Any NBA team would consider themselves extremely lucky to be led by a player of star or superstar status. In today’s NBA, as we have seen time and time again, one star or superstar will not be enough to get things done come playoff time in pursuit of an NBA championship. Where teams have put themselves in a better position to compete for an NBA championship is by rostering an elite duo that complements each other’s games well on the court. Most of these elite duos exist on serious contenders for an NBA title in 2022-23 and were among the league’s best scorers at the same time.
This leads us to our discussion today. Below, we will be counting down the highest-scoring pairs of teammates, or duos, from the 2022-23 NBA season. You will notice that three of the top 10 scoring duos from this season were on teams that missed the playoffs, including the duo that sits number one on our list. This means that not only does having a high-scoring duo leading your franchise not guarantee a spot in the NBA Finals, but it also doesn’t even guarantee you a spot in the NBA playoffs. Regardless, these duos showed out on the offensive side of the ball in the 2022-23 season and were the most feared teammates in the NBA.
These are the highest-scoring NBA duos from the 2022-23 season.
Honorable MentionJulius Randle And Jalen Brunson – 49.1 Combined PPG
Credit: Fadeaway World
The New York Knicks just enjoyed one of their most exciting regular seasons in a long time, and it was thanks in most part to the duo of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. After a down season in 2021-22, Randle revitalized his game and became an All-Star once again, averaging a career-high 25.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 4.1 APG. He also shot the ball at 45.9% from the floor and 34.3% from three as the Knicks won 47 games and secured the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
The other half of this duo was a big gamble as a free agent in the 2022 offseason, but one that has already paid off mightily. Jalen Brunson had no issues adjusting to the bright lights of New York and probably should have been an All-Star this season. Brunson would average 24.0 PPG and 6.2 APG in 68 games played with the Knicks this season and shot the ball at 49.1% from the field. Brunson and Randle will look to keep the momentum they built in the regular season in a tough first-round matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022-23 playoffs.
10. DeMar DeRozan And Zach LaVine – 49.3 Combined PPG
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At the number 10 spot on our list lands a pair of teammates that failed to help their team advance to the 2022-23 NBA playoffs. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan averaged 3.0 PPG less combined than in 2022 when they reached the playoffs but fell in the first round. In 2022-23, they were lucky to even see the play-in tournament after finishing with a 40-42 record. The rumblings have begun as to which one of these two will remain in Chicago and continue their career with the Bulls and which one will be shipped out, which could end up being both of them.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls this season with 24.8 PPG on 48.5% shooting from the floor. DeRozan would average 24.5 PPG on 50.4% from the field as well, while they both took right around 18.0 shots per game. The problem was not the offense for the Bulls in 2022-23, as they had two 24.0 PPG efficient scorers leading the charge. If they could find a way to work things out defensively, LaVine and DeRozan could find a way to make it work. I know, wishful thinking after missing the playoffs.
9. Donovan Mitchell And Darius Garland – 49.9 Combined PPG
Credit: Fadeaway World
The duo that comes in at number nine averaged just shy of 50.0 PPG in their first season as teammates. Donovan Mitchell was the big grab for the Cavaliers this past offseason adding a bonafide scorer to an already talented but inexperienced bunch. Mitchell would have an incredible first season in Cleveland, averaging 28.3 PPG on 48.4% shooting and matched his career-best with 38.6% shooting from three on 9.3 attempts. This included a 71-point outburst in January against the Bulls.
As for Garland, 2022-23 was his fourth season with the Cavaliers and his second straight season with at least 21.5 PPG and 7.5 APG. Garland would average 21.6 PPG in 2022-23, appearing in 69 games and shooting 46.2% from the floor. He shot a career-high 41.0% from three on 6.0 attempts as well as the Cavaliers would go on to win 51 games and take the fourth seed in the East. Cleveland’s duo has already accomplished a lot in their short time together but have much more on their minds heading into the 2022-23 playoffs.
