trail blazers

Casey Holdahl

As a boy growing up in Canton, Ohio, CJ McCollum only had one plan: to make it to the NBA. It seemed farfetched to many, a group which included some of his teachers, who had surely heard students before McCollum declare such goals only to eventually fall well short, and teammates who questioned whether he was even good enough to make the team at GlenOak High School by his own merits.

And to be fair, McCollum’s detractors did have a point. Standing at 5-7 and weighing somewhere well south of 150 pounds, McCollum didn’t really look the part of future NBA player, nor did he necessarily possess the skills at the time. He failed to make varsity his freshman year, and while he did get the bump up from JV the next season, he played sparingly. So realistically, if you were to ask someone in Canton about a McCollum going on to play in college at that time, let alone in the NBA, they most certainly would have assumed you were talking about CJ’s older brother Errick, who started at GlenOak and would later go on to be named a four-time D-II All-American at Goshen College.

“My brother was really good at basketball and played varsity, so my freshman year I’m on junior varsity and a lot of people would say I was only playing because of my brother,” said the younger McCollum. “They’d say ‘You’re only on JV because your brother is the starting point guard’ this and that. It kind of pissed me off, so I just used that as motivation. I always used to tell my brother — I was Errick’s little brother — I told him ‘One day you’re going to be CJ’s older brother’ and he’d just laugh. He’s like ‘I hope so!’ because that’s the kind of relationship we had.”

Even though Errick might have been the only one to believe him, the lack of faith never prompted CJ to downgrade his expectations nor consider a more feasible plan. It was always NBA or bust for McCollum, a tact he made peace with long before he signed a four-year extension this summer with the Trail Blazers worth roughly $106 million.

“I had that dog in me, just wanted to be great, wanted to kind of prove I belonged because I was a lot smaller than other people.” said McCollum of his first two years at GlenOak. “Teachers telling me ‘You need a Plan B. You’re small, you know the chances of you making it are slim.’ I would tell them ‘My Plan B is Plan A. I make it to the NBA and everything else will fall in line. The degree will take care of itself, I’ll build a resume, but without the NBA, there is no Plan B for me.’”

Which seems a bit reckless, though it’s hard to argue with the results. And there were players who had similar backgrounds to McCollum who gave him the confidence to reach for his incredibly lofty goals. Granted, those players had more going for them than McCollum did at the time, but they still served as models nonetheless for what a kid from Canton could achieve.

“I just remember watching and going to to Cavs games early on as a youngster, being able to see LeBron, playing for King James, seeing LeBron play and just watching his demeanor, his approach to the game,” said McCollum. “Warmups, the fans, how his family reacted and just saying ‘I can’t wait to be in a position to make that kind of impact on the community.’ LeBron being from Ohio, me being from Ohio, I was always able to watch him, watch how he approached everything, watch his business strategies and how he was able to grow his brand. So for me, it was simple. It was like, LeBron is kind of laying the platform for kids from Ohio. You work hard, you do what you’re supposed to do and you can make it to this level, because he grew up 10, 15 minutes from me going to St. (Vincent’s).

“So I was able to watch him and some other guys like Keith McCleod, Kosta Koufous, watching them work hard and get results. So my idea was just work hard, don’t worry about anybody else, don’t worry about distractions, don’t worry about obstacles, injuries. Just do your job, focus on you. You need to have that trust, that faith in yourself and God that everything else will handle itself.”

Though there were moments when it seemed like that faith might not be enough. While he swears he never experienced full-blown doubt  about whether he’d be able to follow in the footsteps of players like James and Koufos (which isn't hard to believe if you've spent any time around him), there was a sense that perhaps things weren’t going as well as they could be. But the combination of redoubling his efforts and undergoing a growth spurt midway through high school put him back on the right path.

