The NBA is moving from the Big three concept to Dynamic Duos. This is good move when building a roster. If you have two stars and a good third man that is consistent, you will have the flexibility to trade players and absorb draft picks. The trades of Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis have put 3 of the top 15 players in the league with a new team and a costar. I decided to look at the top 5 duos and where they rank compared to each other.
Number 5 is Damian Dillard and CJ McCollum. They are prolific scorers and complement each other well. They differ to each other and will ride the hot hand. If they have another deep playoff run in 2019, they would get consideration as one of the top backcourts in the league. They combine to average 46.8 a game.
Number 4 is Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. They make the list due to upside and ability to play together. If both progresses statistically, they will be All NBA players. Embiid makes the 2nd team and Simmons moves to the 3rd. The fact they are under 25 does not hinder their ranking. The plus 262 plus minus they posted last year is impressive and will improve.
Number 3 is James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The skeptics think this may not work but I do. Westbrook stated at his press conference that he does not have to run the point to be effective. He will find other ways to impact the game. Harden averaged 6.8 assists a game to go along with leading the league in scoring. Westbrook averaged 10.7 assists a game. His scoring will go up while his assist will remain the same.
Number 2 is Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They are extremely gifted offensively and can shut down any opponent on defense. They can switch and guard all positions. The range on the floor is beyond the 3-point line. They are both great finishers at the rim. Kawhi averaged 26.6 and Paul averaged 28.0 points per game. They were 2nd and 6th in the league in scoring. George is coming off rotator cuff repair so I can’t make them number one.
Number 1 is Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Davis is borderline unstoppable. Lebron is still the best all round player in the game They will win 50 games easy. They are coming off seasons that were marred with injuries and load management. They will be held to a higher standard that is nothing less than an NBA Championship.
Since Klay Thompson is out until at least the All Star break I did not put him or Stephen Curry on the list. Draymond Green impacts the game, but doesn't score consistently enough to make a top 5 duo. Kevin Durant's injury prevent adding him and Kyrie Irving. When he returns in 2020 someone is coming off this list. Who is it? Tell me on Twitter.
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