Prior to last April, CJ McCollum was just another name on the scouting report.
Despite being taken 10th overall by the Trail Blazers in the 2013 NBA Draft, McCollum averaged just under 16 minutes per game off the bench behind Wesley Matthews in Terry Stotts’ rotation. He’d had previous highs of 26 and 27 points as Portland rested most of its veterans in preparation for last season’s playoffs, but was still overshadowed by All-Stars Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
When Matthews went down with an Achilles injury in March and his replacement Arron Afflalo was sidelined with a shoulder ailment just before the postseason, the Lehigh product embraced the spotlight during the Trail Blazers’ First Round NBA Playoff series with the Memphis Grizzlies. McCollum exploded for 77 points over the final three games of the series, shooting 47% from three-point range as the Grizzlies took the series four games to one. If there was one positive from the playoff exit for the Trail Blazers, it was McCollum’s emergence as a scorer.
Six months and an offseason later, McCollum has continued his high offensive output following his postseason coming-out party. Gone are the veteran contributions of Aldridge, Matthews and swingman Nic Batum, forcing McCollum to take on more of the scoring load alongside Lillard in the Portland backcourt. Through five games, McCollum is averaging 22.6 points per contest, including 27 and 37-point performances.
Ahead of the Trail Blazers’ first matchup with Memphis of 2015-16, Grizzlies head coach David Joerger isn’t surprised by the success McCollum’s had so far in his third season as a pro. The Memphis coach sees a confidence rising in the 24-year-old combo guard since April.
“He’s the same guy,” Joerger said of McCollum at the Grizzlies’ shootaround Thursday morning. “He just has more of an opportunity right now, so you’re seeing his confidence go up because his minutes are going up. He can really score the ball.”
As a whole, Joerger says the new-look Trail Blazers create a different challenge in his gameplan compared to last season’s playoff series. While the Trail Blazers’ offensive sets remain similar to last April, the athleticism of new additions Mason Plumlee, Al-Farouq Aminu and Moe Harkless makes for a new challenge in defending.
“They can still spread the floor, they play fast,” said Joerger. “They’re very athletic right now, very active. They’re having fun playing up and down the floor and helping each other score. They get after you with their length and their bigs. I think everyone kind of knows their role.”
Though many pundits were quick to make Western Conference cellar predicitions for the Trail Blazers after a plethora of offseason departures this offseason, Joerger isn’t about to take his opponent Thursday night lightly. At 3-2 entering Thrusday’s game and coming off back-to-back road wins, Joerger expects a battle with the Trail Blazers.
“I think they’re going to have a good season,” Joerger complimented Portland. “I don’t know why people were hard on them. I know they lost 80% of their starting lineup, but they have good players and Terry does a great job. They’re going to be competitive every single night and make a run for it.”
