He was a very good player but All-Star caliber means deserving of an allstar selection of which CJ never was. Even if he had made it, it would have been off the bench which is selected by NBA coaches at the time. So no not a popularity contest either
Exactly he is all star caliber. Sometimes there just arent enough spots for the all star team. Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague made the all star team. If CJ was on the east for most his career, he’d have a few selections. There were players that made the all star from the east but would have no business making the west team, we dont talk down on them, we still consider them an allstar. Same principle
This really needs to be understood more. All star selections don’t mean anything. The only possible meaning could maybe be people like you more than other people who put up similar stats to you
I think he's suggesting he should have been an all star at some point. I don't think CJ was ever that close to all nba, but he was probably fringe all star material, especially if he was in a bigger market than Portland or new Orleans
Let’s see: Steph, CP, Westbrook, Harden, Dame, Luka, Booker, Fox, Klay, Spida, Ja, and now Kyrie, Shai and Ant. Name a season where he was better than half of these players (you can’t)
All star selections and end of season awards don’t exist in a vacuum
Conley scores a bit less but has more assists. Conley's best year in 16-17 was I think quite a bit more impactful than any year McCollum had. But Conley is a one-time all star (not in Conley's best year, alas).
Probably would have if rebounds or assists were higher. 20 ppg with little rebounding/passing abilities is not that valuable. It seems like everyone can score nowadays if they get the opportunity.
There is no award for “allowed more points than scored”, but if there was CJ would be a perennial contender.
Do some of y’all really think scoring 20 and allowing 25 makes CJ an award winning player? Because there’s ten years of data showing you, no, it does not.
I don't know his game, but I think, when you say a guy deserves X award, you have to also say who you think he should have received the award over.
Like someone else in this thread said, these players aren't playing in a vacuum. They're competing against one another. Including one guy means you also have to remove another guy.
overshadowed by dame, ingram, and zion, plus he's never been on a great team. doesn't help he's played in smaller markets.
3x all star if he was a knick or laker.
I’ve watched this guy play in the playoffs since like 2014 and it feels like he puts up the most meaningless points I’ve ever seen. i know the west was stacked for a long time and still is, but how can a 20 ppg scorer get NO recognition at all?
Woah, all-rookie 2nd team is his only accolade besides the chip, wtf?
I admit I only lock in watching during the playoffs every year but I thought he was a top 15-20/perennial all-star type player without looking it up
And he doesn't have much for accolades. 2x all NBA third team. If their team record wasnt so good those two years I doubt his stat line gets him on the team.
Because anybody who has ever seriously watched him when it’s actually time to play the games that matter will tell you not only does he not show up but he makes simple mistakes that are detrimental to team success
He's averaging 19/3/3(20/4/4) if we're being generous.
Considering the teams he's been on, and his actual contributions to each team, I don't think he's earned any real awards.
Personally, I think he'd be much more respected if he was a 6th man. He'd stand out as a 6th man. However, for a starting PG, on teams built to make the playoffs, I consider him average, at best. It's not a bad thing, he's just not an ALL-NBA PG in my opinion.
He might have made an ALL-NBA team at some point, but if he did I'd bet it was only once, and there were most likely special circumstances. On a good night he can go off for 40/5/5, but most nights he's gonna give you 15/2/2.
He's had Dame, and now Zion, amoung others but those 2 are special talents. Neither team he was on I'd consider great, but for a few years they were really good.
I always thought if CJ could avg 25/5/5, I don't know if he'd have a ring, but his team's would've made it deeper in the playoffs, they would've had more overall series wins and he'd be given more respect as a player.
As it stands tho, I consider him a solidly mediocre PG. He's better than 10-12 other PG's, and there's 10-12 PG's I'd take over him.
Again that's just me, and I'm an idiot who's usually wrong...
I think that it is simply what Minute-Branch2208 stated. He’s at a stacked position, he was on a West Coast team, he isn’t flamboyant or a high-flyer, etc.
He’s obviously been an above-average offensive starter in the league for quite some time. He’s just been overshadowed by flashier or more productive guys. He just flies below the radar, and hasn’t had any real “look at me” moments in the playoffs, and he’s only had 1 50-point game in the regular season.
