Prior to Monday’s news regarding CJ McCollum’s hairline fracture in his left foot, the Trail Blazers star was producing career-best numbers across the board. The uptick in McCollum’s output and efficiency was tied directly to his commitment to attempts from beyond the arc.
In a conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Michael Pina, McCollum revealed that his decision to let it fly from distance was a product of his relationship with Blazers video coordinator John Yim.
That, in 2021, is the power of a precise, freely deployed three-ball. McCollum’s welcomed decision to embrace it came during the shortest, most confusing offseason in NBA history, when he teamed up with Blazers video coordinator John Yim—an instrumental aide throughout McCollum’s career—to emphasize the effect a dramatic increase in three-point volume would have on his own productivity, along with the team’s success.