Author Topic: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together  (Read 7049 times)

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Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #30 on: June 01, 2017, 06:48:31 PM »

Offline More Banners

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Larry Bird and Bill Walton were really nifty.  I see GratefulC's beat me to it.

That whole 85-86 team was full of good to great passers...

Yeah McHale was a great passer too. No, seriously. Dude passed it pretty often actually, and was great at it.

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #31 on: June 01, 2017, 07:21:32 PM »

Offline Who

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Many great passing combos are already mentioned, I would add:
Phoenix Suns 96/97 team
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/1997.html
KJ and Kidd, with Nash being their rook. Coached by Danny Ainge, who took over a 0-8 team and got to 40 wins. Scoring 3rd most points in the league and running at 6th best offensive rating.
https://youtu.be/itEmqUXlTfk
Here is nice throwback game vs Portland, featuring great Sabonis, a lucid passer himself. Video isn't that representative of Suns passing, but it is thrilling.

Danny Manning was great on those Suns teams.

Kinda shocked to see he didn't average more assists. Such a smart player & beautiful passer.

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #32 on: June 01, 2017, 07:36:18 PM »

Offline MVPPierceNoJoke

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Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #33 on: June 01, 2017, 08:10:49 PM »

Offline CelticsElite

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Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #34 on: June 03, 2017, 04:19:05 PM »

Offline Boris Badenov

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Just for fun, I calculated the assist ratio (assists to points which isn't perfect but anyway) for every 60-win team in the 3-point era.

Here are the top 10:

1984-85   LAL
2016-17   GSW
1996-97   UTA
1980-81   PHI
1994-95   UTA
1979-80   LAL
1985-86   BOS
1992-93   NYK
1987-88   LAL
1985-86   LAL

Some evidence here in favor of the old-timers like me who think the 1980s were a golden age.

The Knicks team is a surprise, right? But then you look and they had Anthony Mason, Oakley and Charles Smith, all good passers for big men. The leading passers by assists were Doc Rivers, Greg Anthony and John Starks.

The bottom 3 included the 2008-2009 Cavs, which isn't surprising, but the other two (same team, two different years) surprised me at first.

Any guesses? One hint: the player who led both of those teams in assists also played for the Celtics at one point.

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #35 on: June 03, 2017, 04:26:03 PM »

Offline KGs Knee

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Just for fun, I calculated the assist ratio (assists to points which isn't perfect but anyway) for every 60-win team in the 3-point era.

Here are the top 10:

1984-85   LAL
2016-17   GSW
1996-97   UTA
1980-81   PHI
1994-95   UTA
1979-80   LAL
1985-86   BOS
1992-93   NYK
1987-88   LAL
1985-86   LAL

Some evidence here in favor of the old-timers like me who think the 1980s were a golden age.

The Knicks team is a surprise, right? But then you look and they had Anthony Mason, Oakley and Charles Smith, all good passers for big men. The leading passers by assists were Doc Rivers, Greg Anthony and John Starks.

The bottom 3 included the 2008-2009 Cavs, which isn't surprising, but the other two (same team, two different years) surprised me at first.

Any guesses? One hint: the player who led both of those teams in assists also played for the Celtics at one point.


Mid 2000's Pistons, with Chauncey Billups?   Did they win 60 games in multiple years?

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #36 on: June 03, 2017, 04:28:54 PM »

Offline moiso

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Vlade, C Webb, White Chocolate.  Only David Stern could stop that ball movement.

That's my pick too, even though it's three.

That's unquestionably the greatest passing pair of big men ever. Both were the best in the game at their positions when they played. White Chocolate was up there too, in an era with maybe two of the ten best ever as competition (Stockton and Kidd).

(Edit: I'm not counting Walton on the Cs because he played limited minutes, but healthy Bird and healthy Walton would otherwise be the best IMO).
This may have been the best passing team ever.  Somebody else mentioned Brad Miller.  All those guys could pass- Jon Barry, Turkoglu.  It was awesome.  When Bibby joined, the point guard was probably the least special passer out of all of them.

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #37 on: June 03, 2017, 04:46:09 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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without reading any of the prior posts, I recall Bird and Walton. There were news stories about them actually making 'wagers' about who would have the best pass in games.

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #38 on: June 03, 2017, 04:46:52 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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Just for fun, I calculated the assist ratio (assists to points which isn't perfect but anyway) for every 60-win team in the 3-point era.

Here are the top 10:

1984-85   LAL
2016-17   GSW
1996-97   UTA
1980-81   PHI
1994-95   UTA
1979-80   LAL
1985-86   BOS
1992-93   NYK
1987-88   LAL
1985-86   LAL

Some evidence here in favor of the old-timers like me who think the 1980s were a golden age.

The Knicks team is a surprise, right? But then you look and they had Anthony Mason, Oakley and Charles Smith, all good passers for big men. The leading passers by assists were Doc Rivers, Greg Anthony and John Starks.

