Ranking the top 10 Portland Trail Blazers of all time
By Reese Kunz
No. 9 – CJ McCollum
After selecting Damian Lillard out of Weber State sixth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Blazers struck gold on another guard from a small school the following year when CJ McCollum was taken 10th overall out of Lehigh University.
He had nine highly productive seasons with the Blazers. Now 31 years old and in his 11th season, CJ has career averages of 19 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds.
He’s always been an elite scorer, with 45/40/81 shooting splits for his career. In 2016, McCollum earned Most Improved Player honors.
The year prior, CJ was limited to only playing 16 minutes a game in his second year. He was stuck behind a crowded depth chart; the Blazers had shooting guards Wesley Matthews, Arron Afflalo, and Allen Crabbe.
The following year, McCollum’s opportunity increased significantly. He went from starting only three games to starting 80, and his minutes increased from 16 to 35. CJ took advantage of the increased opportunity by averaging 21 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds that year.
Since his third season, CJ’s numbers have been very consistent. McCollum is great offensively – he’s a reliable scorer that is also great at setting up teammates.