He is averaging 21.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists. pic.twitter.com/GRbo89wKhV, New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 2, 2023. 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. Among players to log at least 500 games, McCollum's 19.4 points per game scoring average ranks No. McCollum has a podcast studio in his home and brings portable recording equipment with him when he is out of town. [57] In Game 6, he scored 30 points in a 119108 win, helping the Blazers tie the series against the Nuggets at 33. [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. 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. If Im going to be an elite guard, Ive got to pick up full court sometimes and do whatever it takes, McCollum said. Join our linker program. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. CJ McCollum will be in attendance for NBA All-Star Weekend in February. [18] For his sophomore season, he played 15.7 minutes per outing while averaging 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1 assist across 62 games. 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. 7. Both are generational talents with name recognition having good to outstanding seasons so that cache and respect goes a long way with NBA fans. CJ McCollum Game by Game Stats and Performance | ESPN 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. 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. He was an All-Star just once. 6 overall in 2012, they took McCollum with another lottery pick (No. The epitaph on this partnerships life cycle had started in the lead-up to their First Round meeting against Russell Westbrook, Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder. All-Star honors stick on a resume forever and he might be the best active player without those bragging rights. On July 27, 2016, McCollum signed a four-year contract extension with Portland. Watch CJ McCollum drop 40 on Spurs, help Pelicans snap four-game losing CJ is big on that, backup point guard Jose Alvarado said. Had he stayed healthy, he surely would be a top-10 guard in the Western Conference. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. #NBAPlayoffs #RipCity pic.twitter.com/jT0rBQgcJS. [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. A reserve in his first two years, he became a full-time starter for the Trail Blazers in his third season after making the decision to move to shooting guard as the Blazers lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and Robin Lopez in free agency following the end of the 2014-15 season. Still, McCollum not even making the top ten? [4], As a sophomore in 201011, McCollum increased his averages to 21.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per outing. The year after the Blazers drafted Lillard No. [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. Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (10th pick, 10th overall), 2013 NBA Draft, More CJ McCollum pages at Sports Reference. CJ McCollum's For Pelicans-Lakers Game - Fastbreak on FanNation Ingram shot a tidy 18-of-29 from the field and didnt record a single turnover in 38 minutes of game action. Big-time stuff. If you look at the numbers, Pelicans guard CJ McCollum is easily an All-Star caliber player. CJ McCollum on potentially making the All-Star game this year: "I get [74] It is co-hosted by ESPN analyst Jordan Schultz. Or write about sports? CJ McCollum is on Instagram at 3jmccollum. The two provided multiple avenues for which the fanbase could connect. McCollum named Kia NBA Most Improved Player", "C.J. 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. Vote here: https://n. [75] Guests on the show have included Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. [10] McCollum went on to graduate from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.[11][12]. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. CJ McCollum Getting Snubbed in NBA All-Star Voting - Sports Illustrated New Orleans Pelicans News, Analysis, and More CJ McCollum Getting Snubbed By NBA All-Star Game Voters CJ. 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. The former Portland Trail Blazers star was also an AP All-American in college and the 2016 NBA Most Improved Player. I think that was the desperation we need to play with moving forward. McCollum deserves the honor and has time to prove it this season. The first-ever Playoffs series win vs. the Clippers in 2016. However, Portland was then ousted in the second round matchup by the Golden State Warriors, going down 41; though it would come in the 125121 loss that ended the Blazers' postseason run, McCollum recorded his third 27-point game of the playoffs during Game 5.[29]. A wave to instruct the crowd to get loud followed. C.J. Vote CJ McCollum 2023 NBA All-Star - YouTube 7 in minutes played (15,030). CJ McCollum on potentially making the All-Star game this year: "I get paid like an All-Star" 12 Jan 2023 03:28:42 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! pic.twitter.com/URZ0mDnBD0. McCollum: Why I'm returning to Lehigh for my senior year", "McCollum breaks record in 9177 win at Sacred Heart", "Hulls Named Finalist for Senior CLASS Award", "Lehigh alum C.J. 'I get paid like an All-Star. The Thunder opened up a double-digit lead midway through the second and a 70.6 percent win probability at that before the Blazers star duo did what expectations suggested they should: This sequence by Damian Lillard is still iconic pic.twitter.com/yZfuiLLfWx. If not, I am treated very well on the 1st and the 15th. McCollum checked Haynes for being among those who didnt expect the pairing to work when they first started, highlighting some of the chip on their shoulder approaches that Portland fans have come to know all too well. It's an undeserving slight given McCollum's career and current season. "At first, it was weird," Lillard said after the 121-110 loss to New Orleans. [70], On September 24, 2022, McCollum agreed to a two-year, $64 million extension with the Pelicans. During his third year in the league in 201516, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player.