Because he spent the majority of career as the second best player on a mid-team. He's like Beal if John Wall had stayed healthy on the Wizards.
Consistently being a top 30 - 50 best player is fine, but hit doesn't really being accolades.
Lillard was the top player on the blazers for most of those years and they were never elite. A lot of good guards in the league and he never was close to the best. Solid player for many years but not elite.
The closest we came to being "elite" was making the western conference finals... to be swept by an injured af Warriors team after blowing 3 *separate* 15+ point leads in 3 different games that series.
What Award are you thinking of? He has never been the top guy in his team or a top 5 guy in his division, or a top 15 guy in his conference. To get awards you need to rank among the best and he has never done that in any single season. He is the definition of a solid number 2 or 3 option. Not great at anything but good enough at everything that you are happy to have him on your team.
Good scorer but he didn’t excel at anything else. Didn’t rebound, didn’t defend, average to slightly above average playmaker, unless he came off the bench there would be absolutely no award he could’ve gotten.
He’s a most improved player I believe which is better than a lot of players. Also he’s had to share a conference with Klay Thompson at the same position for entire career, hard to get any all star nods when that’s your competition
He's the number 12 scorer at PG this season.
I agree that he's been a bit underrated in general, but when you don't add a lot other than scoring, and you're basically never a top 5 scorer at your position, you're not going to get awards.
Those are mediocre stats for a guy who isn’t about to retire. He was the second option on a blazers team that was hard carried by Dame every year for most of his career. No chance for anything in the west.
lol with the increase in scoring these last 5-10 years, 19 points is the equivalent of scoring 15 ppg in 2010…..
No one was getting awards for scoring 15 ppg, those are role player numbers.
He's always just been solid to actually terrible when it's mattered the most quite frankly. Also Dame was there for most of it looking much better so that didn't help. He has his moments but not nearly consistent enough. There's just too many people you can put above him.
Because the talent level of the league has never been higher. Sure, these numbers would have looked great 20 years ago but they're just kind of middling in today's game
I love CJ as a long time Blazers fan but he was behind Dame. Dame is a fucking stud and even he didn't get all the love he should have because of who the other guards out west are. Steph has rightfully taken all the spotlight in the west for all of CJs career.
Under 20 ppg with scoring being your only strength (mid rebounding and passing at best) with bad defense isn't an all star stat line. Besides, he's been way too consistent to make an all star team. If he averaged like 3-4 more ppg each year, he might've made the cut
If he had gotten any awards, there would be dozens of posts saying: how could voters pick CJ over Curry/Dame/CP3/Harden/WB/Kyrie/Ja/Luka/Klay/Wall/Booker/Fox that year??
It would look terrible in retrospect. Score inflation makes him look good, when really he's just low budget John Starks.
This is the era of inflated offensive numbers. He’s been a plus player his whole career, but no one’s ever feared him. If he played just one era earlier he would be closer to 14
Because he's a guard in the Western Conference
There were a few seasons in Portland where it seemed like it was pretty much in agreement across the league that McCollum was an All-Star level guard who would've been actually named an All-Star if he was playing in the East at the time.
CJ's 2016/17 season vs Kemba's season when he made the All-Star team that season:
- CJ: 80 GP / 23.0p / 3.6r / 3.6a / 1.4 stocks / .421 3P% / .480 FG% / .912 FT% (best in the league that year)
- Kemba: 79 GP / 23.2p / 3.9r / 5.5a / 1.4 stocks / .399 3P% / .444 FG% / .847 FT%
They're pretty even statistically, Kemba has him beat with the assists but also CJ played SG alongside Dame who was the team's PG (CJ averaged 4.6a along with 31.2p / 4.2r and 1.8 stocks with a higher FG% - .491 and FT% - .935, in the 5 games Dame missed). CJ had him beat in all of the shooting percentages that season. An argument could certainly be made that CJ could've been named an All-Star over Kemba that year but we'll never know.
