BullyKing wrote:Roy The Natural wrote:BullyKing wrote:
Again, I don't understand. McCollum has done of the things you are credited George for. You keep citing what George has accomplished as if his defense wasn't a large reason for those accomplishments.
But let me try again. So I'm assuming that Embiid in your scenario is the PG equivalent. But so is Dame and that hasn't worked. So your theory is that Portland's problem was simply not having enough Tobias level players around Dame and CJ? Like Nurkic, Roco, Powell/Trent wasn't enough?
This is a 76ers forum... so I don't want to intrude too heavy into this conversation. But I think there's a contextual argument to be had that equating Lillard and Embiid without bringing up the fit between them and McCollum is a bit off the mark. I think the notion that much like Embiid and Simmons, the problem with McCollum and Lillard has more to do with fit than it does with talent or production.
McCollum should really be playing the 1. He's not going to be Rubio at setting guys up, but he can play at a high level in the P&R and would look a lot better being hidden on defense on a low-level threat a la Steph. Blazers don't have the personnel to hide him. The 76ers do. McCollum doesn't currently get enough possessions as a primary ball-handler at the top of the key. He plays well enough as a secondary ball-handler and off-ball, but has the skillset to increase his effectiveness with a more primary initiation role.
Yep, that's fair. But I think the real point is that regardless of who your number one is, McCollum just isn't good enough of a second banana to be a real contender in this league. As your third best player? Sure, that could potentially work. But not as your second and this just puts the Sixers in the same situation Portland is in. Now fair enough to say that we likely already have that problem but my main issue is that we know McCollum doesn't solve the problem and so we're just locking ourselves into the situation while we await CJ's decline and Embiid's knees to crumble away.
Maybe. It's possible your right. I think McCollum offensively is at least in the Klay/Middleton category. Offensively I think it's more than plausible that CJ can be a #2 with an MVP level #1. It really depends on what you think of Embiid. If better spacing and a better fit around him can take his offensive game to another level, which I think is plausible, than I think that CJ can be a #2 on offense. I understand the point though.
I just don't think you can broad-stroke a comparison of Lillard and Embiid and extrapolate that to what would happen in Philadelphia. The Lillard and McCollum led offense has consistently fallen into a your turn, my turn, type offense because the 2 players are most effective when they have the ball in a top of key P&R. That doesn't lend itself into a fluid offense that synergizes. Rather it's a disjointed offense that is extremely effective due to the Blazers being able to have a high-level on-ball offensive player on the floor at all times.
I don't fault the 76ers or their fans for not wanting CJ. I'm fine with it. Just think there are some misconceptions, or willful diminishing of his actual skillset. Things on RealGM far too often devolve into broad statements that lack any real nuanced look at context and scheme. Just pushing back against that notion here.
You put CJ McCollum in the P&R or P&P with Embiid and he's going to be like Lou Williams was with Harrell in 2018 on offense when that P&R couldn't be stopped... except CJ is a better shooter, and much better off the ball. But I get it. I'm not even trying to sell him to the 76ers at this point. Just pushing back against the narrative that he doesn't really have any offensive upside.
