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The NBA has looked very competitive over the last two years. After the Golden State Warriors' 'super team' with Kevin Durant disintegrated, the league has entered the era of top duos. LeBron James and Anthony Davis proved to be untouchable last year, but there were many great duos around the NBA. Here, we will rank the five best duos in the league right now.
Ranking the NBA's 5 best duos going into the 2020-21 season
The LA Lakers secured their superstar duo at least until 2023. James extended his deal, and Davis signed a five-year contract during NBA Free Agency 2020. Those deals make the LA Lakers favorites to create a dynasty in the upcoming years.
James and Davis playing together in LA have forced some other superstars around the league to team up. Last season, we saw the Laker's neighbors — the LA Clippers — create their own star duo.
Without further ado, let us look at the five best NBA duos heading into the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5 Kawhi Leonard and Paul George - LA Clippers
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George formed one of the NBA's best duos last year.
They are two of the best 'two-way' players in the league, and their regular season was solid. Leonard averaged 27 points and five assists per game last year, both career-highs. He made 47% of his field goals and 38% of his three-pointers.
On the other hand, George averaged 22 points per game and made 44% of his shots. From the three-point line, George had his best season. He made 41% of his three-point shots (7.9 attempts per game).
They were a Top 3 duo in the league last season. However, after their humiliating exit from the 2020 NBA Playoffs, their stock is quite low.
The pair guided the LA Clippers to a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately for them, Denver came back and forced a game seven. Leonard and George combined for 24 points in the decisive game and made 10 out of 38 shots. They did not score a single point in the fourth quarter.
Kawhi and George remain a great duo, regardless of their struggles last year. However, there is a lot of pressure on them to deliver for their franchise this year.
#4 Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets had an extraordinary run in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
The team defeated the Utah Jazz in the first round of the postseason after being down 3-1. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic guided the team with their scoring and playmaking abilities.
Murray was stunning in the first round. The Canadian guard averaged 31.6 points per game against the Utah Jazz. He had two 50-point games in the series and a 42-point effort in game five. Murray had a difficult series against the Clippers but was great in another 3-1 comeback. He scored 40 points in the seventh game versus LAC.
Jokic, on the other hand, is the team's driving force on offense. He averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists per game in the 2020 postseason. Moreover, Jokic made 52% of his field goals and 43% of his threes in the NBA Playoffs.
Murray and Jokic have the opportunity to confirm their status as one of the league's best duos in the upcoming season. Should they play at a high level again, the Nuggets can be a contender in the Western Conference.
#3 Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo - Miami Heat
The Miami Heat made it to the 2020 NBA Finals after a dream run in the Playoffs.
They managed to get past the best team of the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks. Miami then beat the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach their fifth NBA Finals in the last 10 seasons.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were the team's best players on both sides of the floor. Adebayo was the defensive rock of Miami, but he also averaged 18 points per game in the postseason.
Adebayo got hurt in the first game of the 2020 NBA Finals, which shocked the team. However, Jimmy Butler kept their chances alive with a tremendous 40-point triple-double in game three.
Ultimately, Miami forced a game six in the series, but the LA Lakers were too much for them. Adebayo missed a couple of games in the series. Still, Miami had a huge fight in front of them.
Miami was only the fifth seed in the East last year. However, their impressive postseason run might be a solid foundation to build on. Adebayo and Butler should lead the team again on both sides of the floor, and another great run could be in the cards for them.
Adebayo averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists per game last year. He also shot 56% from the field. On his side, Butler averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game in last year's regular season.
Butler and Adebayo are also the two leaders on the Miami Heat.
#2 Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis - Dallas Mavericks
Last season, Luka Doncic became one of the NBA's best players in only his second season in the league.
The Slovenian became an MVP candidate just a year after securing Rookie of the Year honors. Doncic averaged 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists per game in the regular round.
Doncic is a tremendous scorer and a solid playmaker who adapted brilliantly to the NBA. An injury-plagued Dallas team still forced the LA Clippers to six games in the first round in the postseason.
Doncic was unbelievable in that matchup. He averaged 31/10/9 and made 50% of his shots. Porzingis, on the other hand, will need to stay healthy for most of the upcoming season as he returns from a knee injury in January 2021.
Still, the 7' 3'' center is a solid player who could be the key for the Mavericks' hopes of contending with the West's biggest teams. Last year, Porzingis averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in 57 games.
#1 LeBron James and Anthony Davis - LA Lakers
LeBron James is arguably the greatest player ever and enters the 2020-21 season after a stunning display in his 17th NBA season. On the other hand, Anthony Davis is arguably a Top 5 player in today's NBA, and he had an incredible first year at LA.
James led the NBA in assists last season, and took over in the NBA Playoffs to win his fourth ring. He led the LA Lakers to their 17th NBA title and was named NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time.
James averaged 25 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds per game in the regular season and finished second in the MVP voting. Davis, on his side, averaged 26 points and nine rebounds per game in the regular season. AD also finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year award voting.
Davis led the team in scoring both in the regular season and the NBA Playoffs and was easily their best defender overall.
For the upcoming season, health will be the Lakers' most important asset. LeBron James will turn 36 years of age on December 30th, but will likely maintain his all-time great production.
Davis is still in his prime at 27 years of age and has just inked a big deal with the Lakers.
If this duo remains healthy, the rest of the NBA will be vying to see who can dethrone the LA Lakers.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams who need to improve their roster before 2020-21 season starts
