Of course, the big-small combo is not the only way to go. Other winning combinations have included two big forwards in Boston (Larry Bird and Kevin McHale in 1980-81), and the famous mid-sized pair in Chicago with Pippen at small forward and Jordan at shooting guard. Another theory, favored particularly by Shaq, is the big-man-centric theory, which finds some support in Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets in the mid-1990′s, the Twin Tower Spurs of 1998-99 (but see above for the unusual aspects of that season), and Shaq’s own prominent role in four championships in this decade. Of course, despite Shaq’s claim that the shooting guards that have won with him couldn’t have done so without him, there is the fact that he has never won without a superstar guard, especially shooting guards (apologies to Steve Nash), and that one of those guards did win without him (Bryant in 2009). Even Phil Jackson has favored the big combinations, and is reportedly giddy about the opportunity to deploy a Triple Tower of Bynum, Gasol, and Odom.
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