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo And Jrue Holiday – 50.4 Combined PPG
Credit: Fadeaway World
Next up is the duo that many think will lead the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship in 2022-23, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday. The 2022-23 season was a huge success for Milwaukee as they finished 58-24 on the season and secured the first seed in the Eastern Conference. They were led by their superstar Giannis who had another MVP-caliber season with 31.1 PPG, a new career-high, as well as 11.8 RPG and 5.7 APG with elite defense. Although he may not win MVP, Antetokounmpo left little doubt as to who the best player in the world was by the season’s end.
Alongside, Giannis was one of the best perimeter defenders in the game and an All-Star in 2022-23, Jrue Holiday. Making 65 starts for the Bucks, Holiday averaged 19.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 7.4 APG, and 1.2 SPG as one of the better two-way point guards in the game. He shot 38.4% from three on over 6.0 attempts and 47.9% overall on 15.3 shots. He has been counted on all season long when Giannis has been out and will be once again in the playoffs as they share the floor and chase another NBA title. What they have accomplished together already has them ranked among the best Bucks in NBA history. Can they each add to their legacies in 2023?
7. Stephen Curry And Klay Thompson – 51.3 Combined PPG
Credit: Fadeaway World
The next duo on our list has been the most successful duo in the NBA since Jordan and Pippen, with four NBA championships won since 2015. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have become one of the most iconic duos in NBA history with their nickname, “The Splash Bros.” given to them due to their ability to shoot the three-point shot and become two of the best ever at that one particular skill. The Warriors struggled a bit this season, especially on the road, but due to these two being healthy heading into the playoffs, the Warriors were still considered favorites for a championship run.
Curry struggled with injury for part of 2022-23, missing 26 games overall but still averaging 29.4 PPG on nearly 50/40/90 splits. He shot 42.7% from three on 11.4 attempts while grabbing 6.1 RPG and dishing out 6.3 APG. Klay did a great job of running the show for a while when Curry was injured. Thompson averaged 21.9 PPG in 2022-23, his first full season back from leg injuries that cost him two years on the court. Thompson shot just 43.6% overall but 41.2% on over 10.0 attempts from three this season. If the Warriors are to overcome their first 0-2 deficit in the playoffs together, Klay and Curry will have to be the duo that carries them out.
6. Damian Lillard And Anfernee Simons – 53.4 Combined PPG
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The duo that comes in at number nine from the Portland Trail Blazers didn’t do enough to make the NBA playoffs in 2022-23. It really is a shame considering that one-half of this duo, Damian Lillard, is one of the best playoff scorers and playoff three-point shooters in the game today. Lillard, Simons, and Portland finished 33-49 on the year and missed the play-in tournament leaving the team faced with a tall task ahead of them to keep their star happy and build a contender.
Lillard had a tremendous season after missing most of 2022 with an injury. He averaged 32.2 PPG on 46.3% shooting but missed 24 games. In the other half of this duo, Anfernee Simons missed 20 games as well, leaving the lineup with barely any continuity on the season. Simons averaged 21.1 PPG in his first full year as a starter with Portland and shot 44.7% overall as well as 37.7% from three. Portland clearly has a backcourt they can build around, but time is running out on Damian Lillard’s patience with the Trail Blazers.
5. Kevin Durant And Devin Booker – 53.8 Combined PPG
Credit: Fadeaway World
At the halfway point of the top 10 highest-scoring duos for the 2022-23 season comes a duo that hasn’t been together long but is expected to accomplish a lot. The NBA world was rocked at this year’s trade deadline when it was announced that Kevin Durant was traded to Phoenix in the wee hours of the morning. Durant would play just eight games with the Suns but would not lose his first until Game 1 of the playoffs against the Clippers. In those eight games, Durant averaged 26.0 PPG on 57.0% shooting from the floor and 53.7% from three.
