Where Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum rank among the best backcourts

1. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson – Golden State Warriors

Career stats:

• Stephen Curry: 23.3 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.4 RPG, 47.8 FG%, 43.8 3P%
•  Klay Thompson: 19.3 PPG, 2.3 APG, 3.5 RPG, 45.7 FG%, 41.6 3P%

A comparison pitting the “Splash Brothers” against the “Rip City Brothers.” A tandem recognized as the best shooting duo is league history vs. a 1-2 punch of the great northwest known for leading Blazers’ teams year in and year out with unreal offensive prowess.

This is another case in which we pit another former MVP (two-time at that) along with his trusty companion against Portland’s stars. Stephen Curry’s legacy in a 10-year career speaks for itself. The former two-time MVP has been an All-Star selection five times from 2014 and on, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, a two-time All-NBA First Team selection … the list goes on.

His scoring outbursts are legendary, such as 54 points in the Garden back in 2013, a 46-point onslaught in Oklahoma City in 2016 highlighted by his miracle shot from just beyond half-court to win it in overtime, and a 40-point return in Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Playoffs that would ultimately send Portland home from the postseason.

Klay Thompson’s rise has been organic and a testament to not just his work ethic and talent, but the Warriors organization as well. Going from a 12 points per game scorer to nearly double that today, Thompson has been the perfect sidekick and complementary star to Curry in the Bay, becoming one of the top marksmen in basketball history in his own right.

In their matchup on Nov. 23, the Warriors absolutely trounced the Blazers with Curry missing in action due to injury. Klay Thompson had himself a night, torching Portland with 31 points, showcasing why he is one of the top offensive threats in the association.

The backcourt of the Trail Blazers has put up their own fight to counter the Splash Brothers themselves over the years. In Game 1 of their 2017 playoff series against Golden State, McCollum tallied 41 points, 27 of which came in the first half of action. He would average 22.5 points per game while shooting an unreal 50 percent from 3-point range in a series where Portland were simply just outmatched by the 1-seed.

Lillard has gone at the head of the Golden State beast like the superstar he is as well. Performances such as his 51-point attack in 2016 and his 44-point contest this past spring against Steph and Klay gives proof as to why he beat out the iconic Steph Curry for a spot on the 2018 All-NBA First Team.

The matchups for the season have both taken place over the last week in a home-and-home series where both the Blazers and Warriors walked away with victories. The first contest pitting the two backcourts against each other saw McCollum’s 24 points and Lillard’s 21 points (including a late dagger with just over five seconds left in overtime give the Trail Blazers a one-point victory) lead the way.

Just two night later in Portland, however, the story was flipped. The Splash Brothers combined for 57 points, negating Damian Lillard’s 40-point display and resulting in a 115-105 win for the Dubs.

Although CJ and Dame demonstrate excellence, it is the championship pedigree and accolades Curry and Thompson have under their belts that give them the edge in this matchup. This is no shame on the Blazers’ backcourt, however, who undoubtedly are one of the elite backcourts in the game today.