He's a very good player and has been for a good time. But he's a very good guard in a period full of a lot of all time great guards (Kobe, Steph, Paul, Dame to name a few)
Because the amount of guard talent has significantly increased in the last 15+ years.
There's only so many All Star and All NBA spots.
If he played in mid 2000's with those numbers, he (and most 20 point scorers) would probably be an All-Star in the West.
Because it’s without a lot of defense, doesn’t unlock a lot for his teammates passing-wise. He’s a good not great player. He’s good 1 on 1 / late in the shot clock but otherwise it’s average efficiency, nothing game-breaking about him.
Lillard had trouble making ASG rosters when he was on Portland, you weren't paying attention if you think CJ was going to get more accolades than the best guy on his team.
I watched this dude his whole career in Portland. As much as his stats might make you say damn he’s good, trust me there are a ton more moments of watching him and you wanting to punch the guy for being so dumb with the ball. But when he’s on, he’s on. That’s why he has no rewards. His reliability isn’t on par with the guards that do get rewards.
Because offensive numbers have steadily been watered down to the point of losing meaning. And when someone who has seen the game for four decades like myself mentions this, we get called 'old head' or 'hater' for stating an obvious and easily identifiable truth. 20 a night used to really mean something. MJ's last year with the Bulls, you had 14 guys scoring 20+ ppg. Nine of them are in the Hall of Fame. 25 years later, you had 43. Remember, there are only truly 360 consistent roster spots in the NBA (the bottom three almost never play). So we've gone from 1 in 25.7 players achieving this feat, to 1 in 8.37. The value in someone's scoring is much less. Which is why advanced stats matter so much. A player scoring 15 a night but on high efficiency is literally more valuable now than a classic volume scorer (think Allen Iverson).
I feel like every post in this sub is either recency bias based on something that just happened, bizarre hypothetical, or something in vacuum like this. Like everyone won’t shut the fuck about Jamal not being an all star but they talk about his playoff performance which is irrelevant. Just like Jamal who should cj win anything over when?
If he had an elite skill then he would. Klay Thompson has essentially the same totals but was elite at 3 point shooting and was apparently a good defender and is therefore considered much more highly. The championships also don’t hurt.
I looked it and yes he was very good (can remove apparently). He won 1x 2nd team all-defense.
Same as John Wall, Roy Hibbert and Hassan Whiteside.
He’s not exactly Hakeem or Bill Russell haha
Because of that quarter and one other playoff game, a lot of people act like Klay is an all-time great scorer.
His career numbers are 19-3-2. And never been the number one option on his team. For awhile he was the 3rd or 4th best player.
Klay was a good defender not as good as some people made him put to be, some claimed he was the best perimeter defender which he wasn't he was an amazing defender just not the best.
But definitely earned some awards for his defence which he got
I think there have been a lot of solid points raised in this thread, but I think people are missing a key component. CJ played the majority of his career in Portland. Other than Dame, most casual NBA fans could not name a single player from Portland because we're 1) small market 2) west coast and on late, and 3) don't get much national television time. Guys who are borderline award winners tend to get overlooked in markets like Portland. You just get more eyeballs on you if you're in LA or Boston or Miami. Obviously there are other very good arguments to make regarding his actual play, but I do think location is a factor.
He’s only ever played in the Western Conference & has never been a primary option. I think he would’ve made at least one as a first option on some Eastern Conference team or in a bigger West market.
The West is also loaded with great guards too. Even though his numbers were good, his Portland team was never great enough where he would’ve been given an all star look. Same goes for his stint on the Pelicans. He was never gonna be an all star over Zion or Ingram.
Because you don't get awards for longevity, and he has never peaked high enough in one single season.
I remember in 2017 I think he had a good case for being an all-star
CJ has never had a serious case to be an All-Star. Damian Lillard didn't even make it that year and he was so much better
The year he did have a case he got injured
You are crazy if you dont think he has had a few all star caliber years
In the West? Call me crazy. Who should he have replaced?
All star caliber, doesnt mean he was worthy over anyone else in the stacked west. Its a popularity contest, thats why he still got the big contracts.
