Are C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard the most underrated backcourt?
TORONTO -- C.J. McCollum said the building blocks are in place for the Portland Trail Blazers to have a strong finish to the NBA season and solidify a playoff position.
Following the departure of four out of five starting players from last season's team, there was skepticism about Portland's ability to remain relevant in the Western Conference.
At the All-Star break, the team has done just that, and significant credit for that success goes to the starting backcourt featuring McCollum and Damian Lillard. The pair of guards has found a way to mesh well together, and the team is No. 7 in the standings.
Damian Lillard might not be an All-Star, but Blazers are winning
McCollum is pleased about that revelation, he said, not just because the team has already surpassed expectations, but also because there's plenty of room for improvement down the stretch.
All things Blazers: Latest Portland Trail Blazers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
"Obviously with four of five new starters coming in, losing 85 percent of your offense, that's a big loss a lot of teams wouldn't be able to bounce back from," said McCollum, who is in the Skills Challenge and is the replacement for Chris Bosh in the Three-Point contest for All-Star Saturday Night. "I think (coach Terry Stotts) done a great job putting us in position to succeed. It gave us the time to allow our players to develop."
McCollum said that with himself and Lillard leading the way there's a strong chance of keeping a playoff spot and making a run once there. Some of the best teams in the league – such as Golden State and Toronto – have thrived with a strong 1-2 punch in the backcourt.
If everything stays on track, McCollum said his chemistry with Lillard could grow into that of a Stephan Curry and Klay Thompson or a Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
He said that wouldn't happen overnight, though.
"50-something games into being full-time starters together we're learning a lot from the other guards and seeing how they mesh on and off the court," McCollum said. "We need to continue to try to build an everlasting on-and-off the court relationship. … We're able to score efficiently and effectively, now it's just about defensively getting together and having that cohesiveness.
"We're (54) games in and we're being mentioned among Steph and Klay and DeMar and Kyle and all those guys. … You look at the Warriors, Steph and Klay, they won 24 or 25 games their first year together. We're at 27 wins at the All-Star break."
Damian Lillard added to Olympic finalists
The key to Portland's success over the final 28 games of the regular season is to not get content, McCollum said. Few outside of the Trail Blazers organization and fan base expected much from what was viewed by most as a rebuilding year, but the team has already shattered the notion of what's possible.
McCollum said the key going forward is to continuing building off that momentum.
"If you look at where we're at defensively, we're top 15 in the NBA. That's a big stride for as. As of January 24th, we were third in the league in defensive rating. It's a process," McCollum said. "Defensively we've got to be consistent as a team, continue to defend at a high level and share the ball on offense. Not get content with minor success.
"Coaching really helps and then it's about player development. Allowing players and guys to continue to not have to look over their shoulder and play through mistakes. All that stuff is important to development of players. Knowing we all put our time in and practicing and getting our reps in. It's just a matter of time."