There is a picture that makes its rounds every so often: the now Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum in high school, tiny, outworking his defender to create space. At only 5’2”, Jason Quick of the Athletic reports that McCollum had to work to build a repetoire of skills to compensate.
“So I had to be creative,” McCollum said. “I had to figure out ways to create space. I had to be comfortable in crowds, had to be comfortable shooting contested shots, and I had to be comfortable with failing because honestly, you aren’t going to make every shot when you are smaller.