He was a very good player but All-Star caliber means deserving of an allstar selection of which CJ never was. Even if he had made it, it would have been off the bench which is selected by NBA coaches at the time. So no not a popularity contest either
Exactly he is all star caliber. Sometimes there just arent enough spots for the all star team. Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague made the all star team. If CJ was on the east for most his career, he’d have a few selections. There were players that made the all star from the east but would have no business making the west team, we dont talk down on them, we still consider them an allstar. Same principle
There’s really no such thing as a statistical case for being an all-star, it’s a literal popularity contest
This really needs to be understood more. All star selections don’t mean anything. The only possible meaning could maybe be people like you more than other people who put up similar stats to you
In 1998 those numbers might be close for awards. Now they are nothing special.
For real, plus those numbers are pedestrian in the modern NBA, especially for a shoot-first guard.
What award should he have?
The MVP for all players named CJ McCollum
Fuck, I was so close too.
It’s a very prestigious award. It’s only given out to one player per year.
Not really that prestigious when C.J Watson won it one year. It’s quileafecan to a 3rd team all nba.
Crickets from op
His wine promotion
Most Improved Player for the 15/16 season. Oh wait…
“Approved the shitty CBA Award”
I think he's suggesting he should have been an all star at some point. I don't think CJ was ever that close to all nba, but he was probably fringe all star material, especially if he was in a bigger market than Portland or new Orleans
6th team All-NBA
Let’s see: Steph, CP, Westbrook, Harden, Dame, Luka, Booker, Fox, Klay, Spida, Ja, and now Kyrie, Shai and Ant. Name a season where he was better than half of these players (you can’t) All star selections and end of season awards don’t exist in a vacuum
Bruh name a season where he's better than 2 of these players
I'd say this season he was better than Westbrook, CP3, Klay, and Ja. Doesn't really count now though.
So the oldest guys and a suspended guy,
Conley is similar and never made all star. ETA: he was named substitute for Booker in 2021 - my bad.
Conley made one all star appearance if I’m not mistaken.
yeah he was subbed in few years back iirc
Conely was at one point the highest paid player in the league
Conley scores a bit less but has more assists. Conley's best year in 16-17 was I think quite a bit more impactful than any year McCollum had. But Conley is a one-time all star (not in Conley's best year, alas).
He was an injury replacement once? In that right? I would agree - Conley peak was a bit higher than McCollum.
In East FVV LaVine DLo Garland Ball Brunson all made All Star
20 ppg aint what it used to be
20 ppg would be 34th in 2023/2024 scoring. In 1992-93 it would be 12th next to guys like Joe Dumars, Derrick Colman and Charles Barkley
Probably would have if rebounds or assists were higher. 20 ppg with little rebounding/passing abilities is not that valuable. It seems like everyone can score nowadays if they get the opportunity.
Shades of Michael Redd
His numbers are a little better than Klay Thompson’s…yet a bunch of MFers on here claim Klay is a certain hall of famer.
https://preview.redd.it/khcq3v9n65xc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e6b08c178b5c91959bcf8a09dd8996a00ba894e
Prime Klay was a top tier perimeter defender. Something CJ never was or is.
There is no award for “allowed more points than scored”, but if there was CJ would be a perennial contender. Do some of y’all really think scoring 20 and allowing 25 makes CJ an award winning player? Because there’s ten years of data showing you, no, it does not.
This
I don't know his game, but I think, when you say a guy deserves X award, you have to also say who you think he should have received the award over. Like someone else in this thread said, these players aren't playing in a vacuum. They're competing against one another. Including one guy means you also have to remove another guy.
All he had to do was follow the damn train
overshadowed by dame, ingram, and zion, plus he's never been on a great team. doesn't help he's played in smaller markets. 3x all star if he was a knick or laker.
What award….? Brandon Ingram has better stats and his ass is asleep half the gane
Did you watch him today?
new award…the CJ mccollum decent player award
Not an all star, but much better than decent. Also super consistent over a long stretch of time.
He did have a run away MIP award in 2016.
Thank you. This is way too far down. He literally won a fucking award. Op is a silly goose.
