Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Upgraded to probable Wednesday
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McCollum (lung) has been upgraded to probable for Wednesday's game against the 76ers.
Earlier Wednesday, McCollum announced his intentions to return from a 12-game absence, so the Pelicans' decision to upgrade him from questionable to probable doesn't come as a major surprise. According to Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune, McCollum will play again Friday versus the Spurs if all goes well Wednesday, though he won't be available for Saturday's game in Chicago since he's still facing some restrictions with air travel while he works his way back from a small pneumothorax in his right lung. However, McCollum does plan to make the trip to Sacramento to play against the Kings on Dec. 4.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Plans to play Wednesday
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McCollum (lung) announced on his podcast, "The CJ McCollum Show," that he intends to play Wednesday against the 76ers, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
The Pelicans officially list McCollum as questionable for Wednesday's game, but based on his own comments, the 32-year-old is likely closer to "probable" as the 8 p.m. ET tipoff approaches. McCollum is scheduled to take part in the Pelicans' morning shootaround, and if all goes well, the team could confirm shortly thereafter that he's been cleared to return from a 12-game absence due to a cracked rib and collapsed right lung. McCollum will most likely reclaim his role as the Pelicans' starting point guard if he's cleared to play Wednesday, though he could be on a soft minutes restriction.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Could make return Wednesday
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McCollum (lung) will participate in shootaround Wednesday and could be cleared to make his return to the Pelicans lineup later that night in Philadelphia, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports. He's officially listed as questionable.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Aiming to return this week
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McCollum (chest) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Jazz, but he's planning to suit up either Wednesday versus Philadelphia or Friday versus San Antonio, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
McCollum is set to miss a 12th straight game Monday due to a small pneumothorax in his right lung, but he returned to full practices last week and is expected to suit up during the Pelicans' upcoming two-game homestand. New Orleans ends the week with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back, so even if McCollum is cleared to suit up, it's unlikely he'll play more than two games this week. The star shooting guard will presumably be on a minutes restriction for his first few games back in action.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Still out
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McCollum (chest) won't play in Monday's game against the Jazz.
McCollum is set to miss his 12th consecutive game due to a small pneumothorax in his right lung. The 11th-year pro returned to practice Tuesday with full participation, so a return to game action seems to be coming in the near future. McCollum's next opportunity to suit up will come Wednesday against Philadelphia.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Remains out Saturday
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McCollum (chest) won't play in Saturday's game versus the Jazz.
McCollum will miss his 11th straight game Saturday due to a small pneumothorax in his right lung. However, the veteran guard returned to practice Tuesday and is gearing up for a return, with Monday's rematch with Utah his next opportunity to do so. Jose Alvarado, Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins should continue to receive extended minutes in McCollum's absence.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Fully participates in practice
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Pelicans head coach Willie Green said McCollum (chest) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Though Green didn't go into detail how rigorous Tuesday's practice session was, McCollum's ability to participate is obviously a great sign. McCollum has been sidelined since the beginning of November after being diagnosed with a small pneumothorax in his right lung. On Monday, Green said McCollum remains without a clear return timetable and wasn't cleared for basketball activities yet, so despite the positive update just one day later, the point guard will likely remain out for a few more games as he ramps up his conditioning. Following Wednesday's matchup against the Kings, New Orleans begins a three-game road trip, but it's unclear if McCollum will travel with the team or stay behind to finish his rehab.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Still without return timeline
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Pelicans head coach Willie Green said Monday that McCollum (lung) remains without a clear timeline to return to basketball activities, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. "They are still working it out with the doctors. They want to make sure CJ gets to the floor healthy and safely," Green said. "Once they give us his timeline, we will know more. Right now, he can work out. But it's really in their hands."
McCollum has missed the Pelicans' last eight games since being diagnosed Nov. 5 with a small pneumothorax in his right lung after he underwent medical imaging. The 32-year-old guard previously dealt with a collapsed right lung during the 2020-21 season while he was still a member of the Trail Blazers, missing 17 games over six weeks due to the injury. McCollum won't necessarily face a similar timeline following the latest setback with his lung, but his return to game action doesn't seem imminent either. Until McCollum is cleared to resume on-court work, a target date for his return to the New Orleans lineup likely won't come into focus.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Out Monday
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McCollum (chest) remains out for Monday's game against the Kings.
McCollum (chest) remains without a clear timetable to return due to a collapsed right lung, and he won't be available as the Pels begin a four-game week. Jordan Hawkins and Dyson Daniels will likely continue to see extended minutes in McCollum's absence, especially if Jose Alvarado (ankle) remains sidelined.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Diagnosed with collapsed lung
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McCollum was diagnosed with a small collapsed right lung Sunday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
The Pelicans announced Sunday that McCollum will be re-evaluated in the next 48 hours to determine his course of healing, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him miss time due to the issue. More information should be available after he's further examined by the team's medical staff, but the 32-year-old also sustained a collapsed lung in December of 2021 and was forced to miss a month and a half. With Jose Alvarado (ankle) also sidelined, Kira Lewis, Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins should see increased run in McCollum's absence.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Leads charge in win over Detroit
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McCollum supplied 33 points (10-23 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 10-11 FT), four rebounds and five assists across 35 minutes during Thursday's 125-116 victory over Detroit.
