The 2013 NBA Draft is officially over.In a quite interesting night full of surprises and unexpected moves right from the start to the end, the Portland Trail Blazers continued a "trend" of theirs with using their top pick to draft another highly-talented prospect out of a small school.
With the 10th overall pick, the Trail Blazers drafted C.J. McCollum out of Lehigh. McCollumn is in many ways similar to the most recent Rookie of the Year winner and his new teammate, Damian Lillard.
Both came from small schools (Lehigh and Weber State), are around the same height (6-foot-3), spent all four years in college and were high-scoring guards with lethal jumpers who had major injuries which put them away for a year respectably.
It's obvious that the similarities are there. Whether McCollum will have a Lillard-like season is debatable, Portland was clearly thrilled with this choice because he was one of their primary draft targets. This way, the Blazers full-filled the need of having another perimeter scorer and added a nice peace for the future.
However, the team wasn't drafting for a need.
Before the draft even started, Trail Blazers general manager Neil Oshley said that the franchise would always take the best player available. And apparently, they're quite happy with this specific choice, as Oshley went on to say: "We didn't feel he'd get to us at (No.) 10. When he did, we were ecstatic."
Is C.J McCollum the talent that Portland was looking for in the back court? According to the Oshley, he is, as he went on to call his 10th overall pick "the whole package."
He was measured at 6-foot-3, 197 pounds with a 6-foot-6 wingspan, 8-foot standing reach with a 38.5-inch max vertical. Despite his solid measurements., McCollum never left the impression of an elite athlete. His game was and is based on finesse.
McCollum is arguably the most complete scorer in this draft class. He has amazing range on his jumper, can break a defender when the ball is in his hands and is great at making off the dribble shots. In fact, he's great at making any type of shots.
He connected on 49-percent off-the-dribble shots and 61-percent in catch-and-shoot situations. He averaged 23.9 points in his senior season. Besides his shooting, he did a fantastic job of making the most in transition and creating for himself in one-on-one situations.
His scoring versatility is truly up with anyone from the 2013 draft. However, he's more than a great scorer. McCollum was noted for his excellent rebounding skills for his position, off-ball defense, high basketball IQ, solid passing and defense.
Additionally, the Trail Blazers newest guard is outstanding at being crafty and explosively changing directions to get to the rim. McCollum will have to put in work on improving his passing abilities and defense, areas in which he can easily improve.
His biggest drawbacks coming into the NBA are his size and his ability to play with other ball-handlers. However, McCollum himself has said that he's willing to make adjustments in this regard in order to excel on the next level.
The Trail Blazers will want to pair him up in the backcourt with Lillard. Although he's officially listed at 6-foot-3, multiple sites have him as "more closer" to 6-foot-4. If that's true, it will more likely help him to see big minutes at shooting guard.
However, what makes C.J an intriguing and top prospect are actually his confidence and intangibles.
He is full with confidence. He makes mistakes because he's trying to do something rather than being shy and afraid of them. That is a valuable asset to have, because in the right circumstances, that type of mentality can make you more than great. McCollum also has a great feel for the game, understands situations very well and adjusts to them just fine.
Does this combo-guard have any issues coming up? You can name few, but with the right hard work, they can be fixed. Even the issue with size can be solved through maximizing abilities with a great work-ethic and high confidence.
McCollum has all the needed tools to excel in the NBA. He is in a good position to learn from Lillard, who was in a similar position last season, and with the needed minutes, he'll most likely become a great player.
Whether he'll duplicate Dame's season, have better or worse one -- time will tell. And with the latest statements coming from the Oshley and head coach Terry Stotts regarding their 10th overall pick, they are more than happy with him around.
The franchise certainly took a highly-talented player who also improved a weakness of theirs in C.J. McCollum. Now, it's McCollum's turn to return the favor and produce for the team that wanted him badly before they even drafted him.
Did Portland make the right decision?
Only time will tell.
