Portland Trailblazers' new backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are poised to challenge the Golden State Warriors' "Splash Brothers" as the best shooting duo in the league.
Lillard and McCollum have taken the Blazers to a hot start in the 2015-2016 NBA regular season using their surprisingly streaky shooting, creating Rip City's own version of the Steph Curry-Klay Thompson Splash Bros. tandem.
In the Blazers' first six games of the regular season, Lillard and McCollum have lit it up from down town, shooting a staggering 42 and 46 percent, respectively.
The former Rookie of the Year winner is also putting up solid numbers with 27.3 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the field.
On the other hand, McCollum, who has been touted by Sports Illustrated's Michael Dunlap as the Most Improved Player of the Year favorite, is simply having the best season of his NBA career, posting 22.2 points while shooting 47 percent in field goal attempts.
Synergy Sports Tech posted on Twitter Lillard and McCollum's shot chart early in the season, believing that the youngsters are on their way to establishing themselves as an "elite shooting guard combo."
It is not much of a surprise for Lillard to be Portland's go-to guy, considering that the team has given out their core roster of LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, and Robin Lopez during this summer's free agency.
But McCollum's unexpected rise to stardom has the Blazers looking at another possible franchise player in the making.
"That is a young man that can let it fly from three," The Sports Quotient noted. "He rises and pops the ball right out of his hand with no hitch and no wasted motion, hallmarks of a great shooter."
McCollum has also proven his ability to create shots for himself. The Blazers' third year shooting guard can also operate on pick-and-roll situations and he is doing a "solid job" despite having "limited parts" around him.
Meanwhile, the original Splash Bros. from the Bay Area are not operating in full force, although the Warriors have been okay with that due to their depth at all of the positions.
Ever since the duo of Curry and Thompson was formed in the 2011-2012 season, they have been shooting a combined 40+ percent from the three-point line for four consecutive years. But at the start of the season, Curry has been the only one splashing threes.
Stephen Curry, who is probably on his way for another MVP season, has a league-best 35.8 points per game while shooting an impressive 51 percent from downtown, which, by the way, are ridiculously tough shots.
But his partner in crime, Thompson, is having a quiet start to the season with 13.8 points on just 29 percent from the three-point area.
It may be too early to dub Lillard and McCollum as challengers for Curry and Thompson's throne, but if they continue their hot shooting there may be a chance we could see an extension of the Splash Brothers.