The biggest improvement to the bench: McCollum

[Scalma]

@mikerice6: News from Vegas on Tim gurs camp for nba players that want to improve their game. Word is j.c. mcCollum blew everyone away. He will help

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To me McCollum is Mo's replacement, not Blake. McCollum will be the main scorer off the bench next year IMO. Blake can be a pure point guard that sets guys like mccollum and kaman up. People are sleeping on CJs game. He will be an improvement over Mo in every facet except veteran leadership but I expect blake to take a veteran leadership role.

 

[Strenuus]

The thread should read "The biggest improvement to the bench MIGHT be McCollum.

 

[santeesioux]

Don't the announcers always say how great the young bench guys are doing? Luke Babbitt hit every shot he took in practice, and no one was in the gym longer than Bayless. Hopefully CJ can be that guy this season though.

 

[Strenuus]

Don't the announcers always say how great the young bench guys are doing? Luke Babbitt hit every shot he took in practice, and no one was in the gym longer than Bayless. Hopefully CJ can be that guy this season though.

No kidding right?

Crabbes is the first to enter, last to leave.

Wait, that takes on a whole different meaning. :MARIS61:

 

[Scalma]

I know Rice is a homer, I just pasted it because he just tweeted it so it was used as a point of discussion. My opinions come mainly from watching him in college and even the DLeague. I know it's the dleague but he had a much different game/role than the one he showed in the NBA last year. I think we'll see him take on that role next year when he has more freedom. He's at his best when the ball is in his hands. He can have that freedom off the bench. I actually think it's another reason why they let Mo go. Blake is a better fit with McCollum because he doesn't need the ball.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I know Rice is a homer, I just pasted it because he just tweeted it so it was used as a point of discussion. My opinions come mainly from watching him in college and even the DLeague. I know it's the dleague but he had a much different game/role than the one he showed in the NBA last year. I think we'll see him take on that role next year when he has more freedom. He's at his best when the ball is in his hands. He can have that freedom off the bench. I actually think it's another reason why they let Mo go. Blake is a better fit with McCollum because he doesn't need the ball.

Gurs camp is the best. Lots of vets go to that. If true that is high praise.

 

[riverman]

I'm not ready to Crown CJ the best bench guy by a long shot. I hope he is but my thinking says Barton and Robinson are in the conversation as well as Kaman and Blake. One thing for sure, CJ needs minutes to get confidence.

 

[HailBlazers]

To me McCollum is Mo's replacement, not Blake. McCollum will be the main scorer off the bench next year IMO. Blake can be a pure point guard that sets guys like mccollum and kaman up.

For sure. Mo was a roadblock to CJ's development. Nice to hear he's coming along, we're gonna need his scoring talent to take the next step.

 

[ebott]

The thread should read "The biggest improvement to the bench MIGHT be McCollum.

Nope, it's a fact. McCollum will be the biggest improvement to our bench. Mike Rice said it. That's a fact.

I feel like I heard this last year as well. Yep, found it. favorite to win rookie of the year I feel like McCollum is one of those guys that's AWESOME in workouts or less formal games but doesn't quite have it when it comes to playing against NBA level players. Basketball is a game of seconds and inches. A lot of guys look great when we're not quite going full speed. But in real games they're just not very effective.

Or maybe after breaking his foot last year CJ just wasn't ever quite right and he's just now getting back to his old self.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

He certainly looks in good shape:

[igm]rutrGxAMUo[/igm]

[igm]rsOxTKAMeF[/igm]

 

[riverman]

CJ is super talented. Just compare his game to Nolan Smith and you'll feel better. I just think for CJ, Will, Freeland, Claver, TRob and Leonard that Damian was a tough act to follow. It's humbling but these guys are not Lillard level. They have not started since their rookie seasons. I think it's lead by example and Portland is a good opportunity for the guy to define a solid NBA career. What I love about CJ is his intelligence. He has good court vision. All he really needs to get to the next level is the ability to pass a bit better and defend much better.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I feel like I heard this last year as well. Yep, found it. favorite to win rookie of the year I feel like McCollum is one of those guys that's AWESOME in workouts or less formal games but doesn't quite have it when it comes to playing against NBA level players. Basketball is a game of seconds and inches. A lot of guys look great when we're not quite going full speed. But in real games they're just not very effective.

That's a bit misleading: the survey you're linking to is a survey of rookies. Just because his peers thought well of him last year doesn't mean anything about how non-players think of him in Grg's camp. So stop shitting on our irrational optimism!

 

[Scalma]

yeah but who knows who Mike Rice is getting his info from. Might be Grg himself.

 

[Scalma]

He certainly looks in good shape:

[igm]rutrGxAMUo[/igm]

[igm]rsOxTKAMeF[/igm]

Kaman can literally just stand there and I will still laugh. Dudes a character. BTW I hope his aim shooting a basketball is better than his aim dumping a bucket on someones head.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Nope, it's a fact. McCollum will be the biggest improvement to our bench. Mike Rice said it. That's a fact.

I feel like I heard this last year as well. Yep, found it. favorite to win rookie of the year I feel like McCollum is one of those guys that's AWESOME in workouts or less formal games but doesn't quite have it when it comes to playing against NBA level players. Basketball is a game of seconds and inches. A lot of guys look great when we're not quite going full speed. But in real games they're just not very effective.

