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Where Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum rank among the best backcourts

By Erris Brown

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 30: Portland Trail Blazers Guard Damian Lillard (0) and Portland Trail Blazers Guard CJ McCollum (3) look on during an NBA game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 30, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 30: Portland Trail Blazers Guard Damian Lillard (0) and Portland Trail Blazers Guard CJ McCollum (3) look on during an NBA game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 30, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images /

2. Chris Paul and James Harden – Houston Rockets

Career stats:

  • James Harden: 23.5 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.1 RPG, 44.3 FG%, 36.6 3P%
  • Chris Paul: 18.6 PPG, 9.7 APG, 4.5 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 47.1 FG%, 37.1 3P%

There shouldn’t be too much to say and an introduction is barely needed. Let’s list some credentials of Houston’s superstar tandem shall we?

James Harden:

  • 6x NBA All-Star
  • 4x All-NBA First Team selection
  • 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year
  • 2017-18 NBA scoring champion
  • 2016-17 NBA assists leader
  • 2x Team USA Gold Medalist
  • Oh and by the way, 2017-18 NBA MVP

Chris Paul:

  • 9x NBA All-Star (2013 All-Star Game MVP)
  • 4x All-NBA First Team selection
  • 7x NBA All-Defensive First Team
  • 2005-06 Rookie of the Year
  • 4x NBA assists leader
  • 2x Team USA Gold Medalist

Could we go on? Absolutely, but it’s not necessary. When it comes to this matchup, we’re pitting the talent of Lillard and McCollum against what many would argue is the best backcourt in the NBA.

Harden and Paul have been at the crux of the Blazers’ woes in the past. It was just last winter when Chris Paul put up 37 points and 11 assists on Jan. 10 and James Harden followed with a 42-point performance two months later in March in a performance that would snap a 13-game winning streak for the Blazers. Despite the excellence that is associated with Portland’s 1 and 2, they are simply being pit up against the reigning MVP and one of the greatest point guards to ever grace the hardwood.

Take Dec. 11, for example. In the Blazers’ first matchup of the season with the Rockets, it was a tight contest with push and pull through 48 minutes of action, resulting in a Rip City loss. Although Lillard and McCollum combined for 55 points, it was Houston’s world-class, Hall of Fame level backcourt that elevated the Rockets to a victory. Paul tallied an 11-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double alongside the reigning MVP’s stellar 29 points.

One could arguably say the Portland side got the better of this lone matchup of this season, solely considering CP3’s diminished numbers and the Rockets’ unforeseen abysmal start to the year. Yet when comparing career numbers, it is hard to make the argument for Dame and CJ being superior, even despite their status in the NBA today.

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