I was thinking the same thing. I think the answer is no, but if dame were to miss more time and we kept winning, then when dame returned if we went on a losing streak , evidence might be there.
Finally, one of the naysayers is acknowledging the possibility. I do think CJ has caught up to Dame, but I'm not quite ready to call him better yet. Dame has more of the killer instinct and late game heroics mindset, while CJ still needs to work on sustaining his energy level throughout the game. He tends to come back cold after resting on the bench. But, while Dame's shot has become a bit errant over the past year, CJ has developed into one of the purest mid-range shooters in the game. Their ball control, passing, and defense are pretty much a wash. CJ is tougher to double, with shakier crossovers and less propensity for getting stripped in traffic. Dame is Ironman Jr. Both are great face of the franchise types.
It's a question... I didn't even give my opinion. I'm just curious what people think. Look at the stats for the season and share your opinion.
It's a little early to know. And quite frankly I am not looking forward to the inevitable debate. If anything can ruin their relationship it will be the constant debate by fans on who is better and who is more important. Not saying it shouldn't be asked, just saying I am not looking forward to it. Unless........it is a friendly competition that drives them both to get better....
McCollum has gotten better each year and Lillard has gotten worse each year. When I see the "Trade CJ?" thread, I think, we can get a lot more for Lillard than for McCollum.
I am not a big fan of "PER", but hasn't Dame's gone up every year? Regardless I am not sure how you can say he has gotten worse each year: http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lillada01.html
The one biggest difference is shooting percentages. CJ is shooting much better than Dame, however I think that might be attributed to Dame being the focus of pretty much every defense that comes through.
CJ is probably my favorite player on the team but no he is not as good overall as Dame (not that there is anything wrong with that). That we are even having this discussion means great things though!
McCollum is very Roy like in that he isn't the fastest guy on the court, but he's quick and crafty, has a good first step and a multitude of ways to score. Unlike Roy though he doesn't need to run an ISO heavy offense to be effective. Lillard is probably still better, because he's more of a playmaker that can also score at will while still setting up his teammates. I hope there's a way to make this combo work long-term because I'm a huge fan of both guys.
One thing I will say for CJ is that he has pretty good shot selection for a player in the mold of a combo-ish scoring guard. I think that contributes to it. Dame is definitely better at attacking the rim, and running the offense, but if the defense is tight and I need to get a good jump shot off, I think I would prefer CJ actually. He's got better ball control than Dame and is also better at shooting the mid-range. CJ in December: 21.6 points 3.9 rebounds 5.2 assists 1.7 steals on 44/40/80.
I was musing over this earlier. I wonder how Dame would react if CJ were on the all star team (this year or next) and Dame isn't?
CJ has a better handle and a better midrange than Dame. But Dame is faster, more athletic, and has better vision. Sick sick combo we have growing here.
Where does he rank among SGs now? He's 6th in PER. Above him are: Harden, Wade, DeRozan, Butler, and Manu. Below him are Tyreke, Nic, Klay, Middleton, Beal, Wiggins, Gordon, Oladipo, Wes. I'd prolly do this for rankings: 1. Harden 2. Butler 3. Wade 4. Klay 5. CJ 6. DeRozan 7. Nic Then the rest. Crazy how I was gonna throw all our efforts in getting a guy like Beal this summer, and we have one who is currently better.