Even without Zion Williamson (rest) and Brandon Ingram (knee) available on the second night of a back-to-back, McCollum was able to lead the Pelicans to their fourth win in five games to begin the season. The veteran guard has had an impressive start to the campaign, delivering at least five assists and two made three-pointers in every contest while scoring 24 or more in three of the five. While Ingram lacks a clear timeline for his return, Williamson should be back on the court Saturday against the Hawks to help take some of the load off McCollum's shoulders.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Leading scorer in win
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McCollum chipped in 29 points (10-17 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 4-7 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists and one block across 37 minutes during Wednesday's 110-106 victory over the Thunder.
22 of McCollum's points came in the second half -- including 13 in the fourth quarter -- as the Pelicans fought their way back from a 19-point deficit. He got more opportunities in Wednesday's game with Brandon Ingram (knee) missing his second straight game, and the former should see more playing time and shots for as long as the latter remains out.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Lifts offense in losing effort
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McCollum totaled 19 points (7-21 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Monday's 130-102 loss to the Warriors.
McCollum led all Pelicans players in points and assists while hauling in a team-high-tying rebound total. The point guard has gotten off to a hot start for New Orleans, tallying 18.3 points, 6.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 33.3 minutes per contest. McCollum has posted at least 19 points, five assists and four rebounds in two of his three outings this season.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Leads Pels in scoring
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McCollum had 24 points (8-16 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block over 37 minutes in Wednesday's 111-104 win over the Grizzlies.
McCollum had six of the Pelicans' 14 three-point makes on the evening, and his 11 attempts from deep were the most on the team. His 37 minutes were second to Herbert Jones, which was necessary with Jose Alvarado (ankle) out for at least two more weeks. McCollum will look to continue his hot shooting Saturday when the Pelicans play in their home debut against the Knicks.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Leads team in scoring
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McCollum had 17 points (6-13 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds and two blocks across 23 minutes in Thursday's 120-87 preseason loss to the Rockets.
Despite the fact Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are expected to be the go-to players on offense for the Pelicans, McCollum should also have a decent role as a scoring threat in the backcourt. He averaged 20.9 points per game last season, though that was with Zion Williamson missing most of the campaign with a nagging hamstring injury.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Expected to play Tuesday
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McCollum is expected to play under 20 minutes during Tuesday's preseason opener against the Magic, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Head coach Willie Green said all of the Pelicans' starters are expected to suit up and play under 20 minutes, so it should be a good opportunity for the first unit to develop some chemistry before the regular season. McCollum, who's reportedly in "tremendous shape" after dealing with multiple injuries last year, averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds across 75 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign. However, he may see less usage this season if Zion Williamson can stay on the floor.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Impresses during offseason
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Coach Willie Green said Monday that McCollum (thumb) is in "tremendous shape" ahead of training camp, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports.
McCollum underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb in late April and also dealt with a torn labrum in his right shoulder late last year but didn't require a procedure to address the latter issue. Despite his injuries from last year, Green said that McCollum has stood out during offseason activities ahead of his age-32 season. Over 75 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign, McCollum averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Undergoes thumb surgery
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McCollum underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb Tuesday.
McCollum played 75 games during the 2022-23 campaign, his highest mark since 2017-18. He was a solid contributor during his first full season with the Pelicans, averaging 20.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game. However, Oklahoma City eliminated the Pelicans during the Play-In Tournament, and the 31-year-old required a procedure to address his thumb injury. He's also dealing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder but won't need surgery for that issue and will instead focus on stabilization and strengthening during the offseason. Despite his pair of ailments, he's expected to fully recover in time for the start of training camp ahead of the 2023-24 season.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Struggles shooting in 20-point game
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McCollum closed with 23 points (9-24 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 5-8 FT), five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 39 minutes during Sunday's 113-108 loss to the Timberwolves.
McCollum saw a below-average shooting performance in Sunday's loss, but he still finished second on the team in scoring while surpassing the 20-point mark. McCollum scored 20 or more points with at least five rebounds in three straight games to close out the regular season.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Efficient scoring in win
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McCollum finished Friday's 113-105 victory over the Knicks with 23 points (8-15 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds and four assists in 39 minutes.
McCollum had a solid night offensively, shooting above 50 percent in each half en route to finishing second on the team with 23 points as New Orleans snapped the Knicks' five-game winning streak. The shooting guard connected on a team-high four three-pointers in the contest after hitting six in Pelicans' previous game, and he's now shooting 47.1 percent from the field through four games this month. McCollum has also grabbed at least five rebounds in three straight.