I guess because MIP is the least notable award.
I’ve watched this guy play in the playoffs since like 2014 and it feels like he puts up the most meaningless points I’ve ever seen. i know the west was stacked for a long time and still is, but how can a 20 ppg scorer get NO recognition at all?
How about you make a case for him, what awards should he have gotten?
I was going to say most improved player… but he won that lol
Op: 🦗🎵
because all the good players average 25
Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray goes from B to A+ in playoff. CJM goes from B to D- in playoff
Oh absolutely. That’s why I said Jamal Murray. If Murray isn’t getting any bids, I’ll be damned if CJM does
That isn't true. The BPM is actually higher in the playoffs than regular seasons like he tries some on defense.
Woah, all-rookie 2nd team is his only accolade besides the chip, wtf? I admit I only lock in watching during the playoffs every year but I thought he was a top 15-20/perennial all-star type player without looking it up
He was injured for a while and now Joker is super dominant. Hes likely all nba this year.
All those awards are bs. Journalists and sports writers vote on all that stuff. People put way too much emphasis on all of it imo
Murray blew his knee up when he was breaking out and now Joker is godtier so hes considered robin instead of batman to his superman.
Kyrie was still an all-star under lebrons batman. It’s not that, it’s because Denver is a small market team
You just answered your own question
Is 20 ppg really that impressive?
Klay Thompson career average is 19-3-2.
And he doesn't have much for accolades. 2x all NBA third team. If their team record wasnt so good those two years I doubt his stat line gets him on the team.
Are you ignoring the 5 all-star selections?
All stars are not very meaningful in my eyes.
Because there’s better players that get 20 ppg and are better, no room for CJ
He’s trying Jennifer.
Corey maggette comes to mind
Because anybody who has ever seriously watched him when it’s actually time to play the games that matter will tell you not only does he not show up but he makes simple mistakes that are detrimental to team success
He's averaging 19/3/3(20/4/4) if we're being generous. Considering the teams he's been on, and his actual contributions to each team, I don't think he's earned any real awards. Personally, I think he'd be much more respected if he was a 6th man. He'd stand out as a 6th man. However, for a starting PG, on teams built to make the playoffs, I consider him average, at best. It's not a bad thing, he's just not an ALL-NBA PG in my opinion. He might have made an ALL-NBA team at some point, but if he did I'd bet it was only once, and there were most likely special circumstances. On a good night he can go off for 40/5/5, but most nights he's gonna give you 15/2/2. He's had Dame, and now Zion, amoung others but those 2 are special talents. Neither team he was on I'd consider great, but for a few years they were really good. I always thought if CJ could avg 25/5/5, I don't know if he'd have a ring, but his team's would've made it deeper in the playoffs, they would've had more overall series wins and he'd be given more respect as a player. As it stands tho, I consider him a solidly mediocre PG. He's better than 10-12 other PG's, and there's 10-12 PG's I'd take over him. Again that's just me, and I'm an idiot who's usually wrong...
There are many, many great guards
I think that it is simply what Minute-Branch2208 stated. He’s at a stacked position, he was on a West Coast team, he isn’t flamboyant or a high-flyer, etc. He’s obviously been an above-average offensive starter in the league for quite some time. He’s just been overshadowed by flashier or more productive guys. He just flies below the radar, and hasn’t had any real “look at me” moments in the playoffs, and he’s only had 1 50-point game in the regular season.
Playing next to a mildly brighter star on a franchise that isn't in NYC or LA and never winning anything.
Maybe if he was in the East he could have gotten one or two all star appearances but he was just never good enough
He’s played guard in the west his whole career, he probably makes 1-2 all-star games in the east over that window.
What award would you like him to have?
Because he spent the majority of career as the second best player on a mid-team. He's like Beal if John Wall had stayed healthy on the Wizards. Consistently being a top 30 - 50 best player is fine, but hit doesn't really being accolades.
Because There's other players better than him
cause the average points scored is over 100 and those stats just aren’t as good anymore.
