For the past week, Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has been fighting a virus that has strained his voice and sapped his energy, two side effects that coincidentally have mirrored his early start to the season.



Dealing with a new role — for the first time in three seasons he no longer moves over from starting shooting guard to backup point guard when Damian Lillard leaves the game —McCollum has been off to a sluggish (for him) start, as his scoring and shooting numbers are down and his turnovers up.



Yet, here the Blazers are with a 7-3 record after Sunday’s 111-81 runaway victory over Minnesota, with every one except McCollum seemingly sharing a bit of the spotlight.



“And I think that’s what I’ve been most proud of: we are still figuring out ways to win despite the way I’ve played,” McCollum said. “That’s encouraging.”



Much like his virus — which is more of an annoyance than an...