N.B.A. Superstar Duos Remake the League

The N.B.A. has fractured into an assortment of tag teams vying for the crown, while general managers keep their eyes peeled for who is next to ask out. Superteams are now dynamic duos. It’s not the Avengers fighting Thanos anymore — Batman and Robin are taking on Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze.

A wild — by any measure — off-season has changed the landscape of the league.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are in Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are there, too. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are in Brooklyn.

And let’s not leave out the Warriors. Even though Klay Thompson will miss several months of the season with an injury, they still have a powerful pairing of their own: Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

But the question is: Will any of these duos actually work?

There is a strange perception that James had a down year last season in Los Angeles, in spite of his recording more points, rebounds and assists per game than his career averages. Consistent greatness has caused James to, in a way, be taken for granted, and recency bias — meaning a James-led team missing the playoffs for the first time since the Bronze Age — has shaded his personal success.

Source: The New York Times

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Keywords:

National Basketball Association • National Basketball Association • Avengers (comics) • Thanos • Batman and Robin (comic book) • Poison Ivy (comics) • Mr. Freeze • LeBron James • Anthony Davis (basketball) • Los Angeles • Kawhi Leonard • Paul George • Kyrie Irving • Kevin Durant • Brooklyn Nets • Golden State Warriors • Klay Thompson • Anterior cruciate ligament injury • Stephen Curry • Draymond Green • Los Angeles • Serial position effect • Bronze Age •