I love Dame and certainly CJ came out strong this season...but are they truly a compatible duo in the backcourt? I for one have never thought either player is exceptional while the other is on the court. If Dame plays with Trent Jr., Dame is a more productive Dame. And if Dame is on the bench, CJ can create his own shots and at times even dominate. Essentially, they are the same type of guard - not complimentary. Is now the time to trade CJ?
The answer is, it's always been the time to trade CJ. Dame's and CJ's games are as close to incompatible as you can have. They are both very small guards, both of them struggle mightily on defense and their offensive games are so redundant that they literally take turns on offense. The guys have been starting together for six seasons and haven't come up with a way to work an effective two man game on offense. Why when putting together any basketball team would you have your two best players be terrible defenders that don't feed off of each other on offense? (I understand that they are there for each other emotionally and I know I sound like an ass when I say, I don't give a shit)
They are a top 5 tandem but LeBron/AD, and KD/Harden are better. Maybe there’s another tandem like butler/bam or Tatum/brown but I like cj a lot. I don’t like the poll options tho
Oh shit, every player in every one of those tandems that you mentioned is better at defense than either of our guys and all of them work a two man game better. Our guys are two phenomenal small lead guards on offense. The only two lead guards offensively on another team that are close to Dame and CJ are Kyrie and Harden but just because you are two incredible talents does not make you an effective tandem.
All three. 1. They are the best tandem. But that’s in spite of them being less than the sum of the parts. 2. Trade CJ if you can get equal value that fits better with Dame. 3. In the mean time, minimize the time they are on the floor together. If they each play 36 minutes per game, they only have to be on the floor together for 12 minutes. EDIT: on second thought they have to be on together for 24 minutes.
Lebron/AD Harden/Durant Kawhi/PG13 Giannis/Middleton Butler/Adebayo Mitchell/Gobert Jokic/Murray CP3/Booker Brogdon/Sabonis Zion/Ingram not only aren't Dame/CJ the best tandem, if you value defense and complementary skills, you could argue they aren't even top-5
You missed a couple others: Lebron/Davis Embiid/Simmons Tatum/Brown Curry/Green I think the real question is if they are even a Top-10 duo when considering defense and mesh.
is Lebron/AD the same as Lebron/Davis?... you're right, I brainfarted on the Philly and Boston duos it's homer-crazy that some people think Dame/CJ are the best tandem in the league
Embiid/Simmons are a pretty good comparison. Really great players who really should play with somebody else. It's interesting to look over the lists and notice how rare it is for guys to be as incompatible as Dame/CJ are. When you have a top 5 or top 10 player you generally try to find pieces that work best with that guy. For whatever reason, Portland has never done that.
Just a matter of time. That umbilical cord should been cut a few years back, but Im sure there were other dynamics involved.
you’re the expert! Suggest another option! keep them together? Trade CJ? Bring him in when Dame is out? .....trade Dame and keep CJ? What else do you have?
”They are a top 5 duo and need more help” “They are a top 10 duo and should be split up” “They are a top 10 duo and need more help”
Hey, your thing is that you think they could be more connected on offense and that they would be better defenders on a team not coached by Stotts, is that right? If it is I can totally respect that. The reason I'm so solidly in the trade CJ camp is because I'm so frustrated with what I've seen for so long out of a supposed duo who will make well over 70M next season but maybe given that they have only played for Stotts my point of view is narrow.
Do you believe they are a dynamic duo? If not, what would you suggest? Stay put? trade one or the other? bench Dame, so CJ can thrive?
