After Monday’s disastrous second quarter that led to a humbling 99-85 loss to Toronto, Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum was the one player who was able to cut through the clichés and distance himself from the everything-will-be-fine mentality.

McCollum, who went 5-for-16 from the field and spent large parts of the Blazers’ record setting six-point second quarter playing point guard, said Portland’s sputtering offense needs to get back to its roots.

“We have to do a better job of movement – not just ball movement, but player movement,’’ McCollum said. “A lot of times, we are standing there watching each other.’’

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The Blazers (4-3) entered Monday’s game with the NBA’s third best offensive rating, but much of those numbers were padded during the team’s rip-roaring three-game opening trip, when they averaged 116 points and shot 47 percent from the field.

But during the team’s four-game home stand, the fluent and artistic collaboration that is coach Terry Stotts’ flow offense has sputtered. Much of the concern would be alleviated, of course, if the Blazers could make even the easiest of shots. Even the Portland players have mocked their poor point-blank shooting, and as a whole, the Blazers have made only 39.9 percent of their shots at home.

But beyond the blown layins and inconsistent close-range shooting, the Blazers’ offense has greater problems, or as Evan Turner so succinctly put it after the Toronto loss: “What we like to do ain’t happening.’’

McCollum’s assessment – that there isn’t enough movement – probably comes closest to addressing what is likely several small things gone awry, which adds to a big problem like Monday, when the Blazers missed 20 consecutive shots from the end of the first quarter until nearly halftime.

The Blazers struggled with spacing, often having three players in close proximity, played a lot of one-on-one, and had nine of their shots blocked and several others that were heavily contested.

Those were all a byproduct, McCollum said, of poor movement.

“It puts pressure on the ball handler,’’ McCollum said. “We are used to reading and reacting off each other, but when we all look at each other, it puts pressure on the guy to make something happen. That’s when we get turnovers. When we get contested shots. And late shot-clocks.’’

The one-on-one play has been particularly alarming, and is in part reflected in the Blazers low assists. They average 19.2 assists – nearly two less than last season - and are ranked 26th out of 30 teams.

The assists will go up once the Blazers start shooting better, but McCollum said he thinks everything is related. Stotts’ flow offense is predicated on movement, and sharing the ball, and that right now isn’t happening smoothly or often enough.

And McCollum said it will start with himself.

“We have to do a better job moving, and I need to set screens,’’ McCollum said. “The rest of the guards can’t just rely on the bigs to set screens. We all have to be active.’’

Today's Blazers' links:

Dwight Jaynes of NBC Sports Northwest says the Blazers need more fast breaks.

Joe Freeman at The Oregonian wrote about the Blazers' offense, or lack thereof.

Casey Holdahl at the Blazers writes about an "irredeemable" loss to Toronto.

A Seattle Post-Intelligencer blogger suggests it's bad that Damian Lillard went vegan.