MIES (Switzerland) - If you have read our recent GM Survey, you would know by now who the General Managers of clubs in the Basketball Champions League think is our best defender, our best big man, our best shooter, or even who they believe is the MVP of the season so far.
They actually answered a whole array of questions other than that, but one we didn't ask them: Who is the best 1-2 punch in the BCL this season?
If we had a Stockton and Malone or a Jordan and Pippen, who would it be?
If we had asked our GMs that question, it would be a shock to see many answers outside of Marcelinho Huertas and Giorgi Shermadini, but we wanted to go above and beyond the assumption.
That's why we jumped into the data to see which pairs of players have actually combined the most and for the most points.
So, let's dive in.
Jhivvan Jackson, Zac Seljaas - FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets
The first pair on our list may already come as a surprise to some. The Wurzburg Warriors have shared 15 assists between each other and generated 39 points in the process over just six games played together.
As you would expect, the vast majority of those assists travelled from Jackson to Seljaas. In fact, all 15 of those assists were dished out by Jackson, which makes up 32.6 percent of the 46 assists he has plated up for hungry teammates this season.
As you can see from the video above, the understanding these two have with each other is almost a sixth sense by this point of the season.
It's not just about Jackson hitting Seljaas on those pick and pops and Ghost screens they like to run. Seljaas cuts to the basket without even making eye-contact with his partner in crime and just knows that the pass will find him.
Seljaas is putting up an MVP caliber season, but it wouldn't be possible without his buddy Jhivvan providing the firepower.
Saben Lee, Fabian White Jr - Manisa Basket
The next deadly duo in this story is probably much less surprising than the first, especially if you have read our GM Survey and seen how many mentions Saben Lee received for things like MVP or "which player would you want to steal from another team?"
Between them, Lee has dished out 16 assists to White Jr who has scored 38 points from those assists, which is just one less than the Wurzburg pair. They have, however, played 8 games together so in reality, the pair combine for just less than five points per game together.
When you watch the video above what you can see that makes this pairing special is the variety of ways that Lee has been finding White Jr.
It's, of course, pick and pops but also dump offs driving to the lane and also White's movement without the ball when all the defensive eyes are focused on Lee's scoring threat with the ball in his hands.
DeWayne Russell, Peyton Aldridge - Aliaga Petkimspor
Basketball is a simple sport. If you have a teammate who graduated from Davidson and he's stood on the perimeter with his hands up calling the ball, just pass him the rock.
Fortunately for Petkimspor, despite being one of the league's shiftiest guards and capable of making the most complicated dribble combos, DeWayne Russell also knows exactly when to keep things simple and that's almost always when he sees Peyton Aldridge stood, wide open on the perimeter.
Russell and Aldridge have combined for 13 assists that have generated 36 points in 11 games so far this season.
As you can see from the video above, the outcome is invariably Russell drawing the defense in and kicking it out to Aldridge to knock down triples with machine-like consistency.
If you don't love those one-hand hook pass lasers that Russell fires off to his teammate in all corners of the floor, then you might just be watching the wrong sport.
Kendrick Perry, Tyler Kalinoski - Unicaja
Basketball is a simple sport. If you have a teammate who graduated from Davidson and he's stood on the perimeter with his hands up calling the ball, just pass him the rock.
Fortunately for Unicaja, despite being a Final Four MVP and one of the leagues most complete players, Kendrick Perry knows when to keep it simple.
In fact, when you watch the chemistry and timing involved in Kalinoski running off double, sometimes even triple screens to be greeted by a delivery pass from Perry with precision timing and the ball perfectly in his shooting pocket, this pair has also managed to make the very complicated, look incredibly simple.
Perry and Kalinoski have synthesized for 12 assists Perry resulting in 34 points for Kalinoski which works out at 2.8 points per assist and tells you exactly what kind of shot is usually being generated.
It also makes them the most efficient 1-2 punch on this list with respect to points per assist.
If you have watched Unicaja play, that really shouldn't come as much surprise. The whole machine has been engineered to get as much out of every player from every minute they play and as much out of every action from every possession it's utilized.
Tommy Kuhse, Ismael Kamagate - Bertram Derthona Basket
The last partnership on our list of the top 1-2 punches this season is also the most traditional. They pick and they roll and they do it really well.
To quote Al Pacino in Carlito's Way: "When you can't see the angles no more, you in trouble."
So it's just as well for Derthona Basket and Ismael Kamagate that Tommy Kuhse sees the angles in a pick and roll as well as anyone in this league. Kuhse's 14 assists leading to Kamagate's 28 points are all the evidence you should need to support that statement.
When you watch that video above pay attention to patience and poise. In football, the hipsters call it Pausa. The number of times you see Derthona play and Kamagate rolling hard to the rim with all the lob threat that he carries, it just seems to give Kuhse all the time in the world to make a decision as the defense doesn't know who to focus on.
That late roll pass is lethal.
Honorable mentions
Benedek Varadi and Matt Tiby (Falco-Vulcano Szombathely): 12 assists for 30 points
Cassius Winston and Kwan Cheatham Jr (Pallacanestro Reggiana): 9 assists for 27 points
Otis Livingston and Angel Delgado (Galatasaray): 13 assists for 26 points