CJ McCollum Articles - Page 4

The New Orleans Pelicans are in a unique situation heading into the 2024-2025 season, and the roster changes Bryson Graham makes this offseason can open their contention window or slam it shut. Willie Green’s squad has Zion Williamson, who is a superstar when healthy, and Brandon Ingram, who is a star but not quite a […]

The New Orleans Pelicans had the best of luck in jumping to the top spot of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. Anthony Davis had requested a trade out of the city, which felt like a curse when it concerns basketball. Chris Paul had to suffer through not only those long Hurricane Katrina travel years but […]

Now that the 2024 NBA Finals is over and the Boston Celtics have been crowned the champion for the 18th time in franchise history — good for most titles in the 78-year history of the association — it has become very clear what the blueprint for the New Orleans Pelicans is to win a championship […]

Every relationship whether personal or professional goes through ebbs and flows. Honest analysis and compromising when necessary are just two elements to those partnerships surviving the toughest times. Even when things are going well, one party might be more internally motivated or influenced by outside factors than the other. There’s always a give and take […]

“You are either all the way in or all the way out. There is no in-between.” Those were EVP David Griffin’s words after coming on to lead the New Orleans Pelicans. They were addressed to Anthony Davis in 2019 but apply to the front office now. Most of the team’s trade chatter concerns Brandon Ingram […]

The 2013 NBA Draft class is widely regarded as one of the worst of all time, and if that isn’t the case, it’s certainly the worst from the last decade, as it is filled with busts and disappointments. In fact, Anthony Bennett – the number one overall pick – is considered by many to be […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have been prioritizing having high-character human beings in the team since EVP David Griffin took over the organization’s leading role. Bringing in CJ McCollum to steady a young, inexperienced locker room was part of that process. After a few years in town, it’s safe to say that investment by the team […]

The New Orleans Pelicans were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. They were defeated in Game 4 by a final score of 97-89. It was a difficult all-around series for New Orleans, as they were forced to play without Zion Williamson because of an injury. The Pelicans […]

The New Orleans Pelicans fell 106-85 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and now find themselves in a 3-0 series deficit in their NBA Playoffs first round matchup. It wasn’t a particularly intriguing game for the Pelicans, who are still without star Zion Williamson after he injured a hamstring in the NBA Play-In Tournament. New Orleans […]

The New Orleans Pelicans (115.1) and Oklahoma City Thunder (120.1) were both averaging above 115 points during the NBA’s regular season. Neither hit 95 points in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs first-round series. Points are going to be at a premium in this matchup, so getting to the free throw line is more important […]

The eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans (0-1) had the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) on the ropes in Game 1 of their first-round NBA Playoffs series. The visitors from the Crescent City clawed back from a 10-point early fourth-quarter deficit to take a two-point lead with 3:34 on the clock. CJ McCollum had a chance to […]

It has been a rough week for the New Orleans Pelicans; heading into April, it seemed as though the Pelicans were headed for a collision course against the Los Angeles Clippers in a four-five matchup. But now, they’re in danger of falling out of the playoffs altogether after suffering a 110-106 defeat at the hands […]

The New Orleans Pelicans came out with a sluggish effort in the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Lakers. Now the two squads are locked into the seventh vs. eighth-seed NBA Play-In Tournament game on Tuesday. LeBron James finished with 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals to set up a rematch. […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are missing an NBA All-Star but the locker room is powering through the regular season’s home stretch in style. The team is breaking franchise records (most road wins in a season) and a few individuals are crossing huge milestones as well. Jonas Valanciunas snagged a 9,000th career rebound on Valentine’s Day […]

Trey Murphy III and CJ McCollum combined for 60 points before sharing the postgame podium following a 110-100 New Orleans Pelicans road win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The visitors had to overcome some first-half hiccups but the Pelicans eventually pulled away thanks to big nights from the sharpshooting duo. Murphy III got extra credit […]

The New Orleans Pelicans know they are playing with fire despite having control over their NBA Playoffs fate. They have dropped double-digit leads in losses and have yet to mount a fourth-quarter comeback. Sure, not all losses are equal in the moment but they all count the same in the end-of-season standings. Asserting otherwise is […]

The New Orleans Pelicans got an important update on the injury status of second-leading scorer Brandon Ingram on Saturday, less than 24 hours prior to their matchup with Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. Ingram has not played since Thursday, March 21 in a road game against the Orlando Magic and is an important piece […]

The New Orleans Pelicans (45-29) are in a precarious position following a 104-92 home loss to the Boston Celtics. They are now barely hanging on to fifth place in the Western Conference, just half a game up on the Dallas Mavericks and two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns. Externally, the Mavericks have one of […]

One shot, one play, can elicit so many emotions and alter a season’s momentum, but the respective locker rooms usually come to a consensus. While one group celebrates, another grovels and wonders what could have been if only one shot, one play, went differently. The New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics game is just the […]

The term ‘All-Star whistle’ is around for a reason. NBA referees, for one reason or another, tend to give All-NBA talents more favorable calls than players still running out the years on their rookie contracts. Zion Williamson has been learning this the hard way and has the bruises to prove it. The New Orleans Pelicans […]

