Where do LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller rank among star duos in the Eastern Conference?

Matt Alquiza | Aug 27, 2024

Oct 27, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) gives forward Brandon Miller (24) a low high five after a play against the Detroit Pistons during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are a top ___  duo in Charlotte Hornets history. Fill in the blank yourself, but the young duo has to be near the top of any list that ranks all-time Hornets. 

The young stars represent the future of basketball in the Queen City. Ball just turned 23, and Miller will still be 21 years old when the season tips off in October. These two have yet to scratch the surface of their limitless potential, although they’re pretty darn good as it stands.

Their current talent has me wondering; where do they rank among star duos in the Eastern Conference? Let’s take a look.

Firmly Behind:

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges

Joel Embiid and Paul George

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo

There isn’t a world where Ball and Miller should be considered on par with any of the duos listed above. Each of them contain either a former MVP, consistent All-Star, All-NBA talent, or Olympic gold medalist that unquestionably is a better player in 2024 than both Ball and Miller.

In 2027? There may need to be a conversation about Ball/Miller vs. some of these star duos, but not in 2024. Going through this list of stars really opened my eyes to the depth at the top of the Eastern Conference. Boston, the defending champions, are the clear favorites, but there are four of five teams behind them that could seriously challenge for their Eastern Conference crown. Playoffs should be the goal for the 2024-25 Hornets, but they're going to be in a dog fight to make them.

Firmly Ahead Of:

Coby White/Josh Giddey

Trae Young/Bogdan Bogdanovic

Coby White/Josh Giddey

Whoever plays for Brooklyn

Kyle Kuzma/Bilal Coulibaly

Cade Cuningham/Jalen Duren

On the other side of the coin, I believe that every team listed above would swap their pairing for Charlotte’s faster than Eric Collins could say hum-diddily-dee. An argument can be made for Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic solely due to Young’s immense talent, but the combination of Ball and Miller clears that duo.

In Conversations With:

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner

Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakim

This is the tier of duo that Miller and Ball find themselves in. Around the seventh to ninth best in the Eastern Conference. Frankly, they’re probably the worst of the bunch I have them with. The Pacers duo made the conference finals in 2024 while the Magic duo nearly made the second round of the NBA playoffs, falling in a close opening round series to Cleveland. 

Again, Ball and Miller will likely shoot up this list in future years. I am as bullish on their potential as anyone, but they’re not in the upper echelon quite yet. And that's okay! They project to be leading men for years to come that Charlotte has never seen. Their games compliment each other perfectly, and a future where the Hornets have two alphas in Miller and Ball is one that will likely lead to the success that would bring back even more buzz to the Queen City.

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