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

Legends of the Game

#9 Seattle Super Sonics
Shawn Kemp: 8.3 nERD
Detlef Schrempf: 6.3 nERD
Team Total: 14.6 nERD

#8 Indiana Pacers
Reggie Miller: 12.3 nERD
Derrick McKey: 3.2 nERD
Team Total: 15.5 nERD

#7 New York Knicks
Patrick Ewing: 10.7 nERD
John Starks: 5.0 nERD
Team Total: 15.7 nERD

#6 San Antonio Spurs
David Robinson: 14.6 nERD
Sean Elliott: 2.3 nERD
Team Total: 16.9 nERD

Before I get into the two all-time great centers and one of the purest shooters the league has ever seen, I would be remiss if I didn't dedicate a few words to the Reign Man. If ever there was a time to scream "BOOMSHAKALAKA" it was after watching Shawn Kemp destroy the rim, which made him the perfect character to run with in a two-on-two brawl.

While they may not have been quite as fun to play with, both Patrick Ewing and David Robinson were both much more effective players than Kemp at this point in their respective careers. Both Ewing and Robinson were tremendous offensive players -- the pair averaged more than 23 points per game during the 1992-93 season -- but, more importantly, they were probably the two best defenders in all of NBA Jam. The Knicks' star grabbed 12.1 rebounds per game while blocking 2 shots per game and earning a minuscule 94 defensive rating. The Spurs' legend grabbed a similar 12.2 boards per game but far surpassed Ewing as a rim protector, rejecting a monstrous 4.5 shots per game.

Although having a player who can both defend and finish in the paint is huge in this game, much like today's NBA, the most efficient way to score points is with the three-point shot, and Reggie Miller was the best shooter there was. Miller knocked-down a league-leading 167 triples while shooting at a 47.9% clip from distance. If he was ever able to catch fire, it was game over for your opponent.