Rating the NBA’s high scoring duos of all time

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Wilt Chamberlain: 50.36 ppg
Paul Arizin: 21.87 ppg

It solely is sensible that the very best single-season scoring common in NBA historical past, that of Wilt Chamberlain in 1961-62 when he put up over 50 factors per recreation, additionally ranks so excessive up this checklist. Chamberlain and Paul Arizin, one other Corridor-of-Famer, scored 57.15 p.c of the then-Philadelphia Warriors’ factors in ’62. Enjoyable truth: Chamberlain didn’t even win MVP the season he put up 50 an evening. Additionally of word, ’62 Chamberlain and Arizin are the highest-scoring duo in league historical past in whole factors, too, largely resulting from Chamberlain’s nightly 50-burger that yr.

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Kobe Bryant: 30.01 ppg
Shaquille O’Neal: 27.48 ppg

The very best-scoring duo in trendy NBA historical past, in the meantime, is a distinction that belongs to the illustrious tandem of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, who completed the feat in 2002-03, the season after their closing ring collectively. That season, Shaq and Kobe scored 52.27 p.c of what the Lakers averaged as a workforce that yr. L.A.’s third-leading scorer that season was Derek Fisher at 10.5 factors per recreation. Is smart why the Lakers went out and signed Karl Malone and Gary Payton the next offseason.

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Paul Pierce: 25.26 ppg
Antoine Walker: 23.36 ppg

The Boston Celtics duo of Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker could not have received something collectively, however they did handle to attain a complete lot of buckets as a tandem, placing up 51.08 p.c of Boston’s factors within the 2000-01 season. The Celtics went 36-46 that yr and missed the playoffs, failing to have a 3rd participant common double-digit factors in that marketing campaign.

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Wilt Chamberlain: 38.39 ppg
Paul Arizin: 23.19 ppg

Chamberlain and Arizin pop up as soon as once more on this checklist, this time for his or her exploits in 1960-61 for Philadelphia wherein they averaged over simply half of the Warriors’ factors per recreation that season. As soon as once more, Chamberlain didn’t win MVP that yr regardless of main all the NBA in nightly factors and rebounds per contest.

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Neil Johnston: 22.65 ppg
Paul Arizin: 21.00 ppg

By the ’60s, Arizin was no stronger to shouldering an enormous load of the Warriors’ offense. Earlier than his time with Chamberlain, Arizin additionally fashioned a high-scoring tandem with Corridor-of-Fame massive man Neil Johnston. In 1954-55, the 2 mixed to common 50.89 p.c of Philadelphia’s factors, one of many highest mixed totals ever, with Johnston main the NBA in scoring that season at 22.7 factors per contest. It was Johnston’s third season in a row main the league in scoring common.

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George Mikan: 28.41 ppg
Vern Mikkelsen: 14.12 ppg

The NBA’s main scorer in 1950-51 was legendary heart George Mikan, who completed the feat whereas placing up 28.4 factors per recreation. Mixed with Corridor-of-Famer Vern Mikkelsen’s 14.12 factors that season, the 2 put up 50.36 p.c of the Minneapolis Lakers’ factors that yr. ’51 was truly the one season between 1948-49 and 1953-54 wherein Mikan and the Lakers didn’t win the NBA championship. 

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Walt Bellamy: 31.58 ppg
Slick Leonard: 16.07 ppg

Corridor-of-Famer Walt Bellamy averaged 31.58 factors per recreation in 1961-62, his rookie season, for what was a really dangerous Chicago Packers (now the Washington Wizards) workforce. We considerably lately named Bellamy among the best gamers from a really dangerous workforce in league historical past for his contributions that yr, as Chicago went 18-62 that season. Making that marketing campaign considerably memorable was the truth that Bellamy and his teammate Slick Leonard mixed to common over half of the Packers’ factors that marketing campaign.

