Blazers’ CJ McCollum Reportedly Expected to Return from Collapsed Lung vs. Magic

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Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum is expected to return to the lineup Monday against the Orlando Magic after making a full recovery from a collapsed lung, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. 

The former Lehigh star played the first 24 games of this season, but a collapsed right lung forced him to sit beginning Dec. 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers. On Dec. 23, Portland announced that a CT scan showed that McCollum’s lung had fully healed and that he would be re-evaluated in one week.

The 30-year-old has averaged 20.6 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds in his ninth NBA season with the Blazers.

He’s served as the backcourt sidekick to Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard for the better part of a decade, and the two have been part of eight straight playoff teams.

McCollum has notably averaged 20 or more points per game since 2015-16, when he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

Unfortunately, injuries have sidelined McCollum numerous times over the past two seasons.

A hairline fracture and a midfoot sprain in his left foot led to him playing just 47 of the Blazers’ 72 games last year.

Without McCollum, the Blazers moved Norman Powell from small forward to shooting guard. Nassir Little entered the starting lineup with Larry Nance Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic in the frontcourt.