12. Bam Adebayo/Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Combined stats: 36 points, 17 rebounds, 11 assists
For the first half of the season, the Miami Heat were the darlings of the Eastern Conference. They were the surprise team that was quickly evolving around Jimmy Butler and emerging superstar Bam Adebayo. They were getting better by every passing day and game until injuries and a rough patch before the NBA All-Star break hit.
Still, the Heat was slated to finish as a top 4 team in the East and make a bit of noise in the postseason. Jimmy and Bam might not be one of the most common duos in the league right now, but will be sooner rather than later.
The scary thing about Bam is that he hasn’t even begun to reach the ceiling on the player that he can be. Even though Jimmy is having somewhat of a down season in terms of overall efficiency, but where he’s left much to be desired in that department, he’s more than picked up the offensive slack in terms of playmaking and being the calming force for a pretty young, developing roster.
Next season, this duo could be even scarier in the East.