Characteristically, good things come in pairs. Two shoes are much more useful than one. One leg of jeans would serve no purpose. And, after all, you "need two to tango."

So it?s only fitting that the NBA has adopted this pattern. However, unless a pair is groomed to work as a cohesive unit, it?s worthless.

Recently, superstar duos seem almost characteristic in the league. As soon as an additional superstar is added to complement an existing one, chatter of a championship begins in the press. But, it is questionable whether two all star caliber players can coexist to benefit the team as a whole and ultimately win a championship.

History has seen Shaquille O?Neal and Kobe Bryant win rings. (Of course, they have also seen the disputes for the spotlight along the way). By simply counting the number of pairs of all star caliber tandems it?s easy to see how common they are:

Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, Dwayne Wade and Shaq, Sam Cassell and Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire, Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, Lebron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, and the most newly acquired duo, Allen Iverson and Chris Webber.

Just a week ago, the Atlantic Division was a free for all. Paul Pierce said it himself -- the first team to get on a roll and win their next five or six games would take the free ride to the playoffs. Not anymore.

As soon as Webber was acquired, the Sixers "had it in the hole." Of course, there was similar talk when the Nets acquired Carter. Despite Carter?s consistent shooting and revitalized self, the Nets still stand in third place in the lowly division.

There are a multitude of problems that can occur when two egotistical celebrities clash, as witnessed in the infamous Kobe -Shaq saga. After all, double-the-superstar decreases each man?s touches on the ball. Which player takes the shot when the game?s on the line?

One serious injury to a star drastically decreases a team?s shot at the playoffs, as well. One man?s bashing of the other can spur a major controversy and form an irreparable and spiteful relationship.

Then, there is the money issue. Two stars are expensive to please while maintaining a formidable bench. Often, franchises must compromise the remainder of their lineup simply to afford their stars.

The defending champion Detroit Pistons are one of the only teams in the NBA without a declared superstar (or two). On any given night, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton or Chauncey Billups could put up 30 points and 10 boards.

Although they pride themselves on their defense, their ability to work as a team is a major factor in their success. No one has to defer to anyone else, and so far, few if any conflicts have arisen publicly. Notice that of all the major duos, it was a unit that won the title.

Only time will tell, but despite the fact that the seemingly perfect duos sell double as many tickets as one star, and double as many jerseys, if they?re not playing in April, no one cares.