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Kevin Durant: 28.03 ppg
Russell Westbrook: 23.61 ppg

One of the crucial entertaining NBA duos because the flip of the century, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook completed rather a lot throughout their time with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, together with getting all the best way to the 2012 NBA Finals. That very same yr, Durant led the league in scoring with Westbrook trailing not all that far behind, because the tandem averaged over half of OKC’s factors per recreation that season. Eventual league MVP James Harden largely got here off the bench for the Thunder that season and put up 16.8 factors per recreation. No different Oklahoma Metropolis participant that yr averaged double-digit factors.

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Paul Pierce: 26.15 ppg
Antoine Walker: 22.15 ppg

The Pierce-Walker tandem exhibits up on this checklist once more, as in 2001-02, they mixed to place up practically half of Boston’s factors per recreation. Pierce and Walker’s scoring that season led to rather more success than the yr prior, nonetheless, even regardless of the Celtics’ third-leading scorer in ’02 being Rodney Rodgers at a pedestrian 10.7 factors per contest. Even so, Boston bought all the best way to the Jap Convention Finals that yr earlier than falling in six video games to the New Jersey Nets.

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Adrian Dantley: 30.65 ppg
Darrell Griffith: 20.63 ppg

The 1980-81 Utah Jazz didn’t have a lot luck so far as profitable video games, because the workforce went 28-54 that season, however they did have a prolific scoring duo in Adrian Dantley and Darrell Griffith, who mixed to attain practically half of the workforce’s factors per recreation that yr. Dantley led the league in scoring in ’81 at 30.65 factors per recreation whereas Griffith, in his Rookie of the Yr marketing campaign, chipped in 20.63 factors nightly. The issue for Utah that season was that its third-leading scorer, Ben Poquette, averaged 9.5 factors.

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George Mikan: 27.43 ppg
Jim Pollard: 14.74 ppg

The 1949-50 championship-winning Lakers had an elite scoring duo in Mikan and Jim Pollard, who accounted for over 49 p.c of Minneapolis’ nightly scoring that season. The Corridor-of-Fame ahead Pollard earned 1st Crew All-NBA honors that yr, as did Mikan after main the league in scoring.

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Wilt Chamberlain: 44.82 ppg
Man Rodgers: 13.90 ppg

One of many larger examples on this checklist of a single participant carrying a duo’s scoring load, Chamberlain led the NBA in nightly factors (and rebounds) in 1962-63 at 44.8 factors per recreation. Regardless of pulling that off, Chamberlain didn’t win MVP and even make 1st Crew All-NBA that yr, although that in all probability needed to do together with his Warriors going 31-49 that season. 4-time All-Star and Corridor-of-Fame level guard Man Rodgers did do properly to chip in practically 14 factors per recreation that yr whereas main the NBA in nightly assists at 10.4.

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Joe Fulks: 26.00 ppg
Ed Sadowski: 15.33 ppg

In 1948-49, Corridor-of-Famer Joe Fulks averaged 26.00 factors per recreation. Together with Ed Sadowski, the 2 put up 49.38 p.c of the Warriors’ factors that yr. However with such little exterior scoring moreover Fulks and Sadowski, Philadelphia went simply 28-32 and fell within the Jap Division semifinals.

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Kobe Bryant: 35.40 ppg
Lamar Odom: 14.82 ppg

Bryant makes his second look on this checklist for his otherworldly 2005-06 season that noticed him lead the league in scoring at 35.4 factors per recreation, incomes 1st Crew All-NBA and All-Star honors for his efforts. Bryant completed that whereas prepared the Lakers to a 45-37 report and a playoff look regardless of a severe lack of top-end expertise round him. Even so, eventual Sixth Man of the Yr Lamar Odom did chip in over 14.8 factors per recreation in ’06. When mixed with Bryant’s scoring, the duo accounted for 49.28 p.c of Los Angeles’ nightly factors that season, one of many highest clips ever.

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Shaquille O’Neal: 28.72 ppg
Kobe Bryant: 28.50 ppg

The illustrious duo of Shaq and Kobe make the checklist as soon as once more, this time for his or her contributions in a championship-winning season. In 2000-01, O’Neal and Bryant mixed to attain 49-plus p.c of Los Angeles’ common factors per recreation that season as a workforce. Los Angeles would cruise to a championship that yr even regardless of relying so closely on simply two gamers because the Lakers went 15-1 within the postseason in 2001.

