This may be a hard “no” for Portland Trail Blazers fans, or anyone who likes a classic high-scoring tandem. This is not to deny what they have done together. There is no doubt that Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum form one of the most exciting, most prolific, and best shooting backcourts in the league – in possibly the last decade or so.

When you consider the overall results, however, one can also wonder if all that is enough reason for them to be kept together this long. On top of Lillard and McCollum’s offensive firepower is the cold hard fact that the Blazers have repeatedly failed in the postseason through their leadership… each time in terrible fashion.

2016 – Beat a depleted LA Clippers team in the first round and then lost to the Golden State Warriors in the second round, 4-1. They gave up 65.5 PPG to opposing backcourt Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
2017 – Swept by the Golden State Warriors, and lost by an average of 18 points.
2018 – Swept by the New Orleans Pelicans, and had no answer for Jrue Holiday, who lit them up for 27.8 PPG despite not being a real scoring threat. Lillard was held to just 18.5 PPG on 35.2% shooting.

The 2019 playoffs was different from previous years but it also leads to one of the three key points why it’s time to split up the duo. Let’s get into it:

#1 – They have peaked

The conference finals berth last season is good and all, and it’s actually the farthest Portland has gone in 19 years. Then again, the way they bowed out was probably a clear signal that we’ve seen the duo’s best. While riding a ton of momentum, they proceeded to blow double digit leads to the Golden State Warriors in consecutive games, en route to an ugly sweep.

If last season’s surge was a beginning of the team’s emergence, they would’ve been able to build something from it this season, and they didn’t. In fact, they went the opposite way. The Blazers are just 29-37 prior to the league’s hiatus, 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.

It’s tough to say the decline is due to Jusuf Nurkic’s injury since the front office was able to replace him with Hassan Whiteside, who did a good enough job for his role (16.3 PPG, 14.2 RPG, 3.1 BPG).

#2 – They are too small

Though the league is becoming ‘positionless,’ having a backcourt with a 6’2 point guard and 6’3 two guard is overdoing it, especially if they are the your two main stars. This is basketball. Small ball may be influential, but in the end, height is still might.

Look at the other teams that have relatively small backcourts; they too can only get so far. The Washington Wizards with John Wall and Bradley Beal are one. They have great talent, and yet, the team can’t breakout.

The Houston Rockets have also experimented with such using Chris Paul and James Harden. It was really good at first as they went 67-15 in the regular season and were one game away from making the finals in 2018. Of course, as we all know, the wheels fell off after the following season – and that’s despite operating under Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced offense, which supposedly fit their styles.

#3 – They are both defensive liabilities

Being that undersized leads to a variety of mismatches, especially in Lillard and McCollum’s case. Both are score-first players, and thus, cannot be burdened with demands on the other end. What’s worse is no one in the two is also true facilitator that can set-up his teammates, particularly in the half-court.

The Blazers are 26th in points allowed and 27th in defensive rating this season, and they have finished in the bottom 10 of those categories thrice since the Lillard-McCollum era started in 2015. That one season (2017-18) where they ranked high on defense, they got exposed quickly in the playoffs by Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, and Rajon Rondo.

Who should the Blazers trade for?

Since Lillard is the more proven player and bonafide superstar between the two, McCollum is the likely choice to be on the trading block. The ideal fit could be a wing, since it’s a position that the Blazers have been trying to fill for years, or it can simply be a bigger, more assertive playmaker.

The two names that have come up often are Ben Simmons and Aaron Gordon. Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers’ All-Star giant point guard, can make an interesting pair with Lillard. He has a pass-first approach that should allow the supporting cast to shine more and make Dame focus solely on carrying the scoring load.

As for Gordon, the Orlando Magic’s high-flying forward, he’s a threat inside and out that still possesses solid potential as a primary scorer – he’ll address the wing position too. It should also be interesting to see him get freed from the shackles of Orlando, one of the worst offensive teams over the last several years.

There’s another option…

But, of course, it’s easier said than done, and that’s acquiring a third legit scorer without getting rid of Lillard or McCollum.

We’ll soon see how Portland’s plan to re-tool the team. They are freeing up a good chunk of cap space through Whiteside’s expiring contract, who’s making $27.1 million this season.