Portland Trail Blazers: 2015-16 Season Outlook

Three Key Storylines (cont.)

2. Are C.J. McCollum and Meyers Leonard Ready For More Responsibility?

All eyes will be on Damian Lillard, the only bonafide star still on the roster. But after what we saw from C.J. McCollum and Meyers Leonard in the playoffs last year, their development could provide Blazers fans with another distraction from the scoreboard.

In his second season, McCollum didn’t exactly thrill anyone, averaging 6.8 points in 15.7 minutes per game. But he connected on 39.6 percent of his threes and when the floundering Blazers called upon him in the postseason, he answered the bell. In five games against the Memphis Grizzlies, McCollum averaged 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds on 47.8 percent shooting from both the field and three-point territory.

His 33-point outing on 7-of-11 shooting from downtown in the team’s final game of the postseason was a bit of an eye-opener for those who had been waiting on McCollum to start living up to his billing as a former top-10 pick.

As for Leonard, his similarly slow-and-steady progress also came to life in the playoffs. After averaging 5.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game during the regular season, Leonard’s numbers jumped to 7.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 21.2 minutes per game in the playoffs, where he drilled 10 of his 13 three-pointers and shot 66.7 percent from the floor overall.

That kind of efficient shooting is exactly what makes Leonard valuable as a stretch-4/5, and at only 23 years old, he still has plenty of room for growth. He’ll have competition at the center position with Mason Plumlee and veteran Chris Kaman, but like McCollum, Leonard could be heading for a breakout season with increased responsibility (especially if he plays power forward).

Next: Storyline: What Does Vonleh's Future Look Like?