Top 5 NBA duos entering 2024 Playoffs ft. Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown
In the modern NBA, the recipe for a championship is not just assembling the best fitting players together. The concept has now moved from trios to putting the best possible team around the duos. Last season, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray proved to be too much for any team in the league and ended up winning the title.
This season, some of the best All-Star caliber players have joined forces to get their hands on the championship. The postseason is less than 20 games away and some of the top NBA duos featuring in it would be the focus in this playoffs.
With that in mind, here is the list of top NBA duos entering the 2024 NBA playoffs.
Top 5 NBA duos entering 2024 Playoffs
#5 Kevin Durant & Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
The Phoenix Suns are currently ranked 8th in the Western Conference. Despite having three of the best scorers in the league, the Suns have not been able to capitalize on the talent. The biggest reason behind the failure has been injuries which has impacted their team chemistry.
However, Durant and Booker have carried the Suns for most part of the season. Last season, Booker and Durant went 8-0 when they played together. This season, they are 28-19 in 47 games.
Both Durant and Booker are two of the top scorers in the league this season. Durant is averaging 27.8 PPG on 52.5% shooting from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc. On the other hand, Booker is averaging 27.2 PPG on 49.1% shooting from the field and 35.8% from the three-point line.
#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks)
On paper, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are the most lethal duo in the NBA. Lillard is a certified killer from anywhere on the court. He is perhaps the best shooter in the league, only next to Steph Curry. Lillard is a certified playoff player, something the Bucks could use entering this postseason.
Antetokounmpo is a champion and a finals MVP, which should be enough for his resume. The two-time league MVP is arguably the most dominant player from this generation. Perhaps the best part of this duo is the fact that both can use the other to punish the opponent on the court.
This season, Lillard is averaging 24.4 points and 7.0 assists per game for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.8 PPG on 61.6% shooting from the field.
#3 Kawhi Leonard & Paul George (LA Clippers)
Given the talent that the LA Clippers have on their roster, they are the most dangerous team in the NBA. From two former league MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook to former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, the talent depth is unfathomable.
Just imagine a team with Paul George as the least accomplished superstar player among four, this is the story of the Clippers this season. However, a lot of the Clippers' success depends on Leonard and George. Both are excellent scorers and two of the top wing defenders in the league.
This season, Leonard is averaging 23.8 PPG on 52.5% shooting from the field and 42.3% from the three-point line. George is averaging 22.3 PPG on 46.3% shooting from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc.
#2 Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
The Boston Celtics are by far the best team in the league and a lot has to do with how they have played on both ends of the floor. They have two of the most complete players on the team, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Both Tatum and Brown made the All-Star selection this season, while they continue to elevate their game going into the playoffs. Tatum is also one of the frontrunners in the MVP race this season. With the team record, they are the best NBA duos this season.
This season, Tatum is averaging 27.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Meanwhile, Brown is averaging 23.1 PPG on 50.2% shooting from the field.
#1 Nikola Jokic & Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
The Denver Nuggets are the defending NBA champions and Nikola Jokic is the reigning Finals MVP. Jamal Murray has been the perfect partner in crime for Jokic. Last season, when the Nuggets won the title, Murray averaged 26.1 PPG in the playoffs while Jokic averaged 30.0 PPG.
Jokic handles most of the offensive responsibility, including setting up his teammates and scoring. Murray's main responsibility is to score, and he does it as well as any second-best star in the league. Moreover, they have already proved that when it comes to the playoffs, very few can match their duo talent on the court.
This season, Jokic is the MVP frontrunner and averages 25.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. Murray on the other hand, is averaging 20.9 points and 6.6 assists.