He may be the NBA's reigning Kia Most Improved Player; a top 20 scorer and the only player since 2004 to record an all-around performance of 35 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and five steals in a game, but none of that projects Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum as a first-time All-Star in 2016-17 in ESPN's predictions for the upcoming season.
McCollum is listed as 'Honorable Mention' in ESPN's rankings of potential All-Star first timers behind Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns, Miami's Hassan Whiteside and Utah's Gordon Hayward among others. While it might appear as a slight at first glance, Pacific Northwest-based ESPN writer Kevin Pelton brings up the simple fact that if fellow Blazer Damian Lillard can't be elected as an All-Star while posting career bests in 2015-16, the odds are stacked against McCollum as well.