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Michael Jordan: 37.09 ppg
Charles Oakley: 14.54 ppg

The primary look of Michael Jordan on this checklist stems from his 1986-87 season wherein he averaged 37.09 factors per recreation, the highest-scoring common for an NBA participant not named Wilt Chamberlain to this present day. Mixed with Charles Oakley’s 14.54 factors per recreation that yr, the duo mixed to common 49.24 p.c of Chicago’s factors in 1986-87. The Bulls’ third-leading scorer that yr was John Paxson at 11.3 factors per recreation, making it clear why the workforce bought swept within the first spherical of the playoffs by Boston.

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George Mikan: 28.30 ppg
Jim Pollard: 14.79 ppg

The nice Mikan finds his means on this checklist once more, this time for his 1948-49 season when he, mixed with Pollard, put up 49.23 p.c of the Lakers’ factors. That was truly Mikan’s rookie season, that means he led the BAA in scoring as a first-year participant. It additionally means he led his Lakers to a championship as a rookie, no simple feat.

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Bob Pettit: 29.24 ppg
Cliff Hagan: 23.71 ppg

Corridor-of-Famers Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan mixed to place up 48.68 p.c of the St. Louis Hawks’ whole level common as a workforce in 1958-59. Pettit led the NBA in scoring that season and received league MVP honors however his Hawks fell within the Western Division Finals 4 video games to 2 to the Lakers.

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Bob McAdoo: 34.52 ppg
Randy Smith: 17.76 ppg

The underrated Bob McAdoo was one of many higher scorers in league historical past, and his 1974-75 season was a few of his finest work. That yr, McAdoo led the NBA in scoring at 34.52 factors per recreation, the 14th-highest single-season scoring common ever, as he earned league MVP honors. He mixed with Randy Smith to place up 48.5 p.c of the Buffalo Braves’ factors that yr, although the workforce fell within the Jap Convention semifinals in seven video games to the Washington Bullets, largely resulting from their lack of defending.

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Wilt Chamberlain: 37.60 ppg
Paul Arizin: 22.31 ppg

Chamberlain and Arizin make the checklist as soon as once more. In 1959-60, Chamberlain’s rookie season, the massive man received league MVP, Rookie of the Yr and was a 1st Crew All-NBAer after main the NBA in scoring at 37.6 factors per recreation, the fourth-highest scoring common ever. Arizin was no slouch himself that season, placing up 22.31 factors per recreation, and between he and Chamberlain, the tandem put up 48.49 p.c of the 76ers’ factors that season. To his credit score, Tom Gola put up a stable 15.0 factors per recreation that yr, making him the Warriors’ third All-Star that season.

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LeBron James: 26.72 ppg
Dwyane Wade: 25.54 ppg

Few gamers obtained the vitriol that LeBron James did when he left Cleveland to hitch the Miami Warmth. Regardless of how loaded the workforce was, nonetheless, there was a sentiment that having to pay James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh a lot cash would smash Miami’s depth and make it tough for the Warmth to contend. In fact, that wound up proving incorrect however in Yr 1, there was some reality to the sentiment, as James and Wade needed to do plenty of the workforce’s scoring, 48.42 p.c of it, to be precise, of their first marketing campaign collectively. After Bosh and his 18.7 factors per recreation that season, the Warmth’s fourth-leading scorer (who performed not less than 50 video games) was Eddie Home at 6.5 factors per contest.

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Gilbert Arenas: 29.32 ppg
Antawn Jamison: 20.54 ppg

Now higher identified for being a shock-jock kind of podcaster, Gilbert Arenas had a fairly outrageous zenith within the NBA, peaking in 2005-06 when he averaged 29.32 factors per recreation on 44.7 taking pictures over 80 video games. Mixed with the underrated Antawn Jamison and his 20.54 factors per recreation that yr, the duo put up 48.34 p.c of Washington’s factors in ’06. Caron Butler will get a shout right here, too, as he put up 17.6 factors for the Wizards that yr. Nonetheless, no different Wizard averaged double-digit factors that season.