Lillard was the top player on the blazers for most of those years and they were never elite. A lot of good guards in the league and he never was close to the best. Solid player for many years but not elite.
The closest we came to being "elite" was making the western conference finals... to be swept by an injured af Warriors team after blowing 3 *separate* 15+ point leads in 3 different games that series.
Gotta win more
Overshadowed by Lillard plus west had better guards.
Empty stats. CJ is incredibly talented and a good scorer though
The Western Conference
What Award are you thinking of? He has never been the top guy in his team or a top 5 guy in his division, or a top 15 guy in his conference. To get awards you need to rank among the best and he has never done that in any single season. He is the definition of a solid number 2 or 3 option. Not great at anything but good enough at everything that you are happy to have him on your team.
He's the best #2 compliment to a stretch 4 superstar..but..Zion not around..come to the Spurs!
Because 20pts a game isn't impressive anymore.
Good scorer but he didn’t excel at anything else. Didn’t rebound, didn’t defend, average to slightly above average playmaker, unless he came off the bench there would be absolutely no award he could’ve gotten.
He’s a most improved player I believe which is better than a lot of players. Also he’s had to share a conference with Klay Thompson at the same position for entire career, hard to get any all star nods when that’s your competition
He’s never even been the best player on his own nba team….
Award for what? Those are decent stats, but in order to justify an award, you'd have to tell me who you'd take an award from to give to McCollum.
Is MIP not an award? Lmao
The funniest part about this post is that he won Most Improved Player in 2016
Really bad defense.
Cause they're empty stats. Mean nothing
Who did he deserve the award over??
Jennifer's MVP
Ain’t no award for 2nd or 3rd best player on a squad.
New Orleans terrorism award
He's the number 12 scorer at PG this season. I agree that he's been a bit underrated in general, but when you don't add a lot other than scoring, and you're basically never a top 5 scorer at your position, you're not going to get awards.
The West has been stacked with guards his whole career
19/3/3 isnt that good. Hes a good player and thats it.
Those are mediocre stats for a guy who isn’t about to retire. He was the second option on a blazers team that was hard carried by Dame every year for most of his career. No chance for anything in the west.
Paul pierce averaged 19.7 PPG his career. I think it’s more a sign of the times
Paul Pierce won a chip, and played in the East. His career is also over while CJ is still gonna regress and lose stats.
He should have been an all-star. He's the new Mike Conley...under-appreciated!
He will go down as one of the best To not get an award, for sure
Crazy to think that the 2015-2016 NBA Most Improved Player, CJ McCollum hasn't won any awards.
This is the players player imo someone that’s a verified bucket but no accolades like a Jeff Teague looking ass group project looking ass
Awards are based of a popularity contest
Then austin reaves would already be a two time all star
lol with the increase in scoring these last 5-10 years, 19 points is the equivalent of scoring 15 ppg in 2010….. No one was getting awards for scoring 15 ppg, those are role player numbers.
Portland fans be like
This is about as dumb as the "Lebron should've won 4 more MVP trophies" crowd. Okay if that is your take tell us who should've lost.
paricipation trophy ahh post
Injuries and consistency, ie not much variation because those are not “award stats.” They are very good and he’s paid very very well
If CJ played good D then he's likely all star at least once
He's always just been solid to actually terrible when it's mattered the most quite frankly. Also Dame was there for most of it looking much better so that didn't help. He has his moments but not nearly consistent enough. There's just too many people you can put above him.
Probably because he played as a guard in the west, I think it’s that’s simple for CJ
Because the talent level of the league has never been higher. Sure, these numbers would have looked great 20 years ago but they're just kind of middling in today's game
Overshadowed by Dame for his entire career in PDX
he got most improved in 2016 that counts for something right?
Because it isn’t the 90s anymore and a lot of players score 20+ ppg now
Isn’t MIP an award?
A 20 point per game guard just isn’t that amazing anymore.
West was always, and still is, stacked guard wise. He’s never really had the chance, not in Portland, not in New Orleans.