The bottom 3 included the 2008-2009 Cavs, which isn't surprising, but the other two (same team, two different years) surprised me at first.

Any guesses? One hint: the player who led both of those teams in assists also played for the Celtics at one point.
Good evidence that my example of Magic and Kareem being excellent passers on the same team is true. TP

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #39 on: June 03, 2017, 04:50:43 PM »

Offline Boris Badenov

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Just for fun, I calculated the assist ratio (assists to points which isn't perfect but anyway) for every 60-win team in the 3-point era.

Here are the top 10:

1984-85   LAL
2016-17   GSW
1996-97   UTA
1980-81   PHI
1994-95   UTA
1979-80   LAL
1985-86   BOS
1992-93   NYK
1987-88   LAL
1985-86   LAL

Some evidence here in favor of the old-timers like me who think the 1980s were a golden age.

The Knicks team is a surprise, right? But then you look and they had Anthony Mason, Oakley and Charles Smith, all good passers for big men. The leading passers by assists were Doc Rivers, Greg Anthony and John Starks.

The bottom 3 included the 2008-2009 Cavs, which isn't surprising, but the other two (same team, two different years) surprised me at first.

Any guesses? One hint: the player who led both of those teams in assists also played for the Celtics at one point.


Mid 2000's Pistons, with Chauncey Billups?   Did they win 60 games in multiple years?

I didn't think of Billups but that would be a natural guess.

It was the 2005-07 Mavs, led by Celtics tattoo aficionado Jason Terry.

Once you see that, I think it makes sense. When Jason Terry is your best passer, you have problems.

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #40 on: June 03, 2017, 04:51:08 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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There have been some great passers who didn't tally huge assists totals due to their position, aka not having the ball in their hands a ton. ALso, there have been some uderrated guys because their team generally shared the ball well.

Rose and Noah were good before they both fell off their respective cliffs.

Malone was a great passer alongside Stockton. Very underrated.

Divac was a great passer, and he played with Magic for a few years.

And when he was on the kings... pretty much that whole team could pass. C Webb was good, so was Bibby. That team shared the ball nicely.

Same with the Parker/Duncan?Manu Spurs. They likely all sacrificed stats to win.

Easy with describing efficient passers as 'great passers'. I do not think of Karl Malone's game and think 'great passer'. We tend to throw around the 'great' designation to liberally these days.  If Karl Malone was a great passer what was Jason Kidd? What was Magic Johnson?

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #41 on: June 03, 2017, 05:02:10 PM »

Offline Boris Badenov

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Just for fun, I calculated the assist ratio (assists to points which isn't perfect but anyway) for every 60-win team in the 3-point era.

Here are the top 10:

1984-85   LAL
2016-17   GSW
1996-97   UTA
1980-81   PHI
1994-95   UTA
1979-80   LAL
1985-86   BOS
1992-93   NYK
1987-88   LAL
1985-86   LAL

Some evidence here in favor of the old-timers like me who think the 1980s were a golden age.

The Knicks team is a surprise, right? But then you look and they had Anthony Mason, Oakley and Charles Smith, all good passers for big men. The leading passers by assists were Doc Rivers, Greg Anthony and John Starks.

The bottom 3 included the 2008-2009 Cavs, which isn't surprising, but the other two (same team, two different years) surprised me at first.

Any guesses? One hint: the player who led both of those teams in assists also played for the Celtics at one point.
Good evidence that my example of Magic and Kareem being excellent passers on the same team is true. TP

Come on, we all know Chuck Nevitt was the straw that stirred the drink.

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #42 on: June 03, 2017, 05:07:36 PM »

Offline kraidstar

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Nerlens Noel and Jahill Okafor

TP

WE HAVE A WINNER, FOLKS!!!!!

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #43 on: June 03, 2017, 05:11:46 PM »

Offline kraidstar

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There have been some great passers who didn't tally huge assists totals due to their position, aka not having the ball in their hands a ton. ALso, there have been some uderrated guys because their team generally shared the ball well.

Rose and Noah were good before they both fell off their respective cliffs.

Malone was a great passer alongside Stockton. Very underrated.

Divac was a great passer, and he played with Magic for a few years.

And when he was on the kings... pretty much that whole team could pass. C Webb was good, so was Bibby. That team shared the ball nicely.

Same with the Parker/Duncan?Manu Spurs. They likely all sacrificed stats to win.

Easy with describing efficient passers as 'great passers'. I do not think of Karl Malone's game and think 'great passer'. We tend to throw around the 'great' designation to liberally these days.  If Karl Malone was a great passer what was Jason Kidd? What was Magic Johnson?

IMO Malone was a great passer for his position. What big man of his era was better, aside from maybe Vlade or Webber?

Re: Give examples of two Amazing passers playing together
« Reply #44 on: June 03, 2017, 05:13:02 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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Danny Ainge and CBS...they do pass on a lot of seemingly amazing personnel moves.