“My sophomore year when I didn’t start varsity, I was coming off the bench, sixth man, and that was when I was like ‘Alright, I’m a little behind,’” said McCollum. “You start to look at the trajectory levels of where you’re at — I’m a realist — averaging 6.0 points a game on varsity, I’m 5-7 and I really need to take my game to the next level if I want to make this dream a reality. So I just kind of focused. I evaluated my lifestyle, my work ethic, reevaluated how I could kind of get better and find my niche. Continued to shoot, shoot, shoot, handle, perfect my craft so once I grew a little bit more and got my chance to start varsity, I just told myself ‘This is it. If you leave everything out here, you give yourself the best chance to get a scholarship.’ Then for me, it was baby steps. Get a Division I scholarship and then get to the league, but I hadn’t got that scholarship yet, so I wasn’t even thinking about the league. I was like ‘Just get this scholarship.’ I got my first offer and I was like ‘Alright, we got one, let’s get some more.’ That’s kind of how it went, it kind of snowballed.”

His junior year, McCollum started and scored a school-record 54 points in the first game of the season. His senior year, he would be named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Ohio and finished runner-up to Jared Sullinger for Ohio’s Mr. Basketball. Then it was on to Lehigh, where he started all but the first two games of his collegiate career, led the Mountain Hawks to an upset victory versus Duke in the NCAA Tournament and ultimately won Patriot League Player of the Year twice.

So by the start of his junior year, it was fairly obvious McCollum would at least get a crack at the NBA despite having his final collegiate season cut short due to a broken foot. In the end, Plan A, the only plan McCollum ever had, was fully realized when he was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 10th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft. And while being a max-level player wasn’t in CJ’s initial plans, he was nonetheless overjoyed to sign on the dotted line this summer rather than testing his fortunes as a restricted free agent in 2017.

“I’m just really thankful, thankful that the organization has been patient with me, they’ve trusted me, they’ve given me opportunities,” said McCollum. “Obviously it’s a dream come true to be able to get an extension of that magnitude. To get that trust and that commitment from an organization is huge, it’s everything a player looks for and everything a player works for. So it’s very comforting to know that they’re willing to go to those measures to secure an extension and keep me here long term. I’m thankful because this is exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be here long term, I want to continue to get better, continue to grow and be a part of this city, on and off the floor.”

But now McCollum has new plans, or at least more varied plans than the singular all-or-nothing approach he took as a young man growing up in northeast Ohio. Few have taken advantage of the opportunities afforded to professional athletes like McCollum has in his first three season, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down despite the fact that he now has, as he puts it, “generational wealth.”

“I laid out a plan early on about what I want to do in the community, what I want to do off the court,” said McCollum. “Launching my journalism program, CJ’s Press Pass, incremental steps that I had planned as we continue to get closer to 25, get closer to 30. I’ve got a lot of things lined up, I’m happy everything is falling into place. Obviously basketball is my priority, that’s my love and my joy and how I make a living, but I want to leave a legacy besides basketball and I think I’ll be in a position to do that. I’m just taking advantage of these platforms and writing, continue to build my resume. I’ve got a lot of stuff planned this year, it’s going to be a great year on and off the court. Just thankful because it’s been a long process and a long journey, but it’s all paid off.”

Though McCollum is quick to point out that this journey isn’t anywhere close to completed. It’s true that he is set for life financially — or at least he will be once his extension kicks in come the start of the 2017-18 season — and his position as Portland’s starting shooting guard is all but assured, barring injury, for the next half decade. But as he has grown from the scrawny kid who was known primarily as “Errick’s little brother” to the man he is today, so too have his expectations going forward. Just having an NBA career, even one which has made him incredibly wealthy, is no longer enough.

“I’m driven by legacy, I’m driven by my last name, I’m driven by where I come from,” said McCollum. “I don’t want to be known as a guy who got paid and then fell off. I don’t want to be know as a guy who they say ‘He was really good early and then he kind of faltered late.’ I want them to say ‘He consistently got better each year. He loved this game. He never changed. He’s the same guy from 16 to 26 to 36. He never changed, he’s just a little bit more mature, but he does the same things, he has the same friends, he acts the same way, he treats people the same way. He treats the janitor like he treats the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.’ I think based on how I was raised, I was raised to never be content and continue to seek the ultimate amount of success, and that’s just not money. Money doesn’t always define success. You need to find that happiness and for me, happiness is working out, giving myself the best chance to put my best foot forward. I think that’s huge, putting a good product on the court, representing where I come from — Canton, Ohio — representing Lehigh University every time I step on the court, every time I leave the house.”

