NBA Jam Power Rankings: Which Team Featured the Best Duo?

Go Hard in the Paint

#14 Boston Celtics
Robert Parish: 5.8 nERD
Dee Brown: 2.9 nERD
Team Total: 8.7 nERD

#13 New Jersey Nets
Derrick Coleman: 8.7 nERD
Kenny Anderson: 0.5 nERD
Team Total: 9.2 nERD

#12 Denver Nuggets
LaPhonso Ellis: 5.1 nERD
Dikembe Mutombo: 4.9 nERD
Team Total: 10.0 nERD

#11 Portland Trail Blazers
Terry Porter: 5.9 nERD
Clyde Drexler: 5.2 nERD
Team Total: 11.1 nERD

#10 Atlanta Hawks
Dominique Wilkins: 12.8 nERD
Stacey Augmon: -1.3 nERD
Team Total: 11.5 nERD

At this point in the rankings, we're starting to look at more meat than bone. The top-15 teams are loaded with Hall of Famers, as you can see already from names like Robert Parish, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins, who happens to be one of only nine players in the entire game to earn a double-digit nERD. In addition to being riddled with All-Stars, what really makes these four teams interesting is that -- outside of the Blazers -- they're built around players who made their money in the paint.

The seven-foot Parish dominated the paint to the tune of 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while leading the team in both defensive rating (103) and rebound percentage (19.5%). Derrick Coleman averaged a whopping 11.3 boards while swatting 1.5 balls per contest. He also put up an impressive 101 defensive rating while collecting 24% of his teams' defensive rebounds. And, not to be outdone, Dikembe Mutombo grabbed an outrageous 13 rebounds per game while averaging 3.5 finger wags every time he took the floor.

Although the Hawks didn't feature a dominant big man like the other three I already discussed, Dominique Wilkins was a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the best finishers in the history of the game. He averaged 29.9 points and 6.8 rebounds with an absurd 119 offensive rating, not to mention his outstanding 12.8 nERD. Had Stacey Augmon held up his end of the deal, we would be looking at this squad among the elite that NBA Jam had to offer.