Kevin Durant and Devin Booker quickly cementing themselves as NBA’s best duo

The NBA has become a league largely defined by duos. Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in Dallas. Joel Embiid and James Harden in Philadelphia. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the Clippers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Lakers. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in Miami. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. with the Grizzlies. Trae Young and Dejont Murray in Atlanta. Anthony Edwards and, when he was healthy, Carl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota.

The Warriors, Nuggets and Bucks are all teams run by a single superstar with a less certain number 2, though I’d argue that Jrue Holiday is clearly the 2nd best Milwaukee player at the moment, as is Klay Thompson (of course , offensive) in Golden State with how he has been shooting since the start of the calendar.

In any case, there is one newly formed duo that has quickly established itself as the class of the league: Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, who combined 73 points in Phoenix’s 110-106 win over the Mavericks on Sunday.

Duran and Booker together hit 27 of 42 shots, including 4 of 8 from 3 and 15 of 17 from the free throw line. It seemed like they had been playing together for ages, but in reality it was only their third game together. They have yet to lose.

Of course, Durant is the most organic superstar to ever play the game. He does not need many shots or the ball at certain points. It allows everyone else to take their preferred positions, while he himself flows into jumpers, almost impervious to defense.

Look at this shot Durant made on Tim Hardaway Jr., who played as good a defense as can be, for turning out to be the winner with less than 12 seconds left in the game.

The Suns now have the best trio of pick-and-roll initiators arguably in history in Durant, Booker and Chris Paul, the latter of whom is no longer a superstar but will nonetheless be essential to Phoenix’s success. during the playoffs when the teams are loaded. Durant and Booker. The Mavericks left Paul alone several times on Sunday, and he made them pay in threes twice, as did Ish Wainwright.

The Suns landed quality shots throughout the game in Dallas as they cleared the ball from double teams for either open 3s or second wing attacks. Booker, with Durant as a looming threat keeping Dallas out of full Booker dual teams, was unstoppable one-on-one, coming to the rim multiple times and finishing the game. On the other hand, we all know that Durant can’t be stopped, or even a little disturbed, by just one defender. Together, these two will own the middle range.

Take a look at this duo’s numbers since the exchange:

• Durant: 26.6 points per game, 69 percent from the field, 53 percent from 3 points, 88 percent from the field, 7.3 rebounds
• Booker: 36 points per game, 58% from the field, 50% from 3 PT, 7.6 AST, 5.3 PB

There are certain basketballs that you know will or won’t work before you even see them on the court. Russell Westbrook never intended to work with the Lakers. Kevin Durant was always meant to be a video game crash alongside Devin Booker in Phoenix, and just three games in, we’re already seeing this duo’s ultimate power play out.