THE POWER OF PAIRINGS
In this Conkrete Playground piece, we break down why elite talent alone isn’t enough to win — it’s about pairings. From Brunson to Kyrie to Curry, scoring isn't the problem. But making the right plays in the biggest moments requires a co-star. Like wine and cheese, greatness is best experienced in pairs.
SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT#BASKETBALLMINDSETBASKETBALL ANALYSISNBAKYRIE IRVINGJALEN BRUNSONSTEPH CURRY
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5/27/20252 min read
Everyone loves making predictions. Who’s going to win? Who’s going to fold? Fans, casuals, media, hoop heads, everyone brings their own beliefs to the table. And that’s cool. I have mine too. But what I believe is grounded in something I’ve seen proven time and time again on courts from the streets to the pros.
It starts with this:
The little guys can light it up, but they usually can’t carry you all the way.
Kyrie Irving. Stephen Curry. Two of the most dominant small guards the league has ever seen. They’ve changed the game, redefined spacing, and can take over a fourth quarter with surgical precision. But as the primary guy, the one who’s supposed to make the plays that win games in the biggest moments, their size eventually becomes a factor. Not in scoring. Not in highlight reels, but in the plays that really decide games.
See, it’s not always about who scores the most, it’s about when and how those plays are made.
Let’s look at the Knicks in these playoffs.
Last year, Jalen Brunson dropped 50 against Indiana, and still lost. He gets a little to ball dominant and one player can't do it alone. This year, he's been going off again. Crazy scoring runs, elite footwork, craft, leadership, but losses keep stacking and they went down 2-0. Then last night, something shifted. Former Minnesota Timberwolve and now Knick, Karl-Anthony Towns stepped into those moments. The ones that swing a game, a series, a season. He made the plays, not just the points. That’s the difference. Brunson has to share.
Because this game isn’t about one player. It’s about pairings.
Let’s break it down like this:
You don’t get the full experience of a good red wine without the right cheese.
The notes in the wine? They open up with a proper pairing.
That cheese? Its flavor explodes when it meets the right glass.
It’s not just the wine. It’s not just the cheese. It’s both together.
On the court, it's the same.
Mike needed Scottie. Scottie needed Mike.
Steph needed KD. KD needed Steph. Kyrie needed Bron. Bron needed Kyrie. D Wade needed Shaq. Bron needed DWade.
Shaq had Kobe. Kobe had Pau.
No matter how elite one player is, when the lights are the brightest, you need another premier guy next to you. That’s what brings the whole flavor out.
Take Brunson again, he’s been exceptional. But without his pairing? He’ll keep coming up short.
Minnesota has Randle and Ant.
Indiana has Haliburton and Siakam.
Denver? Jokic and Murray.
Boston? Tatum and Brown. Oklahoma City? Shai and Jalen.
It’s never just the wine. You need the cheese. The perfect pairing.
And in those final minutes, when it’s about more than just scoring, when it's about rebounds, defensive stops, big shot-making, and decision-making under pressure, that’s when the pairing shows up. That’s when games are won.
So yeah, let folks keep talking about points, MVPs, and highlight stats.
But on Conkrete Playground, we know better.
It’s the pairings that win championships.
Not just the wine. Not just the cheese.
Both, together, at the highest level savoring the greatness of the pair.
Art by @areapintada
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