[1]. Just staying consistent in playing super hard all the time, forward Herb Jones told The Athletic. His 11 three-pointers were a Pelicans franchise record for the most three-pointers made in a game. Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and . 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. [6] In 2012, the Mountain Hawks beat the Duke Blue Devils, 7570, in the school's first ever victory at the NCAA Division I tournament, during which McCollum posted a game-high 30 points; this marked only the sixth time in the history of the tournament that a team seeded 15th defeated a team seeded second. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Afterward, Alvarado said New Orleans stars not having inflated egos is part of why the team has a strong locker room. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. The Bulls add by subtraction while the Raptors bring on a sneaky good addition to their second unit. 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. Yet the closest McCollum's come to the All-Star courts were the 2016 and 2017 three-point contests. Odds & lines subject to change. On the NBA 2K series, this would lead to a 10 percent increase in teammate chemistry. Sure, there were bigger on-court moments, but it proved full-circle for two teammates who always seemed to root on one anothers successes. For the season, he would average 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists a night across 80 games. There was a problem saving your notification. [33] On November 20, McCollum scored 33 points and hit a career-high 6 three-pointers, to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 129109. CJ McCollum was born on September 19, 1991. The 2021 All Star Game in Indianapolis is still almost a year away. closest McCollum's come to the All-Star courts were the 2016 and 2017 three-point contests. Find out more. 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. Indeed, New Orleans later switched to defensive stoppers Herbert Jones, Dyson Daniels and Josh Richardson against Lillard, denying him the basketball in an effort to force other Portland players to beat them. And if not, Ill be out there for some meetings anyway. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. 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? You know what Im saying? CJ McCollum ( New Orleans Pelicans) with a 3-pointer vs the Golden State Warriors, 03/03/2023. With so many to choose from, its likely that many slipped through the cracks or have more significant backstories than others. Over the first 11 games, McCollum averaged 28.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on 47-44-84 splits. I get paid like an All-Star, McCollum said. inCanton,Ohio [72] On December 30, McCollum scored 42 points on 11 three-pointers in a 127116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. CJ McCollum not worried about an NBA All-Star nomination | Pelicans Damian Lillard. He consistently made the right play and was unbothered by Portlands attempts to run double teams or zone coverages to force him into mistakes. [78] They have one son named Jacobi who was born on January 10, 2022. CJ McCollum's first game against Damian Lillard yields much-needed On a contending Rockets team, Harden is one of the most popular players in the game and already a seven-time All-Star. The 31-year-old guard battled the flu and COVID-19 early this season. 0:23; That forced Green to try something different. [3] By graduation, McCollum had become the leading scorer in Golden Eagles history, with 1,405 career points, and was named Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year for his final campaign, the 200809 season. 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. [15] He was recalled by the Blazers on January 5 and made his NBA debut three days later, during which he notched 4 points as Portland beat the Orlando Magic, 11094. We have great human beings in here. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Portland Trail Blazers: CJ McCollum is a surefire All-Star in 2021 [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. McCollum, who is in his 10th season, has never been named an All-Star. You could argue I should have made it in previous years. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports. And, as the old saying goes, the best ability is availability. Talk about Blazers vs. Hawks First Half Here! 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. 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. The historic, 68-point, 23-assist game the two had against Sacramento on Jan. 14, 2021. McCollum led New Orleans in scoring with 25 points, but the team's offense floundered in the second half. There will be no Jamal Murray jokes today. Knowing that if we blitz (Lillard) with Willy and (Jaxson Hayes), what if we go with Herb at the five? Pels coach Willie Green said. It has been almost one year since the Pelicans traded for McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. Circumstances are undoubtedly different since that culture-changing Feb. 6, 2022 deal that sent McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans. Having convened for an annual photoshoot, the rookie class of 2013 took an NBA.com survey, according to which McCollum was voted the 201314 Rookie of the Year (together with Victor Oladipo). CJ McCollum was born on September 19, 1991, making him 28 years old as of 2019. Unfortunately CJ McCollum has fallen victim of being one of the outsiders looking at the All-Star Game through a pane of glass unfairly. MLB swings and misses in political debacle to move All-Star game Lillard and McCollums relationship actually started because they both dealt with the same foot injury. The loss eliminated Portland from the playoffs, the last in a four-game sweep. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. [17], On October 27, 2014, Portland exercised their third-year team option to extended McCollum's rookie scale contract through 201516. 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. Not just great basketball players. 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. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? McCollum knows he is enough. MLB moving All-Star Game from Georgia in response to new voting laws - CNN I just work extremely hard and I dont need validation from outsiders, I dont need validation from other people, because I know what I have and what I bring to the table., "I don't need validation from other people, because I know what I have and what I bring to the table. He was a 201213 Senior CLASS Award finalist. With Valanciunas and Nance Jr. both sidelined due to injuries, Pelicans coach Willie Greens frontcourt options were already limited. CJ McCollum has made at least $147,980,107 playing professional basketball. [19] In the season-opener on October 25, he put up 25 points to help defeat the Utah Jazz, 113104. Portland Trail Blazers: Will CJ McCollum be an All Star in 2021? I dont know what it is. [7], Over his four collegiate years, McCollum added 30 pounds of muscle to fill out his frame. CJ McCollum attended Glen Oak in Canton, Ohio and Lehigh. The days and weeks to come wouldnt be as celebratory. The Portland Trail Blazers have started the year with a steady three and two record, but CJ McCollum has been the team's best player. After . In these cases, the average was taken. "@CJMcCollum speaks with the crew after Portland's win. Despite not elevating Portland to a championship, Dame and CJ provided the small-market Blazers relevance within the national media, highlighted by their hour-long, exclusive sit down with Yahoo Sports Senior NBA Insider (then of ESPN) in Chris Haynes. CJ McCollum says he won't be sad if he never makes an All-Star Game [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. Mar 27, 2022 4:52 PM EDT. [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. Will Guillory is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the New Orleans Pelicans. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred moved this year's All-Star game from Atlanta to protest new voting laws in Georgia. Jan 4, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts to a three point shot against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at Smoothie King Center. 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. Thinking about some of the other elite duos of this time think Harden-Westbrook, Embiid-Simmons, etc its remarkable that there was never a story in which jealousy or insecurity came about. 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. Theres: (1) The Rodney Hood Game, the 4OT thriller in Game Three, (3) The CJ McCollum Game, the Game 7 comeback. For reference: the Blazers had gone 1-12 in the 13 postseason games prior, leaving them short on confidence among the national media. 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. We were able to get to it and we liked what we saw. His teams have constantly been in the top half of the Western Conference or at least giving high seeds scares like last year against the Phoenix Suns. Twitter: Hes done just that over his last 10 outings, averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 51 percent shooting from the field, 39 percent from 3 and 88 percent from the free-throw line, Just playing free. It remains the biggest shot of his career. It paid off tonight, Ingram told The Athletic. 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. McCollum scored a season-high 42 points to go along with a franchise-record 11 made three-pointers. [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. Liddell (right knee ACL injury recovery). Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, & Rodney Hood combined for 87 PTS as the Blazers won at home last night to force a Game 7! Given McCollums comments about load management, and how the players were supposed to agree to which games they would sit, its clear that both fought to be on the floor as much as possible. The 3.9 pull-up jumpers hes making per contest are the 10th-most in the NBA. Though, if there were a measuring stick, his eight-game stretch from Jan. 17 to Feb. 1, 2020 might be it. CJ McCollumhas averaged 32.4 points, 8.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 8 games without Damian Lillardthis season. [77], McCollum has been married to his college sweetheart Elise Esposito since October 27, 2020. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Taking care of business for the players. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Enter Game Two. In tandem, they tallied up 32 second half points, resuscitating the Blazers long time postseason streak in the process. 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. It was kind of getting back to how we play.. 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. [3], Throughout his high school career, McCollum worked at refining his shooting stroke; the successful effort was reflected in the 29.3 points per game he averaged during his senior season. One of the most durable scorers in the game, he finished second in west guard voting last year. '. Christian James McCollum Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Damian Lillard spoke about the Blazers trading CJ McCollum pic.twitter.com/KGgKUasAex. I know this is something that doesnt last forever, McCollum shared after the victory. It wasthe main reason they were able to close out this win. Damian Lillard and Devin Booker are totally understandable choices. 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. Do you have a blog? On defense, the lead guard has snatched 13 steals and even gotten 8 blocks. 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 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. The series itself wasnt anything to speak of, but it served as one of the many times in which anything felt possible because both players were on at the same time. Pelicans Drop In The West At The Hands Of The Warriors I think we all care about each other, Alvarado said. A small-market team and a mid-major star: There's no more perfect union in the NBA. Two nights later, he had 38 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics. McCollum is sinking 1.4 pull-up 3s per game this season, almost one more than the next-closest Pelican.