C.J. McCollum bullied Trey Burke with a crossover and buzzer-beater at the end of the first half
The Portland Trail Blazers come into the 2015-16 NBA season ailing after losing four of their five starters from last season. While Damian Lillard remains in Portland as a budding star in the league, this season calls for players like Meyers Leonard and C.J. McCollum to really step up for the Trail Blazers. McCollum seems more than ready to hold up his end of the bargain.
On Wednesday night as Portland took on the Utah Jazz on the road, they found themselves with a slight lead as the first half was winding down. McCollum took it upon himself to widen the lead as he sized up Trey Burke at the top of the key, crossed Burke up, and then buried a step-back jumper as time expired:
McCollum certainly didn’t look like a player who was afraid of the moment or stepping up on that play, which I’m sure Burke can attest to.
Coming out of college, McCollum was looked at as somewhat of a sleeper as he came out of mid-major Lehigh. However, he was prolific in college and scouts thought that he could be a high-quality NBA player. There’s still a lot of time left ahead of him in the NBA, but plays like this make you think that those scouts may have been spot-on.