Tag: CJ McCollum

Sean Highkin: Portland Is “the Perfect Spot” for Jerami Grant

December 12, 2022 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

When healthy, Damian Lillard has proven that he is a worthy All-Star for the Blazers this season (@Trailblazers/Instagram).

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In a tightly packed Western Conference, where only a handful of games separate the first- and thirteenth-place teams, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report is encouraged by the Portland Trail Blazers’ start. Specifically, the Blazers have gotten All-Star-caliber, not to mention career-best, contributions from Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons. Such stellar play from Portland’s secondary stars has enabled it to weather a difficult early schedule played about half of the time without franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard. Here are some Highkin highlights on how Portland was able to stay afloat, lottery pick Shaedon Sharpe’s early flashes, what’s ahead for the Blazers and much more:

6:15-7:07: “I don’t think they’re a title contender, and I don’t think they think they’re a title contender either; that’s the other part about it. Joe Cronin, the general manager, went into the season saying that he doesn’t think this roster is complete and he doesn’t think it’s good enough right now to contend and that it’s still kind of a work in progress. … Going into the season…I said they would probably make the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed out of the play-in. At this point, I’m pretty comfortable saying that I think they’re gonna be Top-6 just because they’re currently in the middle of the toughest part of their schedule. They’ve had a ton of road games.”

13:03-13:45: “Every single one of their rotation players has missed at least one game at some point this season. … Between the injuries and just how hard their schedule has been – between how many good teams they’ve played and how many games they’ve played on the road – it is kinda hard to get a read on how good they are or are not, which is why I said at the beginning of the season if they could get through this stretch and get to Christmas at .500, they’re fine, and I still think that, and I still think they’re in a good position to do that.” Continue reading

Shamit Dua: “If You Had to Offer [Zion] the Max, You’d Do It”

March 12, 2022 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Buoyed by the CJ McCollum acquisition, Brandon Ingram had taken his game to a superstar level, but the wiry wing has recently been sidelined with a right hamstring strain (@Pelicansnba/Instagram).

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Shamit Dua, host of the In the NO podcast, discusses the promising, young New Orleans Pelicans, whose vastly improved defense and deadline acquisition of guard CJ McCollum has them jockeying for a play-in spot. Shamit discusses McCollum’s arrival, including what it’s unlocked for star wing Brandon Ingram, before exploring New Orleans’ new dual-big man starting lineup, Herb Jones’ seismic contributions to its defensive leap and the team’s prospects for the remainder of the season and beyond. Among other forward-looking topics, Shamit pays special attention to the franchise’s consequential upcoming summer decision regarding Zion Williamson’s future as its centerpiece. Enjoy some delectable excerpts below:

2:10-2:57: “From the get-go, CJ has brought professionalism, leadership and just attention to the franchise in a way that it hasn’t had before. You can tell that this is the player that all of his peers voted as the president of the [National Basketball] Players Association. He knows what he’s doing, both on and off the court, and it’s the kind of leadership that the team has really needed. Obviously on the court, he’s been producing at an extremely high rate. I think he’s up to like 27 points per game as a Pelican. He’s jelling well with the other players on the team, creating open looks and just all in all making the Pelicans offense that much more dynamic and that much more difficult to defend.” Continue reading

Dane Carbaugh: Blazers Approaching “Make-It or Break-It Offseason”

April 21, 2017 / Loren Chen / 0 Comments

Allen Crabbe was the recipient of a generous contract from the Blazers last summer, but Dane Carbaugh suggests a trade could be in his future (Keith Allison/Flickr).

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The Portland Trail Blazers’ prospects of advancing look grim, but the future is fairly bright, according to NBC Sports Pro Basketball Talk’s Dane Carbaugh, who also runs the popular YouTube channel Dane Not Dan, where he breaks down the NBA in video form. Compared to the previous season, the relative strength of the 2016-17 Western Conference relegated the Blazers to the No. 8 seed where they had the misfortune of drawing the otherworldly Warriors in an all-but-impossible first-round series. With Golden State up 2-0 and prized trade acquisition Jusuf Nurkic nursing a leg injury, much of the conversation’s focus turns to how the Blazers can best solidify their roster and improve defensive performance. Importantly, Dane also explores the strengths and challenges that come with the Damian Lillard-C.J. McCollum backcourt pairing. Blazing hot excerpts can be found below:

3:26-4:14 While the typical Blazers fan would love to see Jusuf Nurkic grace the court against the Warriors, Dane advocates for a more cautious approach:

“The Nurkic trade, I think, really re-solidified his [GM Neil Olshey’s] position; the same thing for [head coach] Terry Stotts. So nobody’s going into this playoff series thinking, ‘We need to win a series or win a game, even, to save someone’s job.’ No one’s going to get fired because of that. And on the flip side, you have the guy that they believe is going to be the third guy for this team for years to come, and so I don’t see a reason to risk him [worsening his injury] in any way, shape or form. He’s got a non-displaced fracture in his leg, and he’s a 7-foot tall, 280-pound man, and it’s the Portland Trail Blazers; maybe just let him rest. So it’s possible he comes back for Game 3. If he comes back at all, that is the game he’s going to do it in. If they’re down 3-0, there’s no reason for him to play in Game 4, so it would have to be Game 3. I don’t think he should come back at all.”

Tag: CJ McCollum

Sean Highkin: Portland Is “the Perfect Spot” for Jerami Grant

Shamit Dua: “If You Had to Offer [Zion] the Max, You’d Do It”

Dane Carbaugh: Blazers Approaching “Make-It or Break-It Offseason”

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