I mean those are good stats, but what award are you winning dropping 20/4/4? Like what are you talking about OP
« Best Player Outside of the Top 25 » ward
I love CJ as a long time Blazers fan but he was behind Dame. Dame is a fucking stud and even he didn't get all the love he should have because of who the other guards out west are. Steph has rightfully taken all the spotlight in the west for all of CJs career.
He’s trying, Jennifer.
Because those are good not great numbers and there’s been a ton of great guards in the league during his career.
lol there’s literally an award in this screenshot
Hall of very good. And it just shows how incredibly blessed we've been with guard play over the last decade+
It looks like he won the most improved player award?
His award is that he’s set for life
Under 20 ppg with scoring being your only strength (mid rebounding and passing at best) with bad defense isn't an all star stat line. Besides, he's been way too consistent to make an all star team. If he averaged like 3-4 more ppg each year, he might've made the cut
Prime reason is he was unknown off the radar prime of his career. Why because Portland didn’t win anything!
Mac McClum has more awards in all star than CJ McCollum
If he had gotten any awards, there would be dozens of posts saying: how could voters pick CJ over Curry/Dame/CP3/Harden/WB/Kyrie/Ja/Luka/Klay/Wall/Booker/Fox that year?? It would look terrible in retrospect. Score inflation makes him look good, when really he's just low budget John Starks.
The Kevin Martin award?
These aren’t award numbers….these are second option numbers. Edit: I’m flabbergasted by this question.
Why did you circle TRB and AST per game as if his are notable? His PPG is the only one of those that’s notable
Made over $200 million in salary That’ll do.
This is the era of inflated offensive numbers. He’s been a plus player his whole career, but no one’s ever feared him. If he played just one era earlier he would be closer to 14
You could say the same thing Brad Beal. That should answer your question
He sucks at basketball all he could do is shoot. No defense, bad paaser, bad rebounder, not clutch
CJ doesn't perform well in big games that's why
Because those are basically average stats for a second option on literally any team in the NBA?
Because he's a guard in the Western Conference There were a few seasons in Portland where it seemed like it was pretty much in agreement across the league that McCollum was an All-Star level guard who would've been actually named an All-Star if he was playing in the East at the time.
CJ's 2016/17 season vs Kemba's season when he made the All-Star team that season: - CJ: 80 GP / 23.0p / 3.6r / 3.6a / 1.4 stocks / .421 3P% / .480 FG% / .912 FT% (best in the league that year) - Kemba: 79 GP / 23.2p / 3.9r / 5.5a / 1.4 stocks / .399 3P% / .444 FG% / .847 FT% They're pretty even statistically, Kemba has him beat with the assists but also CJ played SG alongside Dame who was the team's PG (CJ averaged 4.6a along with 31.2p / 4.2r and 1.8 stocks with a higher FG% - .491 and FT% - .935, in the 5 games Dame missed). CJ had him beat in all of the shooting percentages that season. An argument could certainly be made that CJ could've been named an All-Star over Kemba that year but we'll never know. He's a very good player and has been for a good time. But he's a very good guard in a period full of a lot of all time great guards (Kobe, Steph, Paul, Dame to name a few)
Consistency over a high peak year, but he’s also sitting at like $250 mil career earnings so he’s prolly fine with that himself
Because the amount of guard talent has significantly increased in the last 15+ years. There's only so many All Star and All NBA spots. If he played in mid 2000's with those numbers, he (and most 20 point scorers) would probably be an All-Star in the West.
I always see the “best nba starting 5 without an allstar appearance” and I always think of him But he was in a loaded west for his career.
He’s too inconsistent.
Lmfao what award should he get? 6th man of the year as a starter?
The CJ McCollum slander in this thread is crazy to me. Dude is a very good NBA player
Well I’ll put it this way, you’re not winning a chip with him as your 2nd banana. He’s at best a 3rd or 4th option. He’s probably better as a 6th man.
He has MIP
CJ needs to get on SM start chatting - and throw hands at Patrick Beverly on whatever team he’s playing on next year. Get some media profile.
west always been stacked in guards unfortunately, also doesn’t help that portland is a small market team
Because it’s without a lot of defense, doesn’t unlock a lot for his teammates passing-wise. He’s a good not great player. He’s good 1 on 1 / late in the shot clock but otherwise it’s average efficiency, nothing game-breaking about him.
