Will Guillory is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans star forward finished the win with a season-high 40 points while also chipping in six rebounds and five assists. McCollum had to sit out four games due to being in the NBA's health and safety protocol program but he has led the New Orleans Pelicans with an unquestionable leadership style and scoring savvy that deserves recognition. [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. For Lillard and McCollum, that cohesion was at its most prolific in the spring of 2019. #RipCity #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/gx5FvsyBgy. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. Even beyond the emotional stakes of McCollum and Lillards first meeting as opponents, New Orleans needed this win to hold off a team now neck-and-neck with them in the playoff race. 1 in the Western Conference had become more of an unfortunate What If story. The finale for both teams prior to the NBA All-Star break will tip off at 9 p.m. Central and will be broadcast by Bally Sports, ESPN and 99.5 FM. All eyes were on McCollum and Lillard going into this game as they shared the court for the first time since last Februarys trade. As New Orleans continues to scrounge for ways to win games amid its injury woes, Green discovering this lineup could be a significant development. CJ McCollum shows off vision with nice pass vs. Atlanta Hawks. once 30-8 and No. home/away, monthly, etc More CJ McCollum Basketball Reference pages, 2022-23 Pelicans NEW ORLEANS CJ McCollum scored a season-high 40 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-117 to end their four-game losing streak. us, High School: [48], Across 70 games, starting in all of them, McCollum would average 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists for the season. He just doesn't know if he will be there solely to take meetings as the president of the NBA Players Association or. Just long, athletic guys all over the place. 5 in games played (436) and No. CJMcCollum [33] On November 20, McCollum scored 33 points and hit a career-high 6 three-pointers, to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 129109. [14] McCollum sat out the first six weeks of the regular season with a foot injury. The former NBA Most Improved Player in 2015-16 has. CJ McCollum attended Glen Oak in Canton, Ohio and Lehigh. In subsequent press conferences, the two would even grow to develop similar mannerisms, complementing one another along the way. Although McCollum has only played 13 games and has been sidelined dealing with a foot injury, he was averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Trail Blazers. The Last Hurrah OT Duel vs. Hardens Rockets Dec. 26, 2020. He knew the Pelicans plan was to wear Lillard down throughout the game. In celebration for those, we look back at eight-and-a-half of their greatest moments in tandem. 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. Talk about Blazers vs. Hawks Second Half Here! Last Call for Blazers Edge Night Help (Please?). One of the most durable scorers in the game, he finished second in west guard voting last year. Unfortunately CJ McCollum has fallen victim of being one of the outsiders looking at the All-Star Game through a pane of glass unfairly. I Broke My Back, Spinal! Play-In Game, 2020 vs. MEM. To get his team over the hump, Ingram must consistently play at a superstar level the rest of the way. 20 of ESPNs analysts made picks for this series, 19 of them siding with Oklahoma City. Circumstances are undoubtedly different since that culture-changing Feb. 6, 2022 deal that sent McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans. 'Felt like practice': Lillard, McCollum square off, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. Dynamic duos dont survive nearly a full decade together without learning how to reach peak performance simultaneously. New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3), shown here driving against Brooklyn Nets forward TJ Warren at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, will be back home with his teammates Wednesday night following a five-game road trip, as the Pels take on the Miami Heat. Taking care of business for the players. 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. [17], On October 27, 2014, Portland exercised their third-year team option to extended McCollum's rookie scale contract through 201516. Long before they teamed up in Portland, McCollum (Lehigh University) and Lillard (Weber State University) took turns leading the nation in scoring. Towards the climax of that stretch, Lillard, in the middle of the 51-point game against Utah (of course), stepped to the free throw line, awaiting the ball before a familiar chant orchestrated by McCollum and Carmelo Anthony broke out: The entire arena gives Dame MVP chants after his 51-point game pic.twitter.com/kUZ4Fpv692. [4], As a junior in the 201112 campaign, McCollum again earned Patriot League Player of the Year, as well as his third straight First Team All-Conference designation. [62] McCollum matched his season-high on March 2, scoring 41 points in a 130107 win over the Orlando Magic. Michael Reaves/Getty Images) I would say this is the most unique position we've been in probably since I was traded here, to be honest. The historic, 68-point, 23-assist game the two had against Sacramento on Jan. 14, 2021. Or write about sports? In 2022, McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, ending his nine year run with the Blazers. closest McCollum's come to the All-Star courts were the 2016 and 2017 three-point contests. I understand the work he puts in and he understands the work I put in, and we continue to empower each other., CJ McCollum says he doesnt care if he never makes an All-Star Game, heres why, McCollum looked like a bonafide All-Star before suffering a left mid-foot fracture that sidelined him for nearly two months. