Why the 76ers should target CJ McCollum in a Ben Simmons trade

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Dec 28, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) boxes out Portland Trail Blazers forward Ed Davis (17) and guard CJ McCollum (3) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /

Why the 76ers should target CJ McCollum in a Ben Simmons trade: Pick and roll

When the 76ers aren’t running a post-up, they are often running a pick and roll. Philadelphia is currently spending 19.2 percent of their possessions in the pick and roll, averaging 20.4 per game. This season, the team has given most of those possessions to Tyrese Maxey, who leads the team, averaging 7.3 per game.

Maxey has done a great job in the pick and roll, shooting 47.9 percent from the field on 6.3 attempts per game. The field goal percentage has enabled him to average 7.3 points per game in the pick and roll – 36.7 percent of the team’s total production in the offensive set.

Even though Maxey has done a great job in the pick and roll, the team is still looking for an upgrade. Philadelphia is reportedly looking for a difference-maker in a Ben Simmons trade. Consequently, there is only one player that fulfills both criteria for the Sixers at the current moment – CJ McCollum.

McCollum is a player who excels off the ball as he has made 43.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot shots since 2013 on 2.9 attempts per game. This has been the driving force behind his success behind the arc, as he has converted 39.7 percent of his attempts on 5.8 shots per game.

He has been able to pair his off-ball success by excelling in the pick and roll. He has averaged 7.3 possessions per game since 2015, shooting 44.8 percent from the field on 6.2 shots.

The Blazers guard has averaged 6.99 points in the pick and roll, equal to 32.1 percent of his scoring output. More importantly, when you look at other potential players that the 76ers could acquire for Ben Simmons, most only fill one of the two criteria.