Or maybe after breaking his foot last year CJ just wasn't ever quite right and he's just now getting back to his old self.

Is there even a debate? A rookie gets hurt in his first NBA fall camp and then misses the first 2 months of the season, I don't think there is even a question that it effects them mentally. They tried a few different combinations to see where he could help, but none of them worked. He and Mo together was never going to work.

The Blazers were fighting for the best record in the league when he got back and the coaches really did not have the luxury to experiment to long. I have no idea how good CJ will be this year, but evaluating him on last year would be a mistake. I expect a completely different player this year. (As long as they play him at SG)

 

[SlyPokerDog]

[TWEET]501220026062356482[/TWEET]

 

[Rhal]

Is there even a debate? A rookie gets hurt in his first NBA fall camp and then misses the first 2 months of the season, I don't think there is even a question that it effects them mentally. They tried a few different combinations to see where he could help, but none of them worked. He and Mo together was never going to work.

The Blazers were fighting for the best record in the league when he got back and the coaches really did not have the luxury to experiment to long. I have no idea how good CJ will be this year, but evaluating him on last year would be a mistake. I expect a completely different player this year. (As long as they play him at SG)

This. A rookie missing his first NBA training camp and the first few months of the season and not getting regular minutes is huge. How is a rookie expected to get used to how fast the NBA is if he can't get consistent minutes.

 

[Scalma]

[TWEET]501220026062356482[/TWEET]

CJ has got the mental part down. Imagine if Leonard had his brain.

 

[barfo]

CJ has got the mental part down. Imagine if Leonard had his brain.

I expect he'd probably try to dribble it downcourt, lose control, go to the floor, wrestle it away from the other guy, and eat it.

barfo

 

[jlprk]

When Rice said that Aldridge gained 15 pounds of solid muscle, then we all saw he looked no different in camp, some posters defended their unwarranted excitement as: He lost the weight but must have gained it back. Ridiculous. But this time we have a picture.

McCollum was a tad slow and plump as a rookie, so this is good news.

[igm]rutrGxAMUo[/igm]

 

[3RA1N1AC]

i know it was summer league but....he looked like an nba player out there, he really impressed me with his herky jerky first steps and step backs. just gotta get that shot to fall

 

[Mediocre Man]

Listening to the Mike's and the other talking heads at one center court is the absolute definition of fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Listening to the Mike's and the other talking heads at one center court is the absolute definition of fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice, shame on me.

I am not sure why we have this same conversation every summer, we all know who they work for. It's still nice to get some sort of information. We all know to take it with a grain of salt. You hear the same propaganda in every NBA city. Fans want to hear positive things about their players.You should hear the Laker announcers. (Although this summer has been different since they have spent most of the time blasting D'Antoni and using him as the sole scapegoat)

Its not like Mike and Mike have the option of creating fictitious trade scenarios all summer long to pass the time.

 

[Boise Blazer]

I am not sure why we have this same conversation every summer, we all know who they work for. It's still nice to get some sort of information. We all know to take it with a grain of salt. You hear the same propaganda in every NBA city. Fans want to hear positive things about their players.You should hear the Laker announcers. (Although this summer has been different since they have spent most of the time blasting D'Antoni and using him as the sole scapegoat)

Its not like Mike and Mike have the option of creating fictitious trade scenarios all summer long to pass the time.

In large part I agree. The nice thing with CJ is that we can see some improvement in summer league and we can see an improvement in his body so there is a lot more to work with there. So I think most people can agree that CJ will be better and for a number of different reasons (experience, Mo being gone, body improved, full training camp, expaned role) I think the question is going to be how much better. I think by season's end if everything goes right he very well could be a biggest factor of our bench like Rice says. But I also think that he will grow to that and not come right out of the gate to that.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Sorry but Mike Rice said the same thing about C.J. last season before returning from his injury and he didn't do squat.

 

[Scalma]

Sorry but Mike Rice said the same thing about C.J. last season before returning from his injury and he didn't do squat.

yes because he sure got a real chance to contribute. In the three games where he got more than 25 minutes of play (OKC,MIN,LAC) he played well. If this team wasn't in the playoff hunt he would have put up numbers. Blazers didn't have time to develop a rookie last year. Most contending teams don't.

 

[illmatic99]

Blazers didn't have time to develop a rookie last year. Most contending teams don't.

Another reason being in the WC now sucks. No margin for error whatsoever

 

[Mediocre Man]

Sorry but Mike Rice said the same thing about C.J. last season before returning from his injury and he didn't do squat.

Ding, ding, ding

 

[Mediocre Man]

yes because he sure got a real chance to contribute. In the three games where he got more than 25 minutes of play (OKC,MIN,LAC) he played well. If this team wasn't in the playoff hunt he would have put up numbers. Blazers didn't have time to develop a rookie last year. Most contending teams don't.

So you are saying Stotts didn't play someone who could have contributed?

 

[Pinwheel1]

So you are saying Stotts didn't play someone who could have contributed?

No I don't think that is what he was saying at all. I don't want to put words in his mouth but I think he was looking at it logically and was saying because he got hurt in training camp and missed the first 2 months, Stotts did not have the option (or at least the desire) to let him learn from his mistakes. He basically got his feet wet and that's it. Surely you have watched enough basketball to know his injury set him back in terms of on court chemistry with his new teammates. What Milke said last summer could have very well of been true. We will never know because.....he got hurt.