[3] Even though he was already considered virtually destined to be a top NBA draft pick by his third year, he decided to finish his final year of college instead of leaving sooner for the NBA. The "Midsummer Classic" was set for July 13 at Truist Park, home . While we're not even close to seeing who earns a spot on the annual squad, one player who has seemingly been on the fringes of the roster for years is Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum. He consistently made the right play and was unbothered by Portlands attempts to run double teams or zone coverages to force him into mistakes. McCollum named Kia NBA Most Improved Player", "C.J. After . March 4, 2023, 12:40 AM. Desperate times may call for desperate measures. For the first time in 16 months, that pairing this generations most impactful Blazers duo will share the floor together once more in what promises to be an emotional outing. Averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game on 40% shooting from three,. [51] On December 30, he broke out of a six-game funk by hitting 13 of 18 shots in a 35-point performance as the Trail Blazers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 12995. Keeping both highlight-reel makers and opposing defenses awake and working late in the night, the duo injected a jolt of energy into the Portland fanbase, lacing up for over 500 games together from 2014 to 2022. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. There are 21 games over the next 6 weeks to garner some more fan votes. [81], McCollum is involved in his community as a radio personality and philanthropist. New Orleans is in the midst of a season-long five-game road trip. Beyond Zion Williamson, who remains out with his hamstring injury, Jose Alvarado will miss at least the next weeks with a right tibia stress reaction and Larry Nance is out at least the next two weeks with an ankle issue. [60], On November 21, 2019, McCollum scored a then season-high 37 points, along with 6 rebounds and 10 assists, in a 137129 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Dynamic duos dont survive nearly a full decade together without learning how to reach peak performance simultaneously. Fighting merely to avoid being swept at the Moda Center, the Blazers brought pride and energy, largely through their talented guard grouping. I dont know what it is. McCollum moved into the starting lineup for good in 2015-16, joining Lillard in the backcourt, and they teamed to lead Portland to playoff appearances each of the next five seasons, highlighted by a trip to the 2019 Western Conference finals. [3] He played in 33 games, starting in 31, and averaged 19.1 points and 5 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The list of things going right for Portland is pretty small. The 2021 All Star Game in Indianapolis is still almost a year away. On defense, the lead guard has snatched 13 steals and even gotten 8 blocks. The year after the Blazers drafted Lillard No. Will Guillory is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the New Orleans Pelicans. Its all the work I put in. In that game, Lillard played a 60-minute-and-one-second game, McCollum at 57:59 prompting his This is what Im built for quote on the way to one of the greatest games in league history. 7. Im here to win games. [39] The Blazers finished the regular season with a 4141 record and entered the playoffs as the eighth seed. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. During his third year in the league in 201516, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player.[1]. Remembering Damian Lillard and CJ McCollums Greatest Blazers Hits, Blazers Cant Stop Hawks Guards, Fall in Atlanta, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors Make Transactions as Season Concludes. [21] With four of Portland's previous startersLaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, and Robin Lopezhaving departed, only star point guard Damian Lillard remained; thus McCollum was elevated to starting shooting guard to join Lillard in the backcourt for the 201516 campaign. CJMcCollum Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. [68] Two days later, McCollum made his Pelicans debut, putting up 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in a 11297 loss to the Miami Heat. Pick Your Poison The 2019 Western Conference Semifinals Duel vs. DEN. Things got even more difficult as Lillard repeatedly roasted Willy Hernangomez, forcing the replacement Pelicans center to move his feet out in space. -The first set of fan votes are in for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. [2] On August 7, 2021, he was elected president of the National Basketball Players Association, replacing Chris Paul. On January 1, 2014, he was assigned to the Idaho Stampede of the development league. New Orleans 10-year veteran guard CJ McCollum was sidelined during Monday's win at Oklahoma City due to a right ankle sprain, and is listed as questionable to play Wednesday against the Los. Big-time stuff. CJ McCollum shows off vision with nice pass vs. Atlanta Hawks. 