Lillard or McCollum?

Suppose, gun to your head, you have to trade one. Which one would you rather keep? (Bear in mind that you will almost certainly get more for Lillard than McCollum, and also that CJ's current contract makes him hard to trade.)

I ask because there seem to be different camps on this issue. I'm going to assume landslide for keep Lillard, but I'm interested.

 

I can't vote on this. I am not in a camp. I like both. I would have to know exactly who we are trading for in each instance before I could decide. I don't think they are carbon copies like some say. CJ is a SG not a PG. Dame is a PG. We need both. They are our two best players. Until I know who we get back I refuse to join a camp.

 

Yeah, it really depends on who we'd get back for each. If Lillard could net Butler while McCollum could only bring back Noel and non-premium draft picks, for example, then definitely Lillard.

Overall, I prefer Lillard slightly as a player. Who I'd trade comes down to which guy I can get the best value for.

 

Just vote to trade lillard so in 2 years you can start a new campaign to trade McCollum.

 

I would rather keep both, but if I could only keep one I would keep Lillard because of his leadership qualities.

 

If you trade Dame, who plays point guard? (don't say CJ)

 

One of the top three picks you get this year.

 

Or CJ. The days of needing John Stockton are over (though I'm sure you could do fine with Stockton).

 

Why not? I know the sample size is small, but:

"In 11 games without Lillard, McCollum averages 28.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds, which are pretty rare numbers (via StatMuse)."

Dame's current averages: 26.6 ppg, 6.2 apg, 4.6 rpg. I'm just not seeing much of a drop off there.

Then just add a cheap pass first (i.e. NOT Shabazz Napier) back up PG to run with the second unit.

BNM

 

If they trade Dame, the team is moving to Seattle. Put it in stone, son.

 

and be first on the damian lillard fuck you tour every year for next 10 years and lose to every time we play him in the playoffs

 

Although I am generally opposed to trading either, it really depends on what we're getting back. If Dame could get us a 2-way superstar (Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, Paul George), but C.J. couldn't, I'd trade Dame. It depends on what's coming back and how it fits next to the one we keep.

BNM

 

It really would just be a rental if we traded Dame. Boston has a couple, Avery Bradley is on a terror this season. Marcus smart is usable, both are defense minded. Brandon Knight from Phoenix was rumored to be available earlier in the year. There's probably more that would fit for the rest of this season. This draft is loaded with bigger guards who seem to be really really good.

Not saying it's a good idea to trade him.

 

Plus have the bad karma of dumping our franchise player who wanted to stay here his entire career, who is one of the most marketable stars in the league, who is a natural born leader with an immense work ethic and is well grounded and who embraced the city because of "chemistry concerns" or "bad perimeter defense".

This whole line of thought is fucking trash.

 

It's a little early, isn't it?

 

Blakey!

 

this is so ridiculous

 

OK, cheap and pass first, I'll give him that. I should have also added decent. 2009 Steve Blake would be a passable back up PG. 2017 Steve Blake, not so much.

I was actually thinking of someone like Ricky Rubio (supposedly available cheap). Can pass and play D, can hide his poor shooting on the second unit.

BNM

 

CJ's ceiling is higher than Dame's IMO. When all said and done, CJ will have a better career.

 

Time may prove you right. This is an excerpt from a longer post I made in the Trade C.J. thread last Wednesday:

His shooting percentages have improved across the board every year he's been in the league.

Here they are:
2013-14: FG% = .416, 3FG% = .375, 2FG% = .449, eFG% = .500, FT% = .676, TS% = .521
2014-15: FG% = .436, 3FG% = .396, 2FG% = .460, eFG% = .511, FT% = .699, TS% = .534
2015-16: FG% = .448, 3FG% = .417, 2FG% = .463, eFG% = .517, FT% = .827, TS% = .544
2016-17: FG% = .479, 3FG% = .430, 2FG% = .502, eFG% = .549, FT% = .901, TS% = .591

I don't think I've ever seen that before, a player who improved every one of his shooting percentages for four straight seasons, especially as his role and PT also increased. After a full season averaging over 20ppg, he isn't taking anyone by surprise. He's been scouted and game planned, yet he continues to improve his efficiency. I think the fact that his shooting percentages have increased again this season is impressive, but I think it's even more impressive that the largest jumps in his eFG% and TS% have come the season AFTER winning MIP. Hell, if I had an MIP vote, it would go to C.J, again this year (assuming he keeps this up).

As a result, his PER has also taken a substantial jump every year:

2013-14: PER = 9.0
2014-15: PER = 13.1
2015-16: PER = 17.7
2016-17: PER = 20.5

What does this all mean? To me, it means we have not yet seen the best C.J. McCollum has to offer. He is 25-years old, about to enter the prime of his career and still improving at a very impressive rate.

He's still young and still improving at a rapid rate. We don't know what his ceiling will be.

BNM