KG because KG's defense and rebounding is so hard to duplicate. KG also makes for an insanely good small ball center.

Ray's shooting isn't easy to duplicate either. I think people are really underrating what prime Ray Allen would do in today's league.

[Threetimes10]

Which duo would you rather build around in today’s league?

Durant >> KG
Pippen >>> Allen

and Durant/pippen are a fit that better transcends eras

The best duo is you and your consistently misinformed takes. Durant isn't ">>" KG in any universe in which the rules of basketball remain the same. KG's defensive impact is greater than Durant's offensive advantage by any meaningful metric.

[DirtyDez]

Ray/KG cause Pippen had a bit of a shorter peak.

[Jaivl]

Which duo would you rather build around in today’s league?

Durant >> KG
Pippen >>> Allen

and Durant/pippen are a fit that better transcends eras

The best duo is you and your consistently misinformed takes. Durant isn't ">>" KG in any universe in which the rules of basketball remain the same. KG's defensive impact is greater than Durant's offensive advantage by any meaningful metric.

I agree with the general premise of KG being better than Durant in any universe, but the bolded is just not true. At least not by any metrics that I'm aware of.

Think about it - if that were true Boston Garnett (with similar defensive impact per-minute due to diminished role on offense, but losing nearly all his offensive impact) would be better than KD, and I think we all agree that's not the case (barring 2008).

[ccameron]

I have KG as highest peak hear but I put Pippen above Ray for peaks, and I think the fit between Durant and Pippen is slightly better.