So: who is CJ McCollum?

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Compare these two players by their Summer League stats.

Player 1 (6' 2.25", 34.6 mpg):
21 ppg, 34.6%, 31% on threes, 81.5% FT, 4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1 spg, 3.6 TO

Player 2 (6' 3.75", 32.5 mpg):
19 ppg, 37.5%, 54% on threes, 82.5% FT, 4.3 rpg, 5 apg, 3 spg, 4.8 TO

Player 2 is better, but pretty close, right? Guess who they are.
 
Am I the only one who thinks the summer league guys will look a lot better when playing with a really really good point guard? Which the Blazers just happen to have on their team?

Lillard is a really good player, who plays PG for us, but he has just average PG skills. If we had Young Jason Kidd, then sure. But Lillard, although better than anyone on our Summer League team, isn't that great at creating for other people.
 
Compare these two players by their Summer League stats.

Player 1 (6' 2.25", 34.6 mpg):
21 ppg, 34.6%, 31% on threes, 81.5% FT, 4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1 spg, 3.6 TO

Player 2 (6' 3.75", 32.5 mpg):
19 ppg, 37.5%, 54% on threes, 82.5% FT, 4.3 rpg, 5 apg, 3 spg, 4.8 TO

Player 2 is better, but pretty close, right? Guess who they are.

Player 2 is Lillard?
 
Alvin was a 6'5" PG! We were 9-1 when he started at PG for us. Good times!
yeah, a little taller, a better ball handler, but another 4 year player. I see the comparison as somebody who could be a good glue player in the backcourt.
 
Five summer league games back since a foot injury put him on the sidelines last year ...

That's actually a fair point. I forgot he hadn't played competitively in a long time. That makes me feel better!
 
Bayless (6' 2.25", 34.6 mpg):
21 ppg, 34.6%, 31% on threes, 81.5% FT, 4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1 spg, 3.6 TO

CJ (6' 3.75", 32.5 mpg):
19 ppg, 37.5%, 54% on threes, 82.5% FT, 4.3 rpg, 5 apg, 3 spg, 4.8 TO

What do i win?
 
Bayless (6' 2.25", 34.6 mpg):
21 ppg, 34.6%, 31% on threes, 81.5% FT, 4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1 spg, 3.6 TO

CJ (6' 3.75", 32.5 mpg):
19 ppg, 37.5%, 54% on threes, 82.5% FT, 4.3 rpg, 5 apg, 3 spg, 4.8 TO

What do i win?

Nothing. It's summer league
 
#1- CJ
#2- Oladipo

Bingo. I originally wanted to point out that CJ was about the same as the much-touted Oladipo. But the more I think about it, Oladipo was (a) not supposed to be a scorer, and (b) not supposed to be a PG, so the fact that his 3 point shooting and assists were so much better than CJs is a little disheartening.

Both of them are shorter than you'd think, though.
 
The eye test is more important than the stats to me. To my eyes, CJ looks skilled and like he should do fine scoring off the bench in spurts against other teams' benches. I'm not sold on him running the point for extended minutes yet. He struggles too much against pressure and getting doubled on pick and rolls. If he gets regular minutes, shoots above 40%, and scores about 10 points per game I won't be disappointed.
 
Bingo. I originally wanted to point out that CJ was about the same as the much-touted Oladipo. But the more I think about it, Oladipo was (a) not supposed to be a scorer, and (b) not supposed to be a PG, so the fact that his 3 point shooting and assists were so much better than CJs is a little disheartening.

Both of them are shorter than you'd think, though.

But oladipo was a higher pick. Of course he should be better
 
The eye test is more important than the stats to me. To my eyes, CJ looks skilled and like he should do fine scoring off the bench in spurts against other teams' benches. I'm not sold on him running the point for extended minutes yet. He struggles too much against pressure and getting doubled on pick and rolls. If he gets regular minutes, shoots above 40%, and scores about 10 points per game I won't be disappointed.

What is this "eye test" you talk about? This is 2013. This board does not recognize anything other than advanced stats as a viable option when evaluating talent.

No seriously, well said.
 
The eye test is more important than the stats to me. To my eyes, CJ looks skilled and like he should do fine scoring off the bench in spurts against other teams' benches. I'm not sold on him running the point for extended minutes yet. He struggles too much against pressure and getting doubled on pick and rolls. If he gets regular minutes, shoots above 40%, and scores about 10 points per game I won't be disappointed.

Hopefully one of our point guards with extensive experience in breaking constant double teams can help CJ grow in that area :)
 
Vinnie Johnson?
Jason Terry?
Jamaal Crawford?
Juan Dixon?
Less talented Jerryd Bayless?

Those are his long-term ceilings. Currently McCollum is absolutely nothing compared to any of those. People seem to think he's already that good.

Come on. It was always clear that Jerryd Bayless didn't understand basketball. He was (is) just a collection of fanatically self-taught skills that never cohered because he didn't really recognize that there were other people on the court. Yes, neither guy is a PG and both have about the same height. But CJ doesn't have those stumpy arms and is "crafty". Bayless just barreled to the hoop every time hoping to get bailed out with a foul.

Wow, I thought I'd be the naysayer. Turns out people are much more down on CJ than I thought.

When Bayless was here I used to say he was an excellent athlete, but had chosen the wrong sport. He lacks basketball instincts.
 
I used this comparison earlier but Sam Mitchell used this comp last night on NBAtv as well:

Joe Dumars.

He's a much better shooter than what he displayed in Vegas. But one thing is clear: he's a pure SG.

In no way, shape or form is he a PG.
 
I used this comparison earlier but Sam Mitchell used this comp last night on NBAtv as well:

Joe Dumars.

He's a much better shooter than what he displayed in Vegas. But one thing is clear: he's a pure SG.

In no way, shape or form is he a PG.

He's way more PG than Will Barton... So in some small way shape or form he is a PG.
 
CJ McCollum, Trail Blazers
21 PPG, 4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 36.6 FG%, 31 3P%

lastname
McCollum
The good: McCollum proved that he has the skill set to fulfill the team's primary expectation for him, which is to score a ton of points. With one of the quickest triggers in the desert and refined instincts for finding points, McCollum is a genuine threat from most spots on the floor, and led summer league in scoring before hanging it up prior to Friday's game against Minnesota. In a backcourt sorely lacking punch behind starter Damian Lillard, those are qualities the Blazers will surely covet.

The bad: Those points that fans latched onto were the result of McCollum hoisting more shots than any other player in Vegas, making them at just a 36.6 percent rate. What's more, McCollum struggled to free teammates and orchestrate a coherent offense. Nobody really expected slick no-look passes or for McCollum to lead summer league in assists, but the Blazers sometimes hurt for points with the rookie at the helm.

Bottom line: We didn't learn all that much about McCollum. His credentials as a scoring talent remain unquestioned, but the questions about his other talents remain unanswered. In sum, McCollum was probably very much what the Blazers expected, and while fans have every reason to be excited, they should also be prepared for a rookie season that exposes a few current weaknesses.

-- Danny Nowell

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/61680/final-word-summer-leagues-top-rookies
 
I used this comparison earlier but Sam Mitchell used this comp last night on NBAtv as well:

Joe Dumars.

He's a much better shooter than what he displayed in Vegas. But one thing is clear: he's a pure SG.

In no way, shape or form is he a PG.

You are wrong about this one. Dumars was an ELITE defender who defended Jordan better than anyone in NBA history. Jordan said so himself. CJ will never be a good defender. He has no upside in this area at all and at this point it looks like he will be a liability on Defense.

[video=youtube;d4mU0_IJGls]
 

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