Devin Booker missed out on another All-Star nod this year due to injuries but was no doubt headed for another one prior to it. Booker would miss a total of 29 games during the 2022-23 season but was efficient and productive as always when he was on the court. The former All-NBA guard averaged 27.8 PPG on 49.4% shooting from the floor this season and looks to be returning to his best form just as the Suns need him the most in a crucial playoff run for all parties involved.
4. Joel Embiid And James Harden – 54.1 Combined PPG
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We were bound to run into the man who seems to be the MVP-favorite as of this very moment and the NBA scoring champion once again in 2022-23, Joel Embiid. He and James Harden were dubbed as one of the best NBA duos by us back at the beginning of the season, and they did not disappoint with their performance in 2022-23. Embiid is close to securing his first MVP with 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.7 BPG. Embiid shot 54.8% from the field this season which was by far his most efficient as a scorer in his career so far.
James Harden has completely retooled his game over the last few seasons, and the Sixers are reaping the benefits of it right now. In 2022-23, Harden was able to average 21.0 PPG while leading the NBA with 10.7 APG at the same time. This output by their star duo led Philadelphia to 54 wins and a third seed in the East for the playoffs. Harden’s 38.5% shooting from three was the best it has been since 2012 with the Thunder, and as Philadelphia cruises toward the second round of the playoffs, this duo seems primed to carry them on a deep playoff run.
3. LeBron James And Anthony Davis – 54.8 Combined PPG
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With injuries and disappointment surrounding the Lakers ever since their 17th NBA championship in 2020, you may be surprised to see LeBron James and Anthony Davis so high on this list. However, each player has been amazing when healthy, and that has never been the issue. At 38 years old, LeBron James missed 27 games but still averaged 28.9 PPG in those 55 games and shot 50.0% from the field. James recovered from his leg injury just in time for the playoffs, and the Lakers will, of course, need him for any chances at a deep run.
As for Davis, he missed 26 games in 2022-23 which only added to the narrative around his physical status. Davis would be a beast when healthy in 2022-23, averaging 25.9 PPG on 56.3% shooting from the floor, along with the elite defensive play on the other end. When healthy, James and Davis are the best duo in the NBA, and it isn’t particularly close. Can they stay on the court long enough for the Lakers to become world champions once again?
2. Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown – 56.7 Combined PPG
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Back at the beginning of the season, we ranked Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the best duo in the NBA. By all accounts, that was the correct spot to put them based on where they finished the year. By the end of 2022-23, Jayson Tatum was a legitimate MVP candidate and the first player in the long history of the Boston Celtics to average 30.0 PPG in a season. Tatum finished with 30.1 PPG on 46.6% shooting overall and 35.0% from three as the Celtics won 57 games and finished second in the Eastern Conference.
Next to Tatum, as has been the case since Tatum came into the league, was Jaylen Brown. Developing into an All-Star himself, Brown averaged 26.6 PPG in 2022-23 on 49.1% shooting and only 33.5% from three. Brown’s career-high in scoring took the pressure off their defense which took a few steps back from 2022. If Brown and Tatum continue to score at this rate and play at this level, there is no reason why they do not find themselves right back in the NBA Finals.
1. Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving – 59.4 Combined PPG
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It almost feels criminal to include the duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic on this list, considering the expectations and reality of what happened. First, the Mavericks dealt away depth for Irving, hoping to combine him and Doncic as some super backcourt. The wheels fell off rather quickly, and the Mavericks missed the playoffs entirely despite two of the best guards in basketball playing together. This leaves a ton of questions for the franchise moving forward and new concerns about their franchise star wanting out.
Doncic had an MVP-like season without winning in 2022-23. He averaged 32.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 8.0 APG for the entirety of the season and shot a career-best 49.6% from the floor. His three-point shooting remained a low point of his game, as he hit on just 34.2% of his attempts. Irving would make 20 total starts for Dallas after the trade and averaged 27.0 PPG on 51.0% shooting. He also hit on 39.2% of his three-pointers and shot 94.7% from the foul line. If we never see this duo together again, their greatest accomplishment is being the highest-scoring duo of 2022-23.
Source: fadeawayworld
