Do the LA Clippers currently have the best duo in the NBA?

The NBA is loaded with talent. Each team has several players who contribute to winning games. Some teams are competing for championships and others are rebuilding for the future. One dominant factor that each title-contending team possesses is having an elite duo. A superstar duo, high-end role players, and an elite head coach are some of the main elements that are required when building a championship-level roster.

The LA Clippers have just about everything they need to make a deep playoff run. Currently, there are only a few teams across that league that can compete with the LA Clippers. What separates the Clippers from the rest of the contending teams is their superstar duo in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George play extremely well together. Not only do they have great chemistry, but their skill sets are flawless. These two can score at all three levels, pass the ball, rebound, and are some of the NBA’s best defenders. Pairing Leonard and George together is unfair. Additionally, head coach Tyronn Lue understands exactly how to utilize Leonard and George to their full capacity.

What Leonard and George do off the court may be just as important as their contributions on the court. Many players on the Clippers look up to Leonard and George because of how experienced they are. These two will play a tremendous role in the development of Brandon Boston Jr, as they play the same position and have similar playstyles. But exactly how dominant are Leonard and George when they play together? Here’s why Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are the best duo in the NBA.

At full health, Kawhi and PG make the best duo the NBA has seen in recent years

The last time we saw Kawhi Leonard and Paul George play together was the 2020-21 NBA season when they led the LA Clippers to their first-ever Western Conference Finals. Both Leonard and George made the All-Star team this season, as well as All-NBA. Leonard even made the All-Defensive 2nd team. Combined, Leonard and George averaged 48.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 10.9 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field and 40.4% from the three-point line throughout the 2020-21 NBA season. What’s even more impressive is their impact when playing together.

In their last fully healthy season, 2020-21, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George posted an offensive rating of 122.5 and a defensive rating of 104.9. Additionally, these two had an assist percentage of 59.4, a rebound percentage of 53.0, and a “player impact estimate” of 58.3. These numbers are extremely impressive, thus the Clippers’ deepest playoff run in franchise history.

In the same season, the Milwaukee Bucks went on to win the NBA Finals. Their elite duo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, posted an offensive rating of 115.3 and a defensive rating of 105.4. In addition, Antetokounmpo and Middleton had an assist percentage of 56.5 and a rebound percentage of 52.4, and a “player impact estimate” of 55.9.

Although numerous factors must fall in place when winning a championship, this puts into perspective how impactful Leonard and George are when fully healthy.

If Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can remain healthy, the LA Clippers have an advantage over any team in the NBA. The Clippers managed to retain the majority of their roster and made the addition of John Wall. It should not be long before the LA Clippers are crowned as NBA champions for the first time in franchise history.