MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – The two-man game remains one of basketball’s purest expressions. At the FIBA AmeriCup 2025, it’s been the driving force behind several national teams’ rise. The pick-and-roll remains the marquee action, part art, part science, and there’s always a pair at the heart of how a team wants to play. Think Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the 1990s, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2000s, or Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the most recent decade. Also, rival Manu Ginóbili and Luis Scola, who helped Argentina to Olympic gold in 2004. At AmeriCup 2025, duos come in all forms. Double point guards. Twin towers. Versatile wings or the classic guard-big pairing. The tournament in Nicaragua has showcased examples of each. Here are the standout duos of this year’s AmeriCup:
KYSHAWN GEORGE & LEONARD MILLER
Nate Mitchell added a pair of NBA forwards to his usual rotation in the form of Kyshawn George and Leonard Miller, and the results have exceeded many expectations. Canada boasts a 4-0 record behind the best offense and the best defense in the tournament, not in small part due to the contributions of that young duo. Both are in the Top 20 in efficiency, with George sitting at No. 9 and Miller clocking in at No. 17. The second-year Wizards player is averaging 15-4-4 while shooting above 56 percent from the field and 52 percent from downtown, while the fourth-year Timberwolves power forward has produced 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds (seventh-best mark in AmeriCup). While neither is a full-time ball handler or defensive ace, their contributions across the board have Canada two victories away from its first AmeriCup gold medal.
YAGO SANTOS & GEORGINHO DE PAULA
Brazil is the only country still alive in the tournament with multiple players in the Top 10 in efficiency: Georginho De Paula at No. 5 and Yago Santos at No. 7. The duo spearheads a lethally versatile perimeter for head coach Aleksandar Petrovic, as they’re both capable of generating offense for themselves and others while also spacing the floor when they’re off-ball. De Paula dropped an AmeriCup career high of 28 points against Dominican Republic with 5 rebounds and 7 assists, and overall has a 21-efficiency rating across three games. Santos is averaging 17 points per game while shooting 54.2 percent from beyond the arc on six attempts per game. Both players are also averaging five assists per contest. The most impressive feat is that they’ve been able to adapt to their coach’s more methodical style while keeping the offense efficient.
JUAN FERNANDEZ & GONZALO CORBALAN
Juan Fernández continued his ascent to stardom with eight blocks and a 33-efficiency rating in Argentina’s overtime win over Puerto Rico. He was coming off a 36-point, 16-rebound double-double against Colombia, where emergency circumstances turned him into the lone big in Pablo Prigioni’s closing lineup. His chemistry with Gonzalo Corbalán has been undeniable, going back to the team’s training camp in Europe before the tournament. The guard, a natural scorer, is showing off his passing chops by averaging 4.8 assists across Argentina’s four games so far. At 22 and 23 years of age, Fernández and Corbalán were called on to help mitigate the absences of Gabriel Deck and Facundo Campazzo, among others, and they have proven themselves extensively. Argentina wouldn’t be in the medal rounds yet again without them.
JAVONTE SMART & ZACHARY AUGUSTE
Stephen Silas built a deep and versatile United States squad, and several players had big moments throughout the tournament, like Langston Galloway against Uruguay or Tyler Cavanaugh against Brazil in the group stage. Veterans like Jerian Grant, Jahmius Ramsey, and Jack Cooley have been doing their part in secondary roles. However, it’s been Javonte Smart and Zachary Auguste that stepped up in the biggest games. Smart dropped 22 against Brazil and then 27 against Uruguay in the quarter-finals, where Auguste chipped in 13 points and 7. Both, one leading the starting lineup and the other one excelling off the bench, are among the Top 15 players in efficiency. The USA will lean heavily on them as they try to get its ninth AmeriCup gold medal.
JOSE ALVARADO & ISMAEL ROMERO
José Alvarado and Ismael Romero flourished together at last summer’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan and have been dominating ever since. Puerto Rico exited the tournament with a 2-2 record that doesn’t reflect how well they performed, losing close games to Canada in the group stage and an overtime thriller to Argentina, where Alvarado had to be taken out on a stretcher after a bad fall in the final minutes. Romero averaged 16.3 points, 8 rebounds, a steal, and a block. His 22-efficiency rating is Top 5 in the competition. Alvarado contributed 17.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 38.2 percent from long distance. Their partnership was the bedrock of Carlos González’s squad in the absence of players like Jordan Howard, Tremont Waters, Davon Reed, and will give Puerto Rico a high floor for possibly the next 5 years or so.
FIBA