It was a rocky start for the veteran CJ McCollum in an Atlanta Hawks uniform.

During his first six games with the Hawks, McCollum averaged just 16.7 points while shooting just 40.7% from the field and 23.5% from three. During this stretch, Atlanta went 2-4 as McCollum struggled to fit in with the team.

At 34 years old, McCollum is the oldest player on Atlanta’s young roster. Moreover, he is also the Hawks’ highest-paid player, making more than $30.6 million this season.

Given how things started for McCollum in Atlanta, the notion to re-sign him this offseason would not have been popular. However, with how well he and the Hawks have performed as of late, it might be wise for the Hawks to consider bringing him back next season.

McCollum has been in a unique situation this season. Both the Hawks and Washington Wizards have young rosters in need of veteran leadership. McCollum has been a positive force in both locker rooms, as his veteran presence has helped both teams grow and develop.

Winning Cures Everything

Over the last 19 games, McCollum is averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting 44% from the field and 31.2% from three. It’s no coincidence that as he settled in, the Hawks have played their best basketball of the season. Atlanta is 17-2 during that stretch and has risen to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. 

Of course, McCollum isn’t the sole reason for the Hawks’ recent success, but they certainly wouldn’t be where they are without him.

At first, McCollum’s role was to provide a scoring punch off the bench. He came off the bench in 16 of his first 18 games with Atlanta, and the Hawks went 8-10 during those games. Ironically, Atlanta took off the moment he permanently joined the starting lineup.

CJ McCollum Knows His Role

This season, the Hawks have a 120 offensive rating with McCollum on the floor. Additionally, Atlanta has a NET rating of +11.6 with him on the floor.

The key factor is McCollum’s understanding of his role within the Atlanta offense. During his time in Atlanta, McCollum’s usage rate is 27.2% compared to 24.4% with the Wizards this season. His 27.2% usage rate is McCollum’s highest for McCollum since the 2022-23 season with New Orleans. Furthermore, he is second on the team in field goal attempts per game (15.3 FGA) since joining Atlanta.

If there’s one thing that’s clear: CJ McCollum can flat out score. Even at his older age, he is still finding ways to be effective. At the same time, the Hawks don’t need to ask much more out of him. Naturally, with Atlanta being a high-volume assist and passing team, McCollum will contribute in the playmaking category. His assist percentage of 20.9% ranks third on the Hawks behind Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels. 

McCollum is an offensive machine and has been for his entire career. Since his debut on Jan. 11, the Hawks rank fifth in points per game (118.4) and assists per game (29.3). In that same timeframe, Atlanta also ranks ninth in offensive rating (117.1). 

Playoff Pressure

For the first time since the 2020-2021 season, the Hawks are at least 10 games over .500 (45-33). As of now, Atlanta holds a five seed in the Eastern Conference and, with tiebreakers over both the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, they are primed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2022-2023 season.

CJ McCollum is very familiar with the bright lights of the playoffs. He has by far the most postseason success of anyone on the roster. With 67 playoff games under his belt, McCollum is more than capable of performing under pressure.

From 2015-2021, McCollum averaged 22.3 points per game while also shooting 39% from three in the playoffs. During that time with the Portland Trail Blazers, his team made the Western Conference Finals in 2019. During that series, he averaged 22 points per game, but Portland was swept in the series by the Golden State Warriors.

His playoff experience could prove valuable to a team with very limited playoff experience. The Hawks are still developing as a group, and having veteran leadership to guide the team can be positive in the present and future. 

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