Though the Portland Trail Blazers got demolished by the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, CJ McCollum saw a silver lining in the form of young forward Nassir Little.

McCollum shared his admiration for the second-year swingman after the Trail Blazers were blown out by 28 points by the hot-shooting Bucks, 134-106. In the losing effort, Little dropped a career-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field, including 5-of-7 from long distance. He also had six rebounds, one steal, and two blocks.

McCollum, who's still recovering from a fractured left foot, consistently shared his observations of their game against the Bucks. What also caught his eye was Little's smooth stroke and movement on the floor.

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While Little's breakout game happened in a loss, it will surely help the Trail Blazers' resolve in the next couple of games with a depleted roster. Apart from McCollum, key players Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins are also out due to serious injuries.

As for the 20-year-old Little, his big performance could give him that much-needed confidence boost and earn more minutes. In his rookie stint last year, the former 25th overall pick averaged just 3.6 points on 11.6 minutes per game. With the Trail Blazers housing a bunch of veteran forwards, it was a struggle for him to get noticed.

But after putting in the work on both ends of the floor on Monday, fans shouldn't be surprised if coach Terry Stotts fields him for a good 25-30 minutes next game. That little nudge from CJ McCollum may even open up a spot for Nassir Little in the starting five.