1991 Per ESPN Stats & Information research, that pushed him past Michael Jordan in 1997-98 (12) for the most ever in a single season by a player age 32 or older. Email Christian Clark at cclark@theadvocate.com. "@CJMcCollum speaks with the crew after Portland's win. Meanwhile, Anthony has been playing fairly at 36-years-old with the Blazers. To begin the night, the Pelicans had McCollum guarding the red-hot Lillard, who entered the game averaging 38.7 points over the previous 20 games. Once Williamson and Ingram are back in the lineup, he should get more quality looks off of kick-outs. inCanton,Ohio New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (left) high-fives CJ McCollum (right) during the second half of a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Oct. 4, 2022, in Chicago. Poole has not and the Warriors still sport a 3-16 record away from home. Buthe is the only member of the Trail Blazers to make the cut. Trailing by 10 with less than eight minutes to go, that Lillard-McCollum (and Aldridge) trio pieced together 25 points together to help avoid elimination. That means sometimes I might have it going, but hes the closer. You can get full details here or simply visit the Trail Blazers ticket site and click Buying Options to donate a ticket or two! [30] McCollum would start in all 80 games that he played and would average 23 points as well as 3.6 rebounds and as many assists. Major League Baseball sent a warning shot on Friday to Republicans considering new laws to restrict voting, pulling its summer All-Star game out of suburban Atlanta in . Javascript is required for the selection of a player. To two undersized mid-major guards who had made a career out of outpunching their weight, though, odds meant little. While Lillard did get the best of him in their individual matchup, McCollum got what he needed most in his return to Portland: a win. [48], Across 70 games, starting in all of them, McCollum would average 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists for the season. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Lillard helped bridge the gap between award-winning hip-hop artist and one of the faces of Adidas. [7], Over his four collegiate years, McCollum added 30 pounds of muscle to fill out his frame. '. You have permission to edit this article. Obviously, thats a tough matchup for anybody. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. CJ McCollum not worried about an All-Star nomination. [47] In Game 4 of the Trail Blazers' first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, McCollum scored 38 points in a 131123 loss. I think that was the desperation we need to play with moving forward. Vote here: https://n. Sports Illustrated's 38th-best player last season. Long before they teamed up in Portland, McCollum (Lehigh University) and Lillard (Weber State University) took turns leading the nation in scoring. CJ McCollum however, 12-veteran and NBPA President, has never made an NBA All-Star Game and is again getting looked over by the fan voters. Liddell (right knee ACL injury recovery). [49] On December 12, he matched his season high with 40 points during a 9283 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Last Hurrah OT Duel vs. Hardens Rockets Dec. 26, 2020. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Talk about Blazers vs. Hawks First Half Here! 5. Unfortunately CJ McCollum has fallen victim of being one of the outsiders looking at the All-Star Game through a pane of glass unfairly. But he doesnt need anyones validation, acknowledgement or praise to fuel his passion for basketball. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. [31] Only four days later, he posted 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a career-high 3 blocks as Portland beat the Denver Nuggets, 115113, in an overtime contest. He deployed Herb Jones at center in small lineups for much of the fourth quarter and attempted to disrupt the Lillard pick-and-roll by throwing multiple coverages at him. I guess we got lucky. The Pelicans star forward finished the win with a season-high 40 points while also chipping in six rebounds and five assists. By the time the year is over, he will have collected close to $180 million in career earnings. Last Call for Blazers Edge Night Help (Please?). It was kind of getting back to how we play.. [72] On December 30, McCollum scored 42 points on 11 three-pointers in a 127116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored 34 points in Mondays win over the Washington Wizards. If it happens, thats great. The New Orleans Pelicans are in California to face off with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday evening, and for the game they could be without their star shooting guard. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. 3 First Team All-Patriot League (20102012), 3 Patriot League All-Tournament team (20102012), Patriot League's all-time leading scorer (2361 points), Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 03:34. On July 27, 2016, McCollum signed a four-year contract extension with Portland. And, in one of the more high-consequence games in recent Blazers memory, his running mate CJ McCollum all the while playing through a L3 vertebral transverse process fracture in his back was just as scintillating as the two combined for 60 points. closest McCollum's come to the All-Star courts were the 2016 and 2017 three-point contests. [27] McCollum would subsequently earn NBA Most Improved Player honors for his breakout 201516 season. For the season, he would average 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists a night across 80 games. When NBA players discuss some of the benefits to that of their sport, in comparison to say, the NFL where games are often seven days apart one of the positives they always bring up: after a bad performance, you normally dont have to wait as long for a shot at redemption. Christian James McCollum (born September 19, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Over that span, Lillard averaged 45.1 points, 9.