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McCollum Proves You Don't Always Need A Backup Plan

ESPN's Zach Lowe, one of the best journalists covering the NBA, if not the best, posted a story today laying out almost the entirety of the Trail Blazers' offseason moves. Lowe seems somewhat optimistic about the deals Portland made this summer (though he notes they also have the potential to be "disastrous"), while stating the cold fact that a franchise which has shown no ability to draw big name free agents doesn't have a whole lot of options when trying to build a winner. It's easily the best retelling of the plan Neil Olshey executed this summer that you're going to find, so I recommend reading it from start to finish.

But let's pull look at some of the more interesting tidbits, of which there are many. First, the true target...

They chose the latter. Lowe points out that in order to keep any real cap space for next season, the Blazers would have had to part ways with many of the players from last year's team and delayed CJ McCollum's extension. And even then, it wouldn't be enough space to sign a max player, assuming one could be lured to Portland anyway, which has never been the case.

On the much-discussed topic of who plays what position, Lowe reports that Al-Farouq Aminu will start at power forward, a move that both Olshey and Terry Stotts have signaled this offseason, though he takes it one step further...

It's one thing to use Aminu at power forward for spurts, something the Trail Blazers did often last year, particularly late in the season, but another for him to play there "almost exclusively." According SportVU player tracking, as provided by Nylon Calculus, Aminu played 56 percent of his minutes at small forward last season while playing power forward 44 percent of the time. Granted, these numbers are imperfect, and positions in the NBA have never been more fluid, but going from roughly splitting time between small and power forward to playing almost entirely at the four is a fairly drastic change.

Then there's the topic of Dwight Howard, who the Trail Blazers were rumored to be pursuing during the July moratorium. According to Lowe, those rumors might have been a bit overblown...

This is just a guess, but this might be what Olshey was referring to when he mentioned "unfounded" speculation and that "a lot of names on lists that were never viable that we never had any interest in" during the press conference to introduce Festus Ezeli. Of course, there's no lack of speculation during free agency, so it could very well be in reference to someone else.

There's a whole lot more in there, particularly if you're interested in how Stotts might utilize Evan Turner, which is very much worth your time.

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Lowe: Blazers Wanted Whiteside, Aminu Will Start At Power Forward

Greetings podcast enthusiasts. Between CJ McCollum getting an extension and Moe Harkless signing a new deal, Portland's roster for the start of the 2016-17 regular season is all but finalized. So it seemed like a good time to hit the studio with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com to record yet another edition of the Rip City Report podcast, which you can listen to below...

On this edition, we discuss the near-max extension for McCollum and the four-year, roughly $40 million contract for Harkless, which directions Terry Stotts might go in terms of starting lineups and minutes allocations, the news that both Al-Farouq Aminu and Festus Ezeli will forego playing for Nigeria at the 2016 Summer Olympics, give a quick rundown of the preseason schedule and answer your Twitter-submitted questions.

You can find the Rip City Report on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Thanks as always for listening.

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Podcast: The Rip City Report, Finalized Roster Edition

On Thursday, Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts was a guest on The Doug Gottlieb Show on CBS Sports Radio. Over the 15 minute conversation, Stotts discusses LeBron James saying he would have been his pick for 2016 NBA Coach of the Year, Kevin Durant signing as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors, the notion of "super teams" in the NBA, having confidence in your players and his participation in the Men's Wearhouse National Suit Drive.

You can listen to the entire interview here, though I'm transcribed a portion which you can read below...