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Michael Jordan: 29.65 ppg
Scottie Pippen: 20.20 ppg

Ending second within the MVP vote that yr whereas main the league in scoring at 29.65 factors per recreation, Jordan, together with Pippen and his 20.20 factors per contest, dealt with an enormous quantity of the 1996-97 Bulls’ scoring load, placing up 48.32 p.c of the workforce’s factors that yr. The ’97 Bulls, clearly, received the title that yr after a 69-13 common season. Typically, having simply two gamers achieve this a lot of a workforce’s scoring will not be a foul factor.

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Kevin Durant: 28.15 ppg
Russell Westbrook: 23.21 ppg

Durant and Westbrook make the checklist once more as a tandem, as in 2012-13, the 2 put up 48.25 p.c of the Thunder’s nightly factors. Durant completed second within the MVP vote that yr and with 1st Crew All-NBA and All-Star honors whereas Westbrook was 2nd Crew All-NBA and an All-Star. Harden and Serge Ibaka had good years, too, placing up 14.0 factors and 13.2 factors respectively, although no different OKC participant averaged greater than 7.6 factors that yr. The Thunder would go on to fall within the second spherical of the playoffs that yr to the Memphis Grizzlies in 5 video games.

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Jerry West: 30.97 ppg
Elgin Baylor: 27.15 ppg

Two all-time greats, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, make their debut on this checklist for his or her 1964-65 contributions wherein West (All-Star, 1st Crew All-NBA, third within the MVP vote) and Baylor (1st Crew All-NBA and All-Star) mixed for 48.07 p.c of the Lakers’ factors. Los Angeles would fall within the NBA Finals that yr in 5 video games.

Neil Johnston: 24.43 ppg
Joe Graboski: 13.30 ppg

In 1953-54, Johnston led the NBA in scoring at 24.43 factors per recreation whereas making 1st Crew All-NBA and All-Star honors. Joe Graboski, in the meantime, chipped in 13.30 factors per recreation when, mixed with Johnston’s league-leading whole, accounted for 47.99 p.c of the Warriors’ factors that yr. Philadelphia went 29-43 that season, partly resulting from an absence of scoring exterior of two gamers.

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Bob McAdoo: 31.12 ppg
Randy Smith: 21.79 ppg

After his MVP season, McAdoo was spectacular as soon as once more in 1975-76, main the NBA in scoring for a 3rd yr in a row, this time at 31.12 factors per recreation. Smith added 21.79 factors per recreation himself, because the tandem mixed for 47.91 p.c of the Braves’ factors that yr. Buffalo bought to the second spherical of the playoffs that yr, falling to Boston in six video games, proving McAdoo’s (and Smith’s) scoring was removed from empty energy.

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Allen Iverson: 33.01 ppg
Chris Webber: 20.24 ppg

Legendary massive man Chris Webber spent only one full season with the 76ers. That passed off in 2005-06 when Webber averaged 20.24 factors per recreation, a powerful mark however a surprisingly inefficient one, as the previous Michigan standout shot simply 43.4 p.c from the ground that yr. One-time league MVP Allen Iverson was nonetheless mainly at his peak powers at the moment, placing up 33.01 factors per recreation. Mixed with Webber, the duo put up 47.81 p.c of Philadelphia’s factors that yr, however the workforce would miss the playoffs anyway after a 38-44 common season.

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Paul Pierce: 25.92 ppg
Antoine Walker: 20.13 ppg

Pierce and Walker make this checklist for a powerful third time. In 2002-03, the tandem put up 47.61 p.c of the Celtics’ common factors per recreation. However Boston didn’t have a single different participant put up double-digit factors that yr. Even then, the Celtics bought to the second spherical of the playoffs that yr, displaying how good the Pierce-Walker duo have been of their prime.