Portland Trail Blazers: C.J. McCollum’s Hot Start Not Shocking
When a player is drafted into the NBA, the most important thing in terms of them reaching their potential is the fit they have with their respective team. There have been countless players who have had spectacular college careers, but end up underachieving in the NBA simply because their particular team isn’t utilizing their skills effectively. In 2013 when the Portland Trail Blazers selected C.J. McCollum from mid-major Lehigh University, there were concerns if he could develop into a productive player, or he would just be another guy a team took a chance on that failed miserably.
In one way, McCollum benefited greatly from the Trail Blazers drafting him with the 10th overall pick because he was going to a team that would go onto win 54 games and make it all the way to the Western Conference Semifinals. The next season, the team won 51 games making the playoffs once again, but lost in the first round. Throughout the two successful seasons, McCollum never really got his chance to prove he was worth a lottery pick in the 2013 draft. In his second season, he averaged just 6.8 points in 15.7 minutes per game. He had a couple of big games, two of which came last season in the playoffs when he went for 26 in Game 3 and 33 in Game 5, but consistency was the main issue.
This season, McCollum has exploded onto the scene and throughout the team’s first eight games, he is averaging 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game with a 19.07 PER. The reason for McCollum’s hot start isn’t because he is riding a streak of being lucky, he is finally getting his chance to showcase the abilities he has always possessed. With a completely new-looking roster (losing 4-of-5 starters in the offseason), the minutes for McCollum are now his to lose. Thus far, he is averaging 34.5 minutes per game, an 18.8-minute increase from last season.
For those that have followed McCollum since his freshman season at Lehigh, you know that he gave teams fits for four seasons lighting them up from the field. For his career, he averaged 21.3 points per game. He became a household name during the 2012 NCAA Tournament when he led his 15-seeded Lehigh Mountain Hawks with a 30-point performance to upset the 2-seeded Duke University in the first-round.
Heck, scoring runs in McCollum’s blood. His brother Errick has been playing overseas for the past six years and last season he set the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) record for most points scored in a single game with 82. C.J. credits his brother for pushing him every single day to put him in the position and the success that he is seeing in the NBA.
To start the 2015-16 season, C.J. McCollum was on my list as a player to watch for the Most Improved Player Award, simply because I knew that he would see a mass increase in minutes. He quickly made others firm believers when he dropped 37 opening night against the New Orleans Pelicans going 14-for-22 from the field and 6-for-9 from deep.
To put all the “oh it’s just one game” doubters to rest, McCollum has scored 15+ in every game, including two games when he finished with 20 and 27 respectively. Don’t expect him to hit a slump anytime soon. McCollum isn’t one of those players whose productivity will take a huge hit once opponents can break down film (cough cough, Jeremy Lin). He has tremendous basketball IQ and knows how to pick and choose his opportunities during games to make an impact.
The Trail Blazers as a whole have been one of the most surprising teams early on this NBA season. With the decimated roster, there were some who predicted them to be lucky if they won 35 games. Through eight games, they are 4-4 with a couple wins over playoff teams from last season. If they can keep riding Damian Lillard and McCollum and squeaking by the teams they are supposed to beat, 35 wins may not be so miraculous after all.