C.J. McCollum Talks Injuries, Opportunities, Goals for the New Season

The Portland Trail Blazers 2014 Media Day was an expression of team unity and dedication to going further than the the second round of the playoffs this season. Coming off a fantastic Summer League performance, savoring the prospect of being a big part of the offense off the bench, C.J. McCollum spoke about to BlazersEdge about his personal goals and the team outlook.

Q: The opportunity you have now you didn't have last year because of your injury. Does that factor into how you approach this season?

CM: Last year I missed a lot of games, came back and we had the best record in the NBA. Obviously I was happy for the team, but it was a hard situation coming back middle of the year. Now I'm with the team at the beginning with the guys to establish myself and solidify my standing.

Q: Was sitting out last year good for your perspective?

CM: Well it was good and bad, obviously. Got to work on some skills, see how the NBA works, but at the same time you're watching and not playing. With the preseason (last season) and all of those games, and I missed that. In January, guys were getting comfortable and the roster spots were solidified, so it made things hard to get going.

Q: How anxious are you to get out there and play basketball?

CM: I'm definitely looking forward to it. I worked on so many things in the summer, ready to test it out against competition. Just playing with the guys and working out isn't always enough, you want to see the results.

Q: Do you, Will and Allen challenge each other to get more minutes and challenge each other to get better?

CM: Obviously we're competing with each other, but I think you have to focus on yourself and play to the best of your ability.

Q: As a Senior at Lehigh, you shot almost 60% from 3-point range. How have you worked on your shot at the NBA level to be as accurate as you were in college?

CM: I think the biggest thing is just getting reps, getting playing time always translates to makes. Getting in and staying focused helps the shots go in.

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Also check out our interviews with Chris Kaman and Dorell Wright.