Pelicans Not Worried About CJ McCollum in Elimination Game Situation
The New Orleans Pelicans traded for CJ McCollum so he could lead the team's playoff runs for the next few years. McCollum wanted to come to play with Brandon Ingram because he thought this team was ready to win playoff games now.
He was proven right in the NBA Play-In tournament but McCollum will need a big Game 6 to show these Pelicans are ready to win a series against Chris Paul's Phoenix Suns. He has said he "wants to retire" here in New Orleans and to build a legacy. McCollum can do that by coming up big when facing elimination.
No one in the building is worried about a letdown game. McCollum's overall stats in closeout games are in line with his season averages. In 14 elimination games, McCollum had averaged 25.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He will get a block or a steal but also commits two turnovers per game on average.
Average does not make the grade in the playoffs though. Willie Green will have to find a way to get just a bit more out of what McCollum historically adds to extend the season.
Apr 26, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (left) moves the ball against Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul in the first half during game five of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
McCollum got his first meaningful playoff minutes in 2015 against the Grit-and-Grind Memphis Grizzlies. McCollum helped Portland avoid the sweep by going 8/12 from the field including 2/2 from deep. He had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in Game 4 but went on an offseason vacation after a 33-point Game 5.
McCollum won his first series in 2016, sending the Lob City LA Clippers and Chris Paul back to the drawing board. He had 20 points and 4 assists in a supporting role behind Damian Lillard. Unfortunately, McCollum ran into the Golden State Warriors in the next two playoff series. Portland won just one of the nine matchups.
McCollum did his part against the Warriors averaging over 21 points per game. In elimination situations though, he was a mixed bag. 2016’s Game 5 was McCollum’s best outing. He had 27 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal. In 2017 he got worse by the game, scoring just 6 points on 12 shots to finish out a sweep.
He got better every game in 2018 but as New Orleans knows, the Pelicans swept that series before running into the Warriors. McCollum had 38 points in Game 4 but Jrue Holiday poured in 41 points while keeping Lillard (19 points) in check.
Apr 22, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) and guard CJ McCollum (3) talk in the second half of game three of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at the Smoothie King Center against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns won, 114-111. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
McCollum showed he could lead a team during Portland’s 2019 run to the Western Conference Finals. He scored 24 or more 8 times in 16 games but just 17 in a first-round Game 5 clincher. Apparently, he was saving it for the next round against the Denver Nuggets.
His 30-point Game 6 let Portland live for an even better 37-point, 9-rebound night on the road in Game 7. They ran into the Warriors again with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. The Trail Blazers did not win a game. McCollum had 27 points and 7 assists to keep things respectable in a two-point loss.
It was also the last time the CJ and Dame tandem won a playoff series. McCollum had 57 combined closeout points versus the Los Angeles Lakers (2020) and Denver Nuggets (2021). Portland was on track to miss the playoffs for the first time in McCollum's career before he was traded.
Apr 24, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) dribbles against Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson (23) during the first half of game four of the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
McCollum was solid in the first two elimination games in New Orleans. He had 51 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds in the NBA Play-In tournament games. He shot 21/47 from the field, going 4/12 from three-point range. He made all 5 free throws against the San Antonio Spurs but missed both attempts in Los Angeles.
New Orleans brought in McCollum but still needs better perimeter shooting to beat the Phoenix Suns. The Pelicans have made only 11 three-pointers in the last two games. They hit 17 in a surprising Game 2 road win and 11 more to keep Game 3 close.
McCollum has room to improve, which is encouraging to an eighth seed under pressure. He has not shied away from the spotlight, hitting 145 shots in elimination games. McCollum has made only 16 of his 46 three-pointers in this series though. The 34% clip is well below his almost 40% career average.
This is just the start of the McCollum era in New Orleans. Ingram and McCollum have played just a quarter of a season together. What happens in Game 6 will not define his legacy. Some nights shots just do not fall. Then “We’ve got to get stops. We’ve got to take care of the ball,” McCollum said. “Those are things you can control.”
Going into what could be the last game in the Smoothie King Center this season McCollum appreciates the opportunity. He is "in a good space" and "happy: ready for fans that are "fun and energetic." No one in the building is worried because the team makes "everyday fun. It’s a really good group to be around. They built a great culture here. There is an appreciation for each other and an appreciation for the game."
Apr 15, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Clippers in the play in game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
McCollum can control his future which he pictures in New Orleans. He told Andcape, “I’m not going nowhere. I’m here. Where am I going to go? Leave for what? I want to retire here. I’m 30 years old and I have a son who is 13 weeks old. I’m married. When you have something good, you hold on to it. This is something fun for both sides. We’re going to grow. I’m still learning the city. I’m going to find a house.”
The plan is to make this his career's forever home. With McCollum and Ingram leading the way with big games, the New Orleans Pelicans will hope to have a home in the second round of the NBA Playoffs as soon as next week.
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