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Portland Trail Blazers: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 31, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) shoots the ball past Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Trail Blazers won 116-109. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) shoots the ball past Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Trail Blazers won 116-109. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts (right) instructs guard C.J. McCollum (3) against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

C.J. MaxCollum

You thought Olshey was ready to roll out the big bucks for Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe? How about a four-year, $106 million extension for C.J. McCollum to preserve Portland’s backcourt for the long-term?

With yet another expensive, summer-defining move, the Blazers made sure the Lillard-McCollum partnership will continue for the extended future — a decision that comes with its fair share of pros and cons.

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    • On the plus side, McCollum is only 24 years old, he’s coming off a career-best season in which he averaged 20.8 points and 4.3 assists per game to earn Most Improved Player of the Year honors, and he can spread the floor and serve as a secondary playmaker (or primary playmaker with the second unit).

    Last season, McCollum shot a career-best 41.7 percent from three-point range, and that was only his third year in the league — and first as a starter. There’s clearly potential still to be tapped, and he and Lillard serve as a potent 1-2 punch in the backcourt.

    However, this deal is not perfect either. A $106 million deal is not ideal in the wake of Olshey’s mass summer spending spree, and the Blazers are betting a substantial amount of money on a young core that only won 44 games in a weaker Western Conference last year.

    There’s also the defensive side of the ball to consider. Unless Ezeli evolves into the next Dikembe Mutombo, the Blazers may never be good enough defensively to contend, courtesy of a Lillard-McCollum backcourt pairing that struggles to keep its men in front of them.

    At some point, the Blazers needed to make a decision on whether they believed a Lillard-McCollum partnership could contend. With this sizable extension that fits perfectly in line with Olshey’s summer of overspending, Portland put its faith in internal growth.

    Grade: B

    Next: Mo' For Mo

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