Finally some good news from New Orleans! CJ McCollum indeed participated in a complete training, without restrictions and with contact on Saturday, and the result was conclusive, enough for the player to aim to return to the game tomorrow evening on the Indiana floor.
It's now been more than three weeks since the Pelicans guard last saw the field, due to a strained right adductor. It's been a long wait, but the end of the tunnel is finally within sight.
“I feel pretty good. We worked really hard to make sure everything is healed and the strain is gone and I'm strong enough to be allowed to move forward and back. I hope to be back this Monday, I've been wanting to play for a while now. I hope I'm ready to go.”, he declared after training.
Avoid a relapse
If he considers himself 100% back, it's because he took the time to heal an injury that can be deceptive. Above all, the objective was to avoid a relapse by consolidating the affected area.
“It’s a pretty unique injury.”he added. “Because you're going to feel good even though you're not yet 100% based on exams and that kind of thing. You have to stay on top of it to manage it well. We know that with these kinds of injuries, it can come back, haunt you and you can re-injure yourself if you don't let the tissue and muscle heal properly. There is also the strengthening of the entire area around. It's all been quite a process, just making sure it's one thing to feel good, it's another thing for the injury to be completely healed. We had to wait to make sure everything was consolidated, and as soon as it was, we started ramping up to be ready. But it takes time.”
The Pelicans really need their scoring guard to get back on track while Zion Williamson may not return before 2025. CJ McCollum still believes in it despite this catastrophic start to the season (4v-13d). As a reminder, New Orleans had already managed to do this in 2021/22, by qualifying for the playoffs after a very complicated start to the year (3v-16d).
CJ McCollum soon followed by Dejounte Murray?
“We have to take the matches one after the other. We're in a bit of a hole, but we're not going to get out of it in a single match. So it's about every possession, stringing together days of spending time working to be able to play at a high level and give yourself a chance. In the last match against Golden State, we had our chance. That's all you can hope for, stick to the game plan, play hard, be unselfish and give yourself a chance to win the games. If we do that, we will be successful. The guys will start to come back and we can then rebuild on what we worked on during training camp, turning it into something positive for everyone (…). The guys are getting closer to coming back. Our team will be really different once everyone is back.”
One good news could lead to another since after the return of CJ McCollum, it is rumored that Dejounte Murray, injured in the hand since the first game of the regular season, could also return.
| CJ McCollum | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2013-14 | POR | 38 | 13 | 41.6 | 37.5 | 67.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 5.3 |
| 2014-15 | POR | 62 | 16 | 43.6 | 39.6 | 69.9 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 6.8 |
| 2015-16 | POR | 80 | 35 | 44.8 | 41.7 | 82.7 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 20.8 |
| 2016-17 | POR | 80 | 35 | 48.0 | 42.1 | 91.2 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 23.0 |
| 2017-18 | POR | 81 | 36 | 44.3 | 39.7 | 83.6 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 21.4 |
| 2018-19 | POR | 70 | 34 | 45.9 | 37.5 | 82.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 21.0 |
| 2019-20 | POR | 70 | 37 | 45.1 | 37.9 | 75.7 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 22.2 |
| 2020-21 | POR | 47 | 34 | 45.8 | 40.2 | 81.2 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 23.1 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 62 | 35 | 46.0 | 38.8 | 68.2 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 22.1 |
| 2021-22 * | POR | 36 | 35 | 43.6 | 38.4 | 70.6 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 20.5 |
| 2021-22 * | NOP | 26 | 34 | 49.3 | 39.4 | 66.7 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 24.3 |
| 2022-23 | NOP | 75 | 35 | 43.7 | 38.9 | 76.9 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 20.9 |
| 2023-24 | NOP | 66 | 33 | 45.9 | 42.9 | 82.7 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2024-25 | NOP | 4 | 34 | 44.6 | 38.2 | 66.7 | 0.2 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 18.8 |
| Total | 735 | 32 | 45.3 | 39.9 | 80.6 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 19.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
