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The NBA is nothing if not a superstar-driven league. Aside from revenue, having at least one formidable All-Star duo could be the quickest way to build a championship team. Anthony Davis bolted out of the New Orleans Pelicans to form a tag team with LeBron James. The LA Lakers won a championship soon after they joined forces.
While forming a Batman-and-Robin partnership in the NBA does not guarantee results, a pair of All-Stars as a starting point for a game plan is so much better than nothing at all. Having said that, there have been top tandems before that fell short of the ultimate goal – winning an NBA championship. The Karl Malone and John Stockton duo is a combo that is almost always at the top of that list.
For this discussion, only those legitimate NBA Big Twos will be taken into consideration. It means that the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving alliance will not be on the list since the Brooklyn Nets now have a three-headed monster with James Harden completing this fearsome trident.
Tag teams in the NBA who are looking to win the championship entering the 2021-22 season
#5 Damian Lillard – CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers)
The Portland Trail Blazers’ backcourt duo may be undersized, but it is not lacking in firepower. Both players have seen their scoring averages go up in each of the seasons in which they have been playing for the Blazers. Lillard, in particular, is lights out in the postseason. His average last year of 34.3 points, 10.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds in the playoffs is simply amazing.
What makes this combo so lethal in the NBA is their ability to hit shots from the parking lot. Each of them can also manipulate defenses to the point of breaking. The Portland Trail Blazers have never missed the playoffs in Lillard’s tenure. To sustain such success, he would need a mate that can also foil the defensive plans of the opposing teams.
In many cases, this duo has carried the Blazers into the NBA Playoffs even when they have no business being there.
#4 Rudy Gobert – Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
There must be something in the waters of the Great Salt Lake in Utah that has allowed the Jazz to produce yet another partnership that has been a fixture in the postseason the past few years. In Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, they have two pillars who make Utah’s offense and defense hum.
The Utah Jazz center was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2013 and was immediately shipped to the Salt Lake City franchise. Mitchell was also drafted by the Nuggets in 2017 and also moved to Utah. Since then, the duo have piled on a 165-86 record in the W-L column with an impressive 65.7 winning percentage.
Gobert’s career resume is glittering with accolades. He is the defending and 3x NBA Defensive Player of the Year awardee. His 4x All-NBA selection gives credence to the point that he is not just there for defense. The Jazz’s defensive force is a two-time All-Star in each of the last two seasons.
Mitchell, a two-time All-Star, plays his best jazz music in the playoffs. He is averaging 33.9 PPG, 5.2 assists, and 4.5 rebounds on a spectacular 46.4% from the rainbow territory. While it is Gobert who dominates on defense, Mitchell gives the Jazz a go-to scorer who can get hot fast.
The duo, though, have not had success in the postseason for different reasons. They’ve held series leads against the Nuggets and the Clippers in the last two postseasons and still lost both series. Utah is confident that the star tandem can still make a breakthrough and capture the team’s first-ever NBA title.
Also Read: What is Kawhi’s Current Contract?
#3 Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
The Denver Nuggets could have been kicking themselves for letting go of future NBA stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell after drafting them, except that they got a pair that has already brought them more playoff success.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have a dynamic unlike the other duos on this list. Jokic, the reigning MVP and starting center of the team, operates as Denver’s de facto point guard. He has such exceptional reading of the game and savvy that belies his age. The Denver Nuggets’ entire offense revolves around the big man’s versatility and skills.
As the No. 2 in Denver’s 1-2 punch, Murray dazzles the NBA with his scoring and rim attacks. He shot 40.8% from three-point range and a true shooting percentage of 59.2%. He is deadly from all over the floor and makes Jokic’s passing even more pronounced.
More importantly, the Jokic-Murray combo has faced playoff adversity before and battles to the very end. They’ve been down and counted out several times, but have always managed to play at their best on most occasions. This top alliance has more room to grow and grow together, which would make the Nuggets an NBA title hopeful for years to come.
#2 Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
The youngest tag team on this list is battle-tested after only a few years in the NBA. An argument could be made that if LeBron James had not been in the East, this combo could have been in the Finals more than once. Although they were not the stars they were then, they made significant contributions in each of those playoff runs.
The Js' ceiling is high because aside from being young, the Celtics have secured their services for a long time. Brad Stevens has also built the roster around the two NBA superstars to maximize their talents. The skills and talents of the two are so apparent and tantalizing that Steve Kerr is reminded of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson when they play Boston.
To say that the sky is the limit for these two is no exaggeration. If they can get to the biggest stage in basketball and win one for the Celtics in the NBA, they could be near the top or on top of this list for years to come.
#1 Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (LA Clippers)
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have spent the majority of their careers guarding each other in the NBA. They are consistently ranked as among the top 5 two-way players in the league. Both have been to the playoffs and showed that no matter where they are, they are capable of leading their teams to victories.
Leonard is no stranger to success in the NBA Finals. He is a two-time Finals MVP and is at his best when the stakes are highest. Losing Leonard in the playoffs hurt the Clippers last year. Questions about Paul George’s ability to lead a team were definitely answered as Playoff P rose to the occasion and almost single-handedly carried the team to the Finals.
Age is not on their side and Leonard could be shut down if he suffers a setback in his recovery. But when healthy, this duo is as good as any the league has seen in the last 10 years.
