C.J. McCollum increased his scoring by 14 points per game and helped lead the Portland Trailblazers back to the NBA Playoffs. That breakout year led him to be named the league's Most Improved Player in a landslide victory, the league announced Friday.
C.J. McCollum wins NBA’s Most Improved Player award in a landslide
The Blazers’ off guard wins in a rout after becoming an elite scorer in his third NBA season.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
McCollum earned 101 of 130 first-place votes and 559 overall points to win the award over Kemba Walker, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry.
The third-year Blazers pro set career highs in every major category in 2015-16 and finished among the top 20 scorers (and top 10 three-point shooters) in the NBA after recording 20.4 points per game. After starting three games in his first two seasons, the former Lehigh product started 80 to help lead Portland to a 44-38 record and the franchise’s third-straight playoff appearance.
McCollum's rise helped Portland avoid a rebuilding year after losing All-NBA forward LaMarcus Aldridge and swingman Wesley Matthews in free agency and trading three-and-D standout Nicolas Batum last season. He paired with All-Star Damian Lillard to guide a team most predicted would finish in the bottom third of the Western Conference to the No. 5 seed in the postseason.
Blazers guard @CJMcCollum has been named the NBA's Most Improved Player. Full voting below. pic.twitter.com/sCuozGVLk4
— SI NBA (@si_nba) April 22, 2016
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