Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum will be entering what he admits is a “pivotal season,” hoping to put all his efforts together to change the course of the franchise's fortunes. The Blazers have now fallen short of reaching the Western Conference Finals for five straight seasons, facing a major roadblock in their pursuit of an NBA championship.

McCollum, much like partner-in-crime Damian Lillard, have mentally tuned in to make this 2018-19 season their best yet, hoping to hurdle over their postseason woes and make the most of the sense of urgency within the organization.

“Everything is in order,” said McCollum, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. “Everything is the way I want it to be.”

“This is a pivotal season for us because we’ve lost 10 straight playoff games. That is a problem. “We just got swept and we were a three seed. That’s another problem. So, yeah, I want to improve individually, but I also want to help the team win. There’s a sense of urgency because we are at a place where we can go up, or we can go down.”

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The Blazers were notoriously bounced out of the playoffs by the sixth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans last year, an upset that caught the eyes of most teams in the Western Conference playoff picture.

McCollum is hoping to put that experience past him and ride the good vibes emanating from a good summer into the regular season, knowing the West has now re-bolstered by adding even more talent.

“Having that good sense of self, having things going well for you in your day-to-day life, it affects basketball. Whether you want to admit it or not, all of it plays a factor,” McCollum said. “And physically and mentally, I’m in a good place.”

His first test will come against LeBron James and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers during an Oct. 18 season opener, when they hope to roll out the welcome mat for The King's Western Conference debut by giving him his first regular-season L in a purple and gold jersey.