CJ McCollum Enters "Most Improved Player" Discussion With Hot Start To Season

James Herbert of CBSSports.com took a look into what has made shooting guard CJ McCollum the early favorite for the NBA's Most Improved Player award, as the third-year guard is averaging 22.2 points a game and has helped the Blazers exceed expectations six games into the season.

Herbert outlines the variety of ways McCollum has scored this season, as he and All-Star point guard Damian Lillard (27.3 ppg) have combined to become one of the NBA's highest scoring tandems.

"He's doing his damage in a variety of ways — he'll pick apart defenses on the pick-and-roll, sprint to the corner for open 3s and make all sorts of runners and leaners that look like they shouldn't be so efficient."

The piece continues to talk about McCollum's confidence being key to his success, as the Blazers have used McCollum against some of the league's best defenders.

"Even more striking, perhaps, is McCollum's confidence. The Blazers went to him repeatedly when Anthony Davis switched onto him. He calmly made runners over Rudy Gobert. He took a runner from 17 feet out against Phoenix, and he swished it."

Herbert also includes a three-minute highlight reel of McCollum's best moments of this young season, a pure delight to watch.

Read the entire article here.

McCollum and the Blazers host the Detroit Pistons tomorrow night at 6 p.m. PST. The game will be shown on CSNNW.