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Obviously, thats a tough matchup for anybody. 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. I just do my job. When McCollum made his first visit back to Portland last March, Lillard was sidelined by season-ending surgery to repair an abdominal injury. From a group standpoint, the best of it came during Game One of the First Round of the 2017 Playoffs, in which Lillard and McCollum combined for 75 points, just shy of the record shared by Aldridge-Lillard and Drexler-Porter groupings. 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. After McCollum poured 35 points on the Miami Heat Thursday tohelplead Portland to a 125-122 victory, he earned the walk-off interview for his stellar performance. He has made 55/114 (48%) of his three-pointers but has committed 46 turnovers. McCollum was named First Team All-Conference. averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 44.1% from three, all career highs, McCollums name was missing from the list of reserves for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. [82] McCollum also helps foster local youths' interest in journalists through an initiative called CJ's Press Pass; it grants aspiring journalists access to postgame news conferences and provides them the opportunity to attend events with McCollum, to receive personalized mentorship from members of the media, and to have their work published. As a senior, he was named a McDonald's All-American, averaging 24.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. Not just great basketball players. McCollum has a podcast studio in his home and brings portable recording equipment with him when he is out of town. The fans obliged and the Pelicans saw out a 127-116 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Most Valuable McCollum leads the MVP chants for Lillard Feb. 2, 2020. [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. [74] It is co-hosted by ESPN analyst Jordan Schultz. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. PORTLAND Even a year after his departure, CJ McCollum is still featured prominently next to other historic Portland Trail Blazers figures in the back hallway of Moda Center. With Valanciunas and Nance Jr. both sidelined due to injuries, Pelicans coach Willie Greens frontcourt options were already limited. Over the first 11 games, McCollum averaged 28.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on 47-44-84 splits. 7 in minutes played (15,030). I am going to make shots and am going to help us win.. He has nine years of those experiences working alongside Damian Lillard. [50] On December 23, in a game against the Warriors, McCollum moved past Damon Stoudamire (717) into fifth on the Blazers' career list for 3-pointers. No Blazer had recorded numbers on par with McCollum's near triple-double in the last 29 years (Clyde Drexler posted 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists or more on five occasions. Buthe is the only member of the Trail Blazers to make the cut. [36] In a game on January 13, a 115109 loss to the Orlando Magic, he posted 26 points to extended his streak of games with 25-plus points to eight in a row, the third-longest in Blazers' history (only Geoff Petrie with 11 and Clyde Drexler with 9 games have had longer among Blazers players. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, They said it! And, as the old saying goes, the best ability is availability. Schooling the Thunder once in Game One was to get the monkey of their respective backs; to do it again would be sending a message. March 4, 2023, 12:40 AM. Both Anthony and McCollum deserved to be reserved in the All-Star game this year if we look at the output both of them have put out. Maybe, the former Most Improved Player will finally get the first All-Star nod of his career. McCollum looked like a bonafide All-Star before suffering a left mid-foot fracture that sidelined him for nearly two months. No real explanation why; w/ some players it just never feels smart counting them out.Take a look at his rsum in elimination matchups w/ the Blazers. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. The organization is doing a good job of picking its characters up.. Like most every other team in the NBA from 2014-15 to 2018-19, performances didnt hold the same value unless you did it against the Golden State Warriors. The fact that each guard played in 90+ percent of the games they shared together. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. The championship window seemed shattered on the ruptured Achilles of Wesley Matthews, and within weeks, the talented two-guardalong with fellow starters Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and Robin Lopezwould become a thing of the past. [56] In Game 3 of the Trail Blazers' second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, McCollum matched his career playoff high with 41 points during a 140137 win in quadruple-overtime. Thus far, it is 2-2 even though three of its normal starters Williamson, Ingram and Herb Jones have all missed multiple games. "At first, it was weird," Lillard said after the 121-110 loss to New Orleans. To two undersized mid-major guards who had made a career out of outpunching their weight, though, odds meant little. Every ticket you donate goes to someone who wouldnt have been able to see the Blazers play without you! Final #NBAAllStar Fan Voting Results pic.twitter.com/Ijz1dswNho. 3. McCollum is not known for his defense, but he said he has so much familiarity with Lillards game that he wanted to take on that responsibility early on. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. "Me knowing him the way I know him, I wanted to make sure we set the tone early.". Staying confident in everything that Im doing. My job is to take advantage of them.. [81], McCollum is involved in his community as a radio personality and philanthropist. Im here to win games. Christian James McCollum (born September 19, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lillard, ultimately named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Restart in the Orlando bubble, wasnt lacking in motivation. Im always focused on getting to my spots and knocking down the shots I work on every day in the gym. Combining for 62 PTS, @CJMcCollum (33p/8r/5a) & @Dame_Lillard (29p/4r/6a) propel the @trailblazers to a 2-0 series lead! [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. McCollum: 'More Than Just a Basketball Player', "CJ McCollum Dream Center Opens at Blazers Boys & Girls Club", "Portland's CJ McCollum is a Silent Assassin on the Court and a Blooming Journalist Off of it", "NBA star CJ McCollum is keeping his hotel room a frigid temperature to create a wine cellar for the 84 bottles he ordered to the Disney bubble", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CJ_McCollum&oldid=1140860142. Gabor won zero championships. Sources: 2021 NBA All-Star reserves:West: Chris Paul, Paul George, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Zion Williamson, Anthony DavisEast: James Harden, Julius Randle, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine, Ben Simmons, Nikola Vucevic. [69] On April 13, during the NBA Play-In Tournament, McCollum recorded 32 points, six rebounds, and seven assists leading the Pelicans past the San Antonio Spurs 113103 and advancing New Orleans to the eight seed game. Both are generational talents with name recognition having good to outstanding seasons so that cache and respect goes a long way with NBA fans. On April 16, 2017, Portland lost 121109 to the Warriors in Game 1 of the first-round series; yet McCollum's 41 points during the game was his postseason career-best and made him only the eighth Blazer with a 40-point playoff performance. 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. Steph Curry and Luka Doncic as the top two backcourt options makes complete sense. "Obviously, that's a tough matchup," McCollum said. 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. Lillard's teammates, Carmelo Anthony and CJ McCollum, did not make the All-star reserve list, despite being in the top-10 in fan voting just last week. To count a few: theres (1) Lillards pissed off at the NBA, 51-point performance against Golden State, fresh off of another All-Star snub, (2) the corner game-winner with three Warriors in his airspace in 2018-19, and even a cohesive 41-point second half takeover from Lillard and McCollum in a Feb. 14, 2018 win, providing some hope that, with both teams fully healthy, Portland could withstand the challenge. Can you help us send children in need to see the Blazers play the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, March 29th? [49] On December 12, he matched his season high with 40 points during a 9283 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. [84] He has his own label, McCollum Heritage 91, named after the street he grew up on and his birth year. In the process, the Lillard-McCollum match had seldom looked better; they would become the first backcourt duo to each score 250+ points in their teams first ten games: The only others in league history to have done so at that time? CJ McCollumhas averaged 32.4 points, 8.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 8 games without Damian Lillardthis season. He joined Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, and Tyreke Evans as the only players in Pelicans history to put up at least 40 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in a game. CJ McCollum was drafted by Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (10th pick, 10th overall), 2013 NBA Draft. We present them here for purely educational purposes. But its more about team success.. Averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game on 40% shooting from three,. Afterward, Alvarado said New Orleans stars not having inflated egos is part of why the team has a strong locker room. He was an All-Star just once. )[23] McCollum was able to resume his starting shooting guard role on January 4 as Lillard was back on his feet, returned from injury. Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant (2001-02), Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant (17, 18, 19), and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (2020-21). 1 in minutes played (15,750) with McCollum at No. Although McCollum has only played 13 games and has been sidelined dealing with a foot injury, he was averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Trail Blazers. 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. For reference: the Blazers had gone 1-12 in the 13 postseason games prior, leaving them short on confidence among the national media. After . Lillard helped bridge the gap between award-winning hip-hop artist and one of the faces of Adidas. The list of things going right for Portland is pretty small. [3] McCollum would eventually benefit from a late growth spurt, gaining five inches by his second year and another four inches by his third year of high school; it proved enough to put him on the radar for college recruitment. We came out and just competed, played hard. McCollum had 24 points and teamed with Brandon Ingram, who scored a season-high 40, to either score or assist on 29 of New Orleans' 31 points in the fourth quarter. Willie Green Wins Coach of the Month Award, Smoothie King Center Sell-Outs Now Normal, Pelicans Fans: NBA All-Star Voting Is Live, Pelicans Issue Update On Zion Williamson's Injury, CJ McCollum Shares Thoughts On Injury Bug, Pelicans Trade Market Index: Case For Keeping Current Squad. [59] Portland went on to lose the Conference Finals in a four-game sweep to the Warriors.