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds on 53-53-88 splits (no, there are no typos there), with the sub-.500 Blazers needing every ounce of it to keep their fledgling postseason aspirations alive. 5 in games played (436) and No. It's an undeserving slight given McCollum's career and current season. Not that any one knew it, or even wanted it at the time, but towards the end of the 2014-15 season, there were opportunities that showcased what a homegrown backcourt pairing of Lillard and McCollum could look like. [28], McCollum helped the Blazers claim victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, 42, in the first round of the playoffs. [32] During a 10094 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on November 6, he matched his earlier career-high by racking up 37 points. Gambling problem? News: 1 day ago McCollum registered 24 points (9-19 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists across 36 minutes during Wednesday's 121-110 victory over the Trail Blazers. When one didnt have it, the other did, as evidenced by each of them averaging 25+ over the seven-game series. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The only other player to pull off this feat in Pelicans franchise history is Anthony Davis, who did it five times. Glen Oak in Canton, Ohio, Draft: The 31-year-old guard battled the flu and COVID-19 early this season. His 11 three-pointers were a Pelicans franchise record for the most three-pointers made in a game. He just doesnt know if he will be there solely to take meetings as the president of the NBA Players Association or if his trip to Salt Lake City will serve a dual purpose. When Dame was out this year, his usage spiked and he put up great numbers. John Amis/Associated Press. [84] He has his own label, McCollum Heritage 91, named after the street he grew up on and his birth year. Lillard finished with 29 points and six assists, McCollum with 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Like Lillard, McCollum compared the experience to playing against each other in scrimmages. Ingram shot a tidy 18-of-29 from the field and didnt record a single turnover in 38 minutes of game action. "Me knowing him the way I know him, I wanted to make sure we set the tone early.". What often goes forgotten in that game is that Portland, to borrow another boxing term, were very much so against the ropes, trailing 101-93 with nine minutes to play. He is averaging 13.3 points per game, and has helped the Blazers maintain an 18-12 record so far. [16] On February 8, McCollum posted a season-high 19 points in a 117110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. As such, he has written articles concerning the NBA for various media outlets;[80] in one of his pieces, he interviewed the Commissioner of the league Adam Silver. He hit a franchise-record 11 3-pointers in a Dec. 30 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, and he is now up to 40.3% shooting from distance on 7.4 attempts per game. [59] Portland went on to lose the Conference Finals in a four-game sweep to the Warriors. A large black-and-white photo of McCollum's late fadeaway jumper in a Game 7 win over Denver in the 2019 playoffs hangs on a gray, tiled wall about 10 feet away from Portland's locker room. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Bucks - Game Summary - November 21, 2019 - ESPN", "McCollum, Anthony carry Blazers past Pistons, 107-104", "Trail Blazers' CJ McCollum: Lights up Magic for 41", "VIDEO: CJ McCollum's game-winning three spoils James Harden's OT heroics", "Portland Trail Blazers' CJ McCollum elected NBPA president", "CJ MCCOLLUM DIAGNOSED WITH A PNEUMOTHORAX", "Portland Trail Blazers vs Orlando Magic Jan 17, 2022 Game Summary", "TRail Blazers Complete Trade With New Orleans", "Pelicans winning streak snapped by Heat in McCollum's debut, lose 112-97", "CJ McCollum, Pelicans Beat Dejounte Murray, Spurs in 2022 NBA Play-in Tournament", "CJ McCollum agrees to 2-year extension with Pelicans", "CJ McCollum etches name in Pelicans history with monster game vs. Spurs", "Pelicans star Zion Williamson reveals what made CJ McCollum's 42-point explosion 'beautiful', "CJ McCollum in favor of playing out the rest of the season at a single site", "C.J. He never made an All-NBA Team. [84], 20182022: Conference Finals and last years in Portland, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 03:34, "Lehigh Mountain Hawks 2009 Player Commits", List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders, "CJ McCollum Named Kia Most Improved Player", "Blazers send thanks to Aldridge, Matthews, Batum, and Lopez", "Patriot League Men's Basketball All-League Teams and Awards Announced", "201112 Men's Basketball All-Patriot League Teams and Major Awards Announced", "NCAA basketball: Lehigh pulls off monumental upset of Duke", "C.J. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? Tonight marks the first-ever game between Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Mar 27, 2022 4:52 PM EDT. If the Portland Trail Blazers guard continues in this vein of form, he is a surefire All-Star selection. Before joining The Athletic, he was a writer at The Times-Picayune/NOLA Media Group, and he's been on the Pelicans beat since 2016. On December 27, McColllum put up 35 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 9 assists during a 9894 win over the Sacramento Kings. Thus far, it is 2-2 even though three of its normal starters Williamson, Ingram and Herb Jones have all missed multiple games. [70], On September 24, 2022, McCollum agreed to a two-year, $64 million extension with the Pelicans. McCollum finished the night with 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but it wasnt his offensive performance that left his teammates giddy after the buzzer. Instagram: When that swap with the Portland Trail Blazers was finalized on Feb. 8, New Orleans record was 22-32. [8], On November 25, 2012, McCollum scored 26 points in a 9177 win over Sacred Heart to pass Rob Feaster as the Patriot League's all-time leading scorer. We have great human beings in here. During his third year in the league in 2015-16, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player [1] . [61] On February 23, 2020, he would surpass that season-high with a 41-point, 9-rebound, 12-assist performance in a 107104 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Because so many special moments followed each other, one after another in the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals, well cheat. The peak of that stretch came in a 128-126 thriller over the Houston Rockets, in which McCollum poured in 44 points, eight assists and nine 3-pointers, and Lillard provided reinforcement with 32 points, five rebounds and nine assists, the last of which proved to be the most important. once 30-8 and No. While accolades are great, McCollum values being a good person and helping his team win over making it to the big game. Damian Lillard spoke about the Blazers trading CJ McCollum pic.twitter.com/KGgKUasAex. CJ McCollum averages 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. He has been a marquee name for over a decade and since becoming a starter in 2015 McCollum has averaged over 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 40% shooting behind the arc. But we just care about each other. 1 / 23 CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 19: CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots a three point basket during the game during the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest as part of 2022 NBA All Star. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. For Lillard and McCollum, that cohesion was at its most prolific in the spring of 2019. Over the season, McCollum has averaged 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers on 43/40/79 shooting splits, providing some much-needed veteran leadership as well. A few other Pelicans joked about the effort McCollum put in guarding Lillard full court early in the game. He picked apart every coverage the Blazers threw at him and turned in one of the most efficient scoring performances of his career. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. [22] After injury decommissioned Lillard in late December, McCollum filled in as the primary point guard. I get paid like an All-Star, McCollum said. That's borderline laughable but, as with real estate's main rule, location dictates that's just how it goes sometimes for small-market stars. And, as the old saying goes, the best ability is availability. 4. CJ McCollum will be in attendance for NBA All-Star Weekend in February. McCollum played high school basketball for the Golden Eagles at GlenOak High School in his native city of Canton, Ohio. [54] On March 1, he scored 35 points and matched a career best by making seven 3-pointers in a 119117 loss to the Toronto Raptors. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, CJ McCollum questionable for Wednesday road game at Lakers, 5 things to know about the Pelicans on Feb. 14, 2023. [35] He set another career-high for points scored with 43 on January 1 during a 9589 win over the Timberwolves. [24] On February 12, he was named among the invites to All-Star Weekend's Three-Point Contest. CJ McCollum was born on September 19, 1991, making him 28 years old as of 2019. [44] On January 1, to defeat the Chicago Bulls, 124120, he scored 25 of 32 points after halftime, including the game-clinching basket with 56.5 seconds left in overtime. [45] During a game on January 31, as Portland defeated the Bulls, 124108, McCollum scored a franchise-record 28 points in the first quarter alone, and he finished with a career-high 50 points in only three periods before heading to the bench for the fourth. CJ McCollum has started the 2021 season on a high. But desperation also provides a much-needed opportunity to think outside the box and generate positive results. )[23] McCollum was able to resume his starting shooting guard role on January 4 as Lillard was back on his feet, returned from injury. All-Star honors stick on a resume forever and he might be the best active player without those bragging rights. In sickness and health, McCollum rains jumpers. PORTLAND -- After playing more than 500 regular-season games together as teammates with the Portland Trail Blazers, guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum squared off against each other for the first time Wednesday, more than a year after McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2022.
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