On LeBron James saying Stotts should have been Coach of the Year:
"To be honest, it felt pretty good. I have a lot of respect obviously for LeBron, what he does and what he’s done in his career, but for him to come out and say that, it made me feel good."

On Cleveland winning the NBA Finals after being down 3-1 to Golden State:
"Obviously it was historical. A lot of things went into it, but when a team can do that and to win two games on the road being down 3-1, it’s really remarkable. It just put an end to a historical season as it was with Golden State and what they did during the regular season, the way they came back against Oklahoma City and then for Cleveland to do that, it was just remarkable. I thought it was a remarkable season to begin with and it finished that way."

On Kevin Durant signing with the Warriors:
"My first reaction was he earned the right to be a free agent. I know a lot of thought went into it and it wasn’t a decision that he took lightly. I know he took a lot of criticism for making that decision but I think he earned that right to make whatever decision he felt was best for him. I think it’s going to be interesting with Golden State. Obviously defending them is going to be a challenge because — we talked about versatility — they were already an extremely talented offensive team and he’s going to make them better. They’re going to be a different team than they were last year, they’re not going to have the big guys. When you lose Festus Ezeli, who is on our team now, and Andre Bogut and Maurice Speights, the look of their frontline is going to be different. But I think they could be just as good just because of what they’ll be able to do at the offensive end."

His thoughts on "super teams" in the NBA:
"You know, I don’t know if it’s good or bad for the league. I’ve just kind of accepted that that’s the way things are. I know people have made comparisons when LeBron went to Miami and that was supposedly the first super team and they won two championships, but it’s not like there was a five year, seven year run dynasty. When you get out on the court, you still have to play the games. Obviously Golden State is going to be very good, but you’ve got to play an 82-game season, you’ve got to go through four series to win a championship. I think the league does thrive on star power, whether it’s star power within a team or having a team be a star. I don’t know, I think the league is doing extremely well, I think it’s extremely popular. I think this is just another story that people are going to be interested in."

On having confidence in shooters like Allen Crabbe and CJ McCollum:
"I’m a big believer in confidence when shooting. It probably goes back to my freshman year in college when I didn’t know whether to shoot or (laughs) you know the phrase. But anyway, I’m a big believer in confidence and Allen and CJ are two different categories. CJ struggled with injuries his first two years and was trying to get incorporated into a roster that was winning 50 games and never really got into a rhythm. I think shooting is about rhythm and confidence. Same thing for AC, really, is that he did have opportunities to play in his first two years but he was playing behind Wes Matthews and Nic Batum and his opportunities on the court were limited. When you’re looking over your shoulder and trying not to make mistakes and putting pressure on (yourself) to make a shot, it’s difficult. I really give it to CJ and Allen, they were ready for this year and they were prepared for it, the opportunity was going to be there. But I think that a lot of players — and you know, you played — is that if the coach trusts me, I’m going to play better. Whether I trusted them or not their first two years, certainly their opportunity was there and I trusted them with the role that they were going to have."

On his participation in the Men's Wearhouse National Suit Drive:
"Every year what I do is I go through the closet and knowing that I’m going to get some suits in the fall, I go through and weed out the older ones. There’s certain ones that I do kind of have a special place in my heart for them, but other than that, I just take some of the older suits and the Men’s Wearhouse has a great program with the suit drive to give away suits to people who can use them. I’m kind of a bigger guy so hopefully there’s some big guys out there who are able to take advantage of them."

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Stotts Talks Super Teams And Suits On The Doug Gottlieb Show

Restricted free agency can be a bit tricky for both the players and teams involved. For the player, you sit through pitches laying out your value to another organization before entering into negotiations knowing full well that the whole exercise could end up being largely an act of futility. And for the team with the restricted free agent, they have to watch as one of their players is wooed by another organization whose contract offer they'll have to abide by if they want to retain the player. Things usually turn out fine in the end, but it can get a bit uncomfortable, especially if a player says he's excited to go to another team only to end up returning to his former team should they decide to match contract terms (as they almost always do).

