Coming into this year’s offseason, the big question on everyone’s minds was whether or not Kawhi Leonard would stay with the reigning champs.
The Toronto Raptors certainly made a good case for Kawhi Leonard to resign. They welcomed him with open arms in hopes that he could finally bring them a banner. They developed a system around him with Lowry, Siakam, and VanVleet adapting their play-styles to support his monstrous offense. And most importantly, they proved that Kawhi could win it all with them. But Leonard decided it was time to move on.
After reports from Cris Carter, Chris Broussard, and a mysterious twitter user named RDAmbition that there was a 99% chance Kawhi would stay with the Raptors or go to the Lakers, ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski announced that Leonard had agreed to sign with the Clippers. Wojnarowski had claimed from the start that Kawhi was interested in the Clippers, and this confirmation left doubters and Lakers fans furious.
The second Woj bomb dropped soon after, announcing that Paul George would join Leonard on the Clippers in a trade that gave OKC four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps.
But as the Thunder entered rebuild-mode, the league entered a new era. With the Warriors facing a myriad of injuries and losing Kevin Durant, The Age of Superteams was now over. The NBA was now in the Age of Duos. Almost every contender, especially in the West, has two star players leading their team. Here’s how I would rank these duos and their ability to win.
- Western Conference:
- 1. Clippers: Kawhi Leonard & Paul George
- 2. Rockets: James Harden & Russell Westbrook
- 3. Warriors: Steph Curry & Klay Thompson
- 4. Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray
- 4. Lakers: Lebron James & Anthony Davis
- 5. Blazers: Damian Lillard & CJ McCollum
- 6. Pelicans: Jrue Holiday & Zion Williamson
- Eastern Conference:
- 1. Sixers: Joel Embiid & Ben Simmons
- 2. Nets: Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving
- 3. Celtics: Kemba Walker & Jayson Taytum
There are many questions and uncertainties going into next season. Whether Kawhi can make lightning strike twice and Paul George can bring the thunder to lead the Clippers to the first championship. Whether Russell Westbrook can work together with James Harden to give Houston the durability they need to make it through the playoffs. Whether Anthony Davis is the addition the Lakers need to become a playoff team. Whether the Pelicans’ young core is enough to survive the bloodbath of the West. And whether Knicks fans will ever see the light of day. Either way, this offseason has been one of the best yet, and next season is sure to be even more exciting.
Courtside 