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Portland Trail Blazers: One statistic to define each players 2019/20 season

By Marlow Ferguson Jr.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Damian Lillard #0 and CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers stand on the court for the National Anthem before their game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on October 25, 2019 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Damian Lillard #0 and CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers stand on the court for the National Anthem before their game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on October 25, 2019 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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CJ McCollum
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

No. 2: C.J. McCollum

The statistic: In the ten post All-Star break games, McCollum’s per game numbers were matched by just six players in NBA history.

So, here’s a bit of a spoiler alert: C.J. McCollum plays some pretty brilliant basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers. But something about the calendar turning from February to March, historically at least, has always brought forth an additional gear in his engine.

We can make our best estimates. Perhaps it’s the now week-long rest that allows way for mental rejuvenation. Maybe it’s the pressure; the lights get brighter, games carry more importance, and competitive juices flow.

This year, the absence of his All-Star backcourt mate allowed for additional freedom, and McCollum responded to the tone of: 28.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists on a 57.4 true shooting percentage.

League wide, only six players — Larry Bird, Luka Doncic, James Harden, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson — have done so over a full season. That isn’t to say that McCollum should (or could) stabilize these numbers over a full season, but it gives you a sense of what he’s been about, as the Blazers seek a seventh consecutive postseason bid.

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For that reason, let’s say the NBA doesn’t resume regular season play in 2019-20. It could serve as a number that defines the season for the Blazers. A lower-tier “What If,” if you will.

What if the season had continued? Were we about to see a premature Playoff version of the Blazer guard? McCollum has spoken before about how his shooting splits hit the incline in the later months. What if a few more of those shots dropped in the earlier months?

In many ways, much of what McCollum thrives upon — snatch back, herky-jerky, pull-up middies and offensive lessons in isolation for even the best of defenders — serves as a middle finger to the analytics wave. And thankfully so. But those numbers paint a picture that tells the same story.

2019-20: 

  • Pre All-Star: .534 true shooting percentage, 108 ORtg
  • Post All-Star: .583 true shooting percentage, 120 ORtg

2018-19: 

  • Pre All-Star: .547 true shooting percentage, 110 ORtg
  • Post All-Star: .576 true shooting percentage, 120 ORtg

2016-17:

  • Pre All-Star: .591 true shooting percentage, 114 ORtg
  • Post All-Star: .571 true shooting percentage, 115 ORtg

2015-16:

  • Pre All-Star: .532 true shooting percentage, 106 ORtg
  • Post All-Star: .569 true shooting percentage, 110 ORtg

As you might have noticed, 2017-18 serves as the lone exception. McCollum struggled through a slump of missing shots he normally makes, but found his footing before the postseason.

In most basketball discussions, too many numbers dilutes the conversation. Here’s what matters: McCollum has made a habit of speaking on what he plans to do late in the season, and it has an Energizer effect on both the team’s play, and the team’s record. The Athletic’s Jason Quick alluded to it, and later, McCollum and Jordan Schultz did the same on the Pull Up podcast: updating this year’s numbers, the last four seasons have seen the Blazers go 75-38 — a 54-win pace — after the break.

Should the NBA resume from its current point, maybe it serves as merely another chance for McCollum and Co. to spark another come-from-behind postseason squeak-in. If not, it could provide something to think about over the … summer?