McCollum could be a bright spot on a Portland team poised for a rebuilding year.
After posting quiet rookie and sophomore seasons, C.J. McCollum hosted his coming out party in the 2015 postseason, scoring 17.0 points on 13.4 field goal attempts (47.8% FG, 47.8% 3Pt, 76.9% FT) to go along with 4.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.2 minutes per game.
The former Lehigh University star turns 24 this month, and following his strong playoff performances against the Grizzlies, seems poised for a breakout season. With LaMarcus Aldrige, Wes Matthews, and Nic Batum suiting up for different squads, the Blazers will undoubtedly be vacationing by mid-April, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a bright future.
Replacing Aldridge, Matthews, and Batum’s production offensively will be borderline impossible for a young Portland group, and they may very well end up with the most ping-pong balls heading into the 2015 NBA draft lottery. Still, so long as McCollum does care about things other than his shooting and ball handling, he’s an excellent early upside bet for Most Improved Player in 2015-16.
At Lehigh, McCollum made a name for himself as one the nation’s top bucket-getting-guards, thriving in isolation, pick-and-roll, and catch-and-shoot situations. His range and readiness to fire from far, far away is certainly reminiscent of the same game that made Matthews a fan favorite in Oregon. In coach Terry Stotts’ spread offense, few things are more important than spacing, and McCollum provides that in spades.
The 6-4 scoring sensation still may have to beat out Gerald Henderson for minutes, but Henderson’s lack of comfort from beyond the arc is precisely the reason Charlotte moved him in the first place. In all likelihood, there’s a good chance we see Al-Faruq Aminu play some minutes as a small-ball four with Henderson, McCollum and Lillard rounding out the perimeter.
During his rookie season, McCollum suffered through injury, but was buried on the bench in Stotts’ tight rotation prior to Matthews’ injury late in 2015. Now freed from the black hole of injury and a limited role, McCollum has the chance to shine like the star who lit up Duke in the NCAA tourney a few short years ago. Since Lillard will likely be forced to initiate more offense this season, McCollum may be the player who makes life easiest for the two-time All-Star while making a name for himself in the process.
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