Pelicans Guard CJ McCollum Season Review

Injuries derailed a once-promising season for CJ McCollum and the Pelicans.

Author:
Terry Kimble
Apr 27, 2023 11:08 AM EDT

In this story:

New Orleans, La- New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum prides himself on consistency. His 2022-2023 NBA season with New Orleans was anything but that. McCollum battled injuries, watched other teammates succumb to injuries, and ultimately missed out on the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career.

After the NBA Play-In Tournament loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a despondent McCollum voiced his frustration with how the season ended for his team. "It (my thumb) affected my play a lot. I probably will need surgery next week. I needed the surgery three months ago. I delayed it to try and help our team get to the playoffs, and we came up short."

There was much promise this season with what a Big 3 of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum would look like. The Pelicans only saw that trio ten times on the court this season. Despite the injury to his thumb and later his shoulder, McCollum remained in the lineup for much of the season. It was clear his effectiveness was not the same pre and post-injury.

Before the All-Star break, McCollum averaged 21 points a game, attempting 7.4 three-point shots and shooting 79% from the free throw line. During the last stretch of the season, those numbers dwindled to 20.4 points per contest and shooting 65% from the free throw line. His 3-point attempts also dropped to 6.8 a game.

McCollum played in 75 games this season. He has played at least 70 games for six of the last eight years of his career. With his 20.9 points a game, he has averaged at least 20 points for nine straight seasons. His 5.7 assists this year is the most he's averaged for an entire year.

CJ uncharacteristically struggled to shoot the midrange jumper this season. At 39%, it was the lowest shooting percentage in that area of his career. His 2.4 turnovers per game are also the second-highest since he joined the NBA.

Season Highlight

December 30, 2022 versus Philadelphia 76ers. 42 points on 11/16 from 3-point range.

Not only did CJ McCollum make a franchise-best 11 three-pointers in the Pelicans' 127-116 victory, but it was also arguably among the best games for New Orleans and its fans all season. The victory gave New Orleans a five-game winning streak and tied itself for the best record in the Western Conference at 23-12. It would be the final time the Pelicans would be that high in the standings for the rest of the year.

Season Lowlight

April 9, 2023 at Minnesota Timber Wolves. 23 points

On the surface, a game with 23 points looks good on paper. Digging deeper, it was a disappointing game for CJ. It took him 24 shot attempts to get those points, including missing all of his three-point attempts on the night. He shot 37% from the floor and had only three assists with two turnovers. Injuries aside, it was the final and most important game, considering potential seeding for the playoffs was at stake.

Future Outlook

McCollum is under contract through the 2025-2026 season. He will turn 32 before the next season starts and will be coming off possibly two surgeries this summer. On his Pull Up with CJ McCollum Podcast, he recently reflected on the season and said it's hard to gauge if changes should occur since the stars played so few games together on the team. McCollum is a seasoned veteran, so he will do all he can to be healthy and ready for another playoff push in the future.