With Arron Afflalo back in the starting lineup, C.J. McCollum gave an excellent Game 3 performance. He finished with a playoff career-high 26 points, outscoring everyone else on the Portland bench (combined) more than six times over. How should the Trail Blazers utilize him to best replicate that success in Game 4?
Jason Hortsch: Seven of McCollum’s 14 shots came at the basket during Game 3 (he made four of them). This was complemented by 2-4 shooting from three, and 2-3 shooting from midrange, an all-around excellent performance. The biggest takeaway that I saw for the Blazers moving forward is that McCollum should be allowed to handle the ball more.
The aforementioned seven shots at the rim show that he can get there, and are sorely needed against the stifling Memphis defense. With Nicolas Batum re-establishing himself as a legitimate 3-point threat, any penetration that McCollum can provide will be a huge benefit for Portland; especially its shooters.
McCollum’s first step has never been jaw-dropping, but lately it seems that more and more he has been able to “turn the corner” on his defender with his subsequent steps. If he can use this ability to get into the heart of the defense and force a reaction, the breathing space this allows for the other Blazers will be welcome.
Patrick Heath: They should continue to bring CJ off the bench as it’s where he seems the most comfortable at this time. However; Afflalo essentially being non-existent on offense last night and struggling with foul trouble, McCollum needs to see extended minutes in Game 4. With the Blazers’ season in the balance Head Coach Terry Stotts is viable to go in any direction, but McCollum seems to be more in-tune with the free flowing system than Afflalo. The ball sticks in Afflalo’s hands at times (especially when he’s posting up). If McCollum can repeat his game 3 performance while adding defensive help, the Blazers will have a far greater chance of making this series competitive.
Bryce Olin: I’d say they need to let CJ keep doing what he did in Game 3. Like Lillard, McCollum can get his own shot in the right situations, and we’ve always known what he can do from 3-point range. Since Conley is out for Game 4, McCollum might get Nick Calathes or Beno Udrih on him most of the night. If that’s the case, he should attack the basket and force Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph to rotate.
David MacKay: The Trail Blazers need him to drive. He attempted nine free throws on Saturday. Nine. That is the most he has attempted in any game during his NBA career, playoffs or otherwise. More than that, he made eight of them. I don’t especially care whether he stops short for a floater, finishes with an up-and-under, or plays for the foul, as long as he is attacking. He needs to focus on penetration if he wants to be rewarded the same way in Game 4.
That being said, I don’t necessarily want his end goal to be scoring if the shot isn’t there. He is, historically speaking, not the best at finishing in traffic; especially right at the rim. Yet, he now has the Grizzlies’ attention. If he can make them respect that he is a threat, suddenly the Memphis defense has to work to contain him, opening the door for other Trail Blazers to capitalize on momentary breathing room.