Blazers’ McCollum Featured on HoopsHype’s MVP List

Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum is off to a red-hot start to the 2020-21 season. Through seven games, he is averaging a career-best 27.7 points per game and connecting on 45.8 percent of all his shots from the field. Regardless of his co-starring role alongside Damian Lillard, McCollum earned individual recognition in HoopsHype’s early look at the NBA MVP race.

HoopsHype contributor Frank Urbina listed McCollum at No. 13 on the list. Urbina cited the former Lehigh standout’s excellent efficiency to start the year (this list was published prior to Tuesday’s game between the Bulls and Blazers).

Recently, it’s been Damian Lillard who has been the Portland Trail Blazers MVP candidate… but this year, the better backcourt member has actually been CJ McCollum, who’s averaging a career-high 28.0 points and 5.7 assists per game while knocking down 43.1 percent of his threes, the tidiest clip of his time in the NBA.

Outside of McCollum, James Harden finished at No. 9 and third-year guard Trae Young topped the early-season rankings.

You can read the full MVP race post at HoopsHype.