The New Orleans Pelicans could waste no time with any pats on the back following a 3-1 road trip. Sure, Willie Green’s group was coming back to the Smoothie King Center for a six-game homestand. The teams coming to town all have postseason aspirations, or in the San Antonio Spurs’ case, Victor Wembanyama. The Pelicans […]

The NBA Playoffs have already started according to one New Orleans Pelicans fan favorite. While the NBA does not recognize Jose Alvarado’s statement, the league’s teams are starting to buckle down for the last 10-game sprint to the regular-season finish line. Some have accepted their NBA Draft Lottery fate, while others are pressing to avoid […]

The New Orleans Pelicans wasted no time in taking care of the Detroit Pistons to close out a 3-1 road trip. The team lost Brandon Ingram (knee) to a freak fall and only got four points out of Zion Williamson, but still they head back to the Smoothie King Center well clear of the NBA […]

Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans are all in uncharted territory both individually and collectively. Williamson and Ingram are approaching their career highs in games played in a season. The Pelicans are approaching a rare 50-win campaign and will enter the NBA Playoffs with a level of expectation not known since the […]

The national media is starting to warm up to the New Orleans Pelicans as serious contenders for at least a Western Conference finals spot. It is hard to ignore an NBA team going 17-6 over two months, especially when that squad is 11-3 over the past 14 road games. The success comes down to focus […]

The New Orleans Pelicans (43-27) had last beaten the Miami Heat on the road in 2017. The sportsbooks had plenty of reasons to heavily favor Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo on the last Friday before Good Friday. First, Willie Green’s rotations would have to operate without Brandon Ingram (knee contusion) and Dyson Daniels (knee). Any […]

The Miami Heat start the current four-game home stand inside the Kaseya Center with a frustrating loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, 111-88. A loss like this hurts the Heat as with now 13 games left in the regular season, time is running out to solidify position for the postseason as the Eastern Conference is tightly […]

The New Orleans Pelicans will be a team to watch ahead of the NBA playoffs as the contenders start to separate from the pretenders. The Boston Celtics are running away from the Eastern Conference’s middle class, with only the Milwaukee Bucks within 10 games. Meanwhile, The Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves have […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are a hard team to figure out on a night-to-night basis but the underlying strategy is pretty straightforward. This team’s potential is capped by the capacity of Zion Williamson to perform at an All-NBA level consistently. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum can only do so much, as evidenced by their previous […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are a tight-knit organization from the top down. The front office is open about philosophy but tight-lipped regarding specific negotiations, plans, and players on the market. The locker room has dealt with years of adversity and play things close to the vest, giving most of the national media little to work […]

The New Orleans Pelicans (37-25) offense has operated in fits and starts through 62 games, yet the team still sits alone in fifth place out West. They have the fourth-best net rating on the back of a near-elite defense led by Herb Jones. Third-year head coach Willie Green’s main job all season has been to […]

Being nice to co-workers is one thing. Being nice to the competition is quite another, especially in New Orleans. Dennis Allen found that out the hard way with the New Orleans Saints. Herb Jones hears the respectful words praising past actions, but he is more focused on the fight waiting for the New Orleans Pelicans […]

The New Orleans Pelicans got a 19-point first quarter from Brandon Ingram in a scorching-hot first quarter against the Indiana Pacers. Ingram was actually the only Pelicans player to miss a shot in the opening 12 minutes. New Orleans was 20-of22 in the opening frame, recording a 90.9% success rate which is the highest field […]

The New Orleans Pelicans were dealing with some difficult circumstances going into a nationally broadcast game versus Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers. The Pelicans were on the second night of a back-to-back set and dealing with a travel-related hangover thanks to mechanical issues with their aircraft after beating the New York Knicks.  Zion Williamson and company […]

The New Orleans Pelicans will be shorthanded as well as jet-lagged when visiting the Indiana Pacers. The team did not get to their Indianapolis hotel until sunrise on Wednesday morning, just 12 hours before tipping off the second game of a back-to-back road set. Third-year head coach Willie Green will be missing at least two […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have dropped two straight games since initially picking up a 22-point win over the Houston Rockets coming out of the All-Star break. In a very crowded Western Conference, there is very little room for error, especially with the Pelicans being just a half-game ahead of the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks […]

The New Orleans heard a wide variety of opinions throughout the NBA All-Star break. Those narratives were all paired with the same hedged bet soundbite: at least the team was relatively healthy. Well, that good luck fell by the wayside just two games into the regular season’s stretch run. Willie Green could be missing more […]

It was a brutal Friday for the New Orleans Pelicans. Not only did the Pelicans lose CJ McCollum during the game due to an ankle injury, but they will likely have several key players suspended in the coming days due to their role in the altercation with the Miami Heat. The Pelicans could be dealing […]

Willie Green rallied the New Orleans Pelicans to a comfortable win over the Houston Rockets in the first game back from the league’s midseason hiatus. Unfortunately, the team played with a post-NBA All-Star break hangover against the Miami Heat on the second night of a back-to-back, falling 106-95. The Pelicans do not play well without […]