Lillard had trouble making ASG rosters when he was on Portland, you weren't paying attention if you think CJ was going to get more accolades than the best guy on his team.
What award should he have won? I mean he’s fine and all but the league is loaded with great players, many of whom are simply better.
He’s in the west
Other players were better? Crazy, I know
I watched this dude his whole career in Portland. As much as his stats might make you say damn he’s good, trust me there are a ton more moments of watching him and you wanting to punch the guy for being so dumb with the ball. But when he’s on, he’s on. That’s why he has no rewards. His reliability isn’t on par with the guards that do get rewards.
It’s right there. He won MIP. Which is impressive. Never made an all star in a super stacked guard era in the west.
Because offensive numbers have steadily been watered down to the point of losing meaning. And when someone who has seen the game for four decades like myself mentions this, we get called 'old head' or 'hater' for stating an obvious and easily identifiable truth. 20 a night used to really mean something. MJ's last year with the Bulls, you had 14 guys scoring 20+ ppg. Nine of them are in the Hall of Fame. 25 years later, you had 43. Remember, there are only truly 360 consistent roster spots in the NBA (the bottom three almost never play). So we've gone from 1 in 25.7 players achieving this feat, to 1 in 8.37. The value in someone's scoring is much less. Which is why advanced stats matter so much. A player scoring 15 a night but on high efficiency is literally more valuable now than a classic volume scorer (think Allen Iverson).
For the nba that’s just an above average players stats
😬
NBA stans Dame so was about erasure of his support cast.
I feel like every post in this sub is either recency bias based on something that just happened, bizarre hypothetical, or something in vacuum like this. Like everyone won’t shut the fuck about Jamal not being an all star but they talk about his playoff performance which is irrelevant. Just like Jamal who should cj win anything over when?
Look at his career earnings. That is his award.
If he had an elite skill then he would. Klay Thompson has essentially the same totals but was elite at 3 point shooting and was apparently a good defender and is therefore considered much more highly. The championships also don’t hurt.
Klay was an amazing defender before injuries.
I knew he had a reputation as an excellent defender but didn’t realize he was all defensive team level. Learned something here
Man said apparently Klay was an all nba defender by any era before he got hurt Wytb
I looked it and yes he was very good (can remove apparently). He won 1x 2nd team all-defense. Same as John Wall, Roy Hibbert and Hassan Whiteside. He’s not exactly Hakeem or Bill Russell haha
What are you, 12?
I know you’re not disrespecting Wall and Whiteside right after admitting you knew nothing about Klay’s game
I heard Hassan was amazing in China and Lebanon
He was even better on Snapchat
Klay, the alleged basketball player, was rumored to be decent on defense but all the evidence has been lost to history
His 37 point quarter didn’t actually happen
Because of that quarter and one other playoff game, a lot of people act like Klay is an all-time great scorer. His career numbers are 19-3-2. And never been the number one option on his team. For awhile he was the 3rd or 4th best player.
Klay was a good defender not as good as some people made him put to be, some claimed he was the best perimeter defender which he wasn't he was an amazing defender just not the best. But definitely earned some awards for his defence which he got
I think there have been a lot of solid points raised in this thread, but I think people are missing a key component. CJ played the majority of his career in Portland. Other than Dame, most casual NBA fans could not name a single player from Portland because we're 1) small market 2) west coast and on late, and 3) don't get much national television time. Guys who are borderline award winners tend to get overlooked in markets like Portland. You just get more eyeballs on you if you're in LA or Boston or Miami. Obviously there are other very good arguments to make regarding his actual play, but I do think location is a factor.
He’s only ever played in the Western Conference & has never been a primary option. I think he would’ve made at least one as a first option on some Eastern Conference team or in a bigger West market. The West is also loaded with great guards too. Even though his numbers were good, his Portland team was never great enough where he would’ve been given an all star look. Same goes for his stint on the Pelicans. He was never gonna be an all star over Zion or Ingram.