Ranking the top four 1-2 punches in the West

2. Kawhi Leonard & Paul George

• Kawhi Leonard’s Clipper stats: 26 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.0 apg
• Paul George’s Clipper stats: 22.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 41.1 3p%

It’s been a longtime since LA Clipper fans have seen both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the court at the same time, a little over a year to be exact.

Before Leonard was forced to hit the sidelines for a protracted amount of time as he dealt with a torn ACL, Clipper fans believed they possessed the most dynamic duo in the entire NBA, let alone the Western Conference.

Offensively, little to nothing needs to be said about George and Leonard. Both players are consistent All-Star level talents, have been named to countless All-NBA teams, and have the ability to take over a game at any point in time. Where Leonard and George differentiate themselves, is their collective defensive win shares. In two seasons, George and Leonard have combined for 15.8 defensive win shares, more than any other duo on this list.

Ultimately, at least at one point, the combination of Leonard and George was the best duo in the West. Playoff flameouts and earlier than expected exits haven’t helped their case but their defensive tenacity and offensive explosiveness had placed them above the fray. Currently, however, until Leonard proves that he’s still an elite defender, we have no choice but to put them down a peg.