But there's no rule stating restricted free agency has to play out that way. Teams don't typically mind restricted free agents getting offers from other teams, as it keeps them from being in the position of negotiating against themselves. But if there's a mutual desire to get a come to terms on a new contract without going through the dance of having a player get an offer sheet from another team first, teams are free to sign their own restricted free agents. Such was the case with the Trail Blazers and fourth-year power forward Meyers Leonard, who signed with Portland without ever getting an offer sheet.

"Obviously when it comes to free agency, you talk to other teams, you try to gain interest," said Leonard during a press conference at the Trail Blazers' practice facility in Tualatin. "But my main focus was to be back here in Portland. I spent all four years here, Neil (Olshey) has been the guy that’s backed me since the beginning. I truly believe watching him from the outside just as a player, he can understand talent, he can understand the future. I appreciate that he believes in me, I believe the coaching staff has a firm belief that I can really do a lot of good things, that I can continue to develop and become a much better player, which I know I will as well."

It's possible Leonard could have received a larger offer from another team had he expressed a sincere desire to leave Portland, just as it's possible the Trail Blazers could have tried to sign Leonard to a smaller contract with other teams neglecting to force their hand by not offering the 7-1 power forward an offer sheet. But even though the NBA, as the oft-repeated saying goes, is a business, it doesn't mean that decisions are always made with business solely in mind. There are relationships to consider, and if both parties wanted the partnership to continue, there's no reason for either side to engage in hardball tactics just to either save a few million (if you're the team) or make a couple million more (if you're the player). If the Trail Blazers are serious about signing players who want to be in Portland -- and all indications point to that -- they have to reciprocate that desire, which they did by signing Leonard to a four-year deal.

"Player retention is huge for us, it’s a big part of the organization having consistency and stability," said Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey. "Having Meyers, who was our first draft pick sign on long term is a great situation for us. We know he’s got a great future ahead, he’s going to continue to develop, he’s already contributed a lot to the organization. He’s a joy to have around here and for myself, Paul (Allen), Chris (McGowan), we’re all happy he’s going to be a part of the organization for the foreseeable future."

But while the team has shown they are invested in Leonard's future by signing him to a four-year deal, that doesn't mean he has been promised anything. Between the addition of free agent center Festus Ezeli, the likelihood that small forward Al-Farouq Aminu plays considerable minutes this season at the four and the continued development of 20 year-old power forward Noah Vonleh, the competition for playing time among Portland's bigs will be as fierce this season as it has been in years.

"It’s good to have a deep roster and I feel I bring something way different than the average player, the average big brings, obviously the main one being shooting, spacing the floor," said Leonard. "But I continue to develop on the defensive end with my rebounding, being more aggressive, understanding the game much better and just allowing the game to slow down. As you gain in game experience and you continue to develop chemistry within this group. This young group, obviously, we surprised a lot of people. You go from 26.5 games to getting to the playoffs, getting to the second round and as I sat there during the playoffs, it was hard for me. One, because when we were losing, I knew I could be helping. And when we won, I wanted to be a part of it. So there’s a hunger inside of me and I’m excited for what I can bring to this team."

That hunger will have to be satiated off the court for the next few months, as Leonard continues to rehab from a shoulder injury that cut his 2015-16 season short. But in the long term, he'll Leonard has the opportunity to prove the belief Olshey and Terry Stotts have shown in him during his career in Portland has been well placed, just as the team will have the chance to have a player with a unique skillset signed long term to to what could end up being an incredible bargain of a four-year deal.

"I have enjoyed all four years here so far," said Leonard. "It’s been a progression for sure. I come in as a 20 year-old, wide-eyed, not really know what’s going and now, all the sudden, I know that I’ve been a factor and I know I can play and now it’s really time to take that next step. I feel like I’m really getting there, not just with the shoulder — that was a bit of a setback — but throughout parts of last year, I could really feel myself starting to come into my own and really being more consistent... I’ve been here with Dame all four years, Allen (Crabbe), CJ (McCollum), all the young guys. Now that we add more and more pieces, I’m excited and I know I can really be a big piece to this puzzle, because again, this is going to be an exciting time for the Trail Blazers."

