Best Star Duos in the NBA list from Bleacher Report has left out the pairing of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
In the early 2010s, the NBA saw the emergence of the “big three” era, where each contender aimed to build a team with three of the league’s top players. Fast forward to today, and we’re in the era of “dynamic duos,” where it seems like every team boasts a duo that fits the description.
List of their top duos in the NBA, a ranking that is open to debate. Here’s how it shaped up:
- Nikola Jokic – Jamal Murray
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – Damian Lillard
- Kevin Durant – Devin Booker
- LeBron James – Anthony Davis
- Luka Doncic – Kyrie Irving
- Jayson Tatum – Jaylen Brown
- Kawhi Leonard – Paul George
- Stephen Curry – Draymond Green
- Jimmy Butler – Bam Adebayo
- Joel Embiid – James Harden
Notably missing from this list are the backcourt duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, which Cleveland Cavaliers fans would find puzzling.
In the 59 games they played together, averaging 25.1 minutes on the floor simultaneously, Garland and Mitchell boasted an offensive rating of 117.7. They collectively averaged 60.3 points per game while shooting at an impressive 50.6 percent from the field.
It’s understandable that pairings like Jokic-Murray, Giannis-Lillard, and even Doncic-Irving rank ahead of Cleveland’s tandem. However, the impact and consistency of Garland and Mitchell’s on-court performance arguably surpass that of the George-Leonard duo, and a case could even be made for Curry-Green.
Considering that Embiid-Harden may not have many games together this season, Garland and Mitchell should arguably be in the top 10.
While Garland and Mitchell may not have received the recognition they deserve, this could serve as motivation to prove their doubters wrong.
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