NBA has new star pairings, but will they work?
The NBA has fractured into an assortment of tag teams vying for the crown, while general managers keep their eyes peeled for who will ask out next. Superteams are now dynamic duos. It’s not the Avengers fighting Thanos anymore — Batman and Robin are taking on Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze.
A wild — by any measure — offseason has changed the landscape of the league. Lebron James and Anthony Davis are in Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are there, too. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are in Brooklyn.
And let’s not forget Golden State. Even though Klay Thompson will miss several months of the season with an injury, the Warriors still have a powerful pairing in Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
The question is: Will any of these duos actually work? James Harden, left, talks with Russell Westbrook during a game on Jan. 25, 2012, when they were Thunder teammates. Their reunion in Houston is an interesting story, but getting two ball-dominant players to mesh their games might be difficult.
Los Angeles Lakers: Lebron James and Anthony Davis
There is a perception that James had a down year in his first season in Los Angeles, despite recording more points, rebounds and assists per game than his career averages. Consistent greatness has caused James to be taken for granted, and recency bias — a James-led team
missed the playoffs for the first time since the Bronze Age — has shaded his personal success.
But make no mistake: Davis in his prime is the best teammate James has ever had — better than Dwyane Wade at 29, Kyrie Irving in his early 20s, and Shaquille O’neal at 37. Davis, 26, is an exceptional player on both ends of the floor. But it is around the rim where Davis does his damage, finishing better than 70% within 5 feet of the basket. James and Davis will be a lethal pick-and-roll combination.
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
Fresh off a championship, Leonard also will play with the best teammate of his career. (Tim Duncan wasn’t in his prime when they played for the San Antonio Spurs.) Leonard or George have made multiple all-defensive teams, and opponents’ top scorers will have to go up against one or both for 48 minutes.
Offensively, George and Leonard have different games that should complement each other. George is more of a long-range bomber (9.8 three-point attempts a game last season) and Leonard has the stronger midrange game. Even if they take some time to feel each other out on offense, who is scoring on them?
Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant
Durant (Achilles tendon) likely is out for most, if not all, of next season. But once he is healthy, the Nets may still have a problem. Both Irving and Durant are ball-dominant, scoringfocused players. Despite a bizarre final season with the Boston Celtics, Irving put up the best numbers of his career — and showed a willingness to create for others, averaging a career-high 6.9 assists.
Durant and Irving are known to be temperamental when things don’t go well. Will they be patient about who is handling the reins on offense? Will they opt for hero ball? Coach Kenny Atkinson has built a culture of sharing in Brooklyn. But if Irving wouldn’t buy in with that culture in Boston, is there any chance he does so with the Nets?
Houston Rockets: James Harden and Russell Westbrook
No NBA star’s stock plummeted after the playoffs the way Westbrook’s did after another first-round exit. His critics went after his shot selection, ball dominance and demeanor. But people have forgotten just how good Westbrook is.
He’s undeniably one of the best players in the league, an exceptional playmaker and an elite rebounder. That matters. It was clear that Chris Paul and Harden didn’t enjoy playing together in Houston, so something had to change. Westbrook is the change.
Like Irving and Durant, this is a risky pairing: They are two alpha dogs who have changed how traditional basketball is perceived, even while being criticized as ballhogs. But each is motivated to prove doubters wrong.