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Leonard, Trail Blazers Both Get What They Want With Four-Year Deal

It's summer time in Portland (or at least, it's supposed to be), which means there's no lack of street fairs, farmers markets, beerfests and art walks to attend. Anyone who frequents such events knows how hard it can be to get from Point A to Point B when there's thousands of people in between.

But Damian Lillard has you covered. In a new adidas short entitled "Creating Clutch," the 6-3 point guard out of Weber State traverses a busy street market in China (wearing the "PDX Carpet" colorway of the D Lillard 2, if I'm not mistaken) using an array of moves that you can incorporate into your own crowd-surfing...

The spot is one of three released by adidas as a part of the "Here To Create" series, which includes football players chasing rabbits through the Everglades and some kind of soccer/motocross amalgam.

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VIDEO: Lillard Cuts Through Crowded Street Market In New Adidas Ad

With Portland's foray into free agency now complete, Joe Freeman, he of The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, and I, Casey Holdahl of ForwardCenter.net/TrailBlazers.com, hit the Moda Center studio to record another edition of the Rip City Report podcast, which you can listen to below...

In this almost all Twitter-submitted questions edition, we discuss the signings of Evan Turner, Festus Ezeli and Meyers Leonard, the decision to match the offer the Brooklyn Nets extended to Allen Crabbe, how the additions and returns could change lineups going forward and the notion that the Trail Blazers need to make a trade. There's also some hot Pokemon Go and "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" talk to start the show, so you might want prepare yourself to fast-forward through the first few minutes.

You can find the Rip City Report on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. And a reminder that the offseason is a great time to leave a review on iTunes!

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Podcast: Rip City Report, Post Free Agency Edition

UPDATE: The team has officially announced that they have matched the Nets' offer sheet to Allen Crabbe, though a "formal announcement" and Crabbe actually signing the contract will not occur until later in the week.

After finishing up their pursuit of new free agents, the Trail Blazers have wasted little time in turning their attention to the free agents on their own roster. After reportedly signing restricted free agent power forward Meyers Leonard to a four-year deal, the Trail Blazers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, have matched the four-year, $75 million offer sheet the Brooklyn Nets tendered to third-year guard/forward Allen Crabbe, ensuring that the former Cal Bear will be back in Portland next season...

As is often the case when it comes to restricted free agents, the Nets offer to Crabbe, who has averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game through three season, was considerably larger than many assumed the 6-6 wing would receive in an effort to discourage the Trail Blazers from matching. And after the Trail Blazers signed free agent guard/forward Evan Turner to a four-year deal, some assumed that combined with the size of the Nets offer might result in Trail Blazers letting Crabbe walk.

But that would not be the case. Crabbe has been a favorite of the front office and coaching staff since the team acquired former Pac-12 Player of the Year via trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2012 Draft. And though he played sparingly in his first two seasons, he saw his minutes increase dramatically in 2015-16, as he appeared in 81 games and responded with averages of 10.8 points on 44 percent shooting and 39 percent shooting from three, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists while serving as one of the team's best perimeter defenders.

There were rumors that outside of the money and years, Crabbe, who has typically come off the bench for the Trail Blazers, was intrigued by the opportunity to start and play a larger role with the Nets. But for his part, Crabbe seemed more than satisfied that he would be returning to Portland...

With Crabbe now signed, forward Maurice Harkless is the last Blazer still available on the free agent market. Like Crabbe, Harkless is a restricted free agent, which gives the Trail Blazers the right to match any offer he receives from another team. It is also possible for the Trail Blazers to sign Harkless even if he doesn't receive an offer sheet from another team, as they have reportedly did Sunday with restricted free agent power forward Meyers Leonard.

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Trail Blazers Match Four-Year Offer For Allen Crabbe

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