Why Christian Shumate Is an Intriguing Addition to Pelicans Training Camp

McNeese State Cowboys forward Christian Shumate (24) shoots a layup against Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1) during the first half at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Christian Shumate is a long shot to make the New Orleans Pelicans' final roster. That doesn't make his invitation to training camp any less meaningful or valuable.

One thing Shumate should do is make it easy for Jamahl Mosley to identify anyone who is unwilling to work.

If there is a player in camp who doesn't compete as hard as Shumate, pursue the basketball with the same urgency, or approach each possession with similar energy, Mosley should question how long that player remains in New Orleans.

Shumate is hustle personified. He may be an undersized power forward at 6-foot-6. His outside shot remains inconsistent, and the Pelicans have plenty of more accomplished players competing for minutes. But effort has never been the question.

That makes him a great addition for a franchise trying to establish a new identity.

Joe Dumars has emphasized toughness, competitiveness, and consistency since taking control of the Pelicans' basketball operations. Mosley has made defense and physicality central to his coaching style. Shumate embodies those principles, even if he never plays a regular season minute for New Orleans.

Shumate Built His Career on Effort

His career has been built by refusing to accept the role initially available to him.

Shumate played only eight games during his freshman season at Tulsa, averaging 5.3 minutes. He transferred to McNeese and transformed himself into one of the most accomplished players in program history.

In four seasons with the Cowboys, Shumate scored 1,675 points, grabbed 1,082 rebounds, and set the school record with 39 double-doubles. He became the first player in McNeese's 82-year history to accumulate at least 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, and 100 blocks.

None of that happened by accident.

Former McNeese coach Will Wade discussed Shumate's value after the Cowboy's final game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. "Shu is everything you want," Wade said before praising him for remaining at McNeese through "the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs" and believing in the program before there was proof it could win.

His high school coach, Dante Maddox, offered an even more fitting description, saying "his superpower is his energy and intensity." Maddox said Shumate often succeeds because "he just wants it more than you do."

Shumate ranked among the nation's best offensive rebounders, set a Southland Conference tournament record with 41 rebounds over three games in 2023 and won consecutive conference Defensive Player of the Year awards. He started 88 consecutive games to close his college career and helped McNeese become a consistent winner.

He went undrafted, but he's remained in the Pelicans' developmental system. With the Birmingham Squadron last season, Shumate averaged 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds while continuing to do the work that doesn't always appear in a box score.

That history matters more than projecting him as the final player on the roster.

A Standard for Pelicans Training Camp

Training camp is not only about determining who can score the most points or create the most viral highlights. It's also where a coaching staff begins establishing what it will and won't tolerate, reward, and demand.

Shumate gives Mosley a standard.

Every loose ball he chases down forces someone else to decide whether to match him. Every offensive rebound becomes a measure of who boxed out and who watched. Every hard defensive possession places pressure on teammates with more guaranteed money, more experience, and greater expectations.

That may be Shumate's greatest value to the Pelicans.

His limitations are real. He is undersized for the position he plays, and he's not a good enough shooter or driver to compensate. New Orleans already has enough questions about spacing, which makes his path to the regular-season roster especially narrow.

The most likely outcome is that Shumate returns to the Squadron and remains valuable as a developmental option. But making the team isn't the only way for him to influence it.

If the Pelicans had 15 players who approached basketball with Shumate's passion and determination, talent wouldn't be their biggest concern. They would defend, compete, and play with the physical edge Dumars and Mosley keep describing.

Shumate may not survive the final cut. During camp, however, he can help the Pelicans determine who truly fits the culture they claim to be building.