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.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Clears 30-point mark in win
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McCollum ended Wednesday's 138-131 overtime victory over the Grizzlies with 31 points (10-16 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 5-10 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists and one steal across 44 minutes.
One of three Pelicans to reach the 30-point mark on the night, McCollum cleared that threshold for the first time since March 8. He also tied a season high in rebounds en route to securing his first sixth double-double of the campaign. The veteran has settled in well as the No. 2 option on offense behind Brandon Ingram, averaging 20.1 points, 5.5 assists and 2.8 three-pointers since the All-Star break while appearing in all 21 of the Pelicans' second-half games.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Poor shooting night in loss
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McCollum totaled 12 points (6-19 FG, 0-4 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists and one block over 35 minutes during Tuesday's 121-103 loss to the Kings.
McCollum couldn't get anything going on the offensive end Tuesday, although he certainly wasn't alone in that conversation. While many of his fellow starters were able to shoot efficiently, they all appeared passive against the high-flying Kings' defense. The Pelicans will line up against the Grizzlies on Wednesday, a game that they need to win to ensure they stay relevant in the postseason discussion.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Gets hot from deep
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McCollum amassed 23 points (8-15 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and three assists across 38 minutes during Thursday's 107-88 win over the Nuggets.
McCollum made at least six three-pointers for the seventh time this season en route to his ninth March appearance with at least 20 points. However, the point guard failed to make significant contributions in the other categories, limiting his overall value. With Brandon Ingram handling more the playmaking duties, McCollum may be relegated to a score-first guard over the final weeks of the regular season.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Shot goes cold in loss
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McCollum recorded 15 points (6-17 FG, 3-7 3Pt), one rebound and three assists in 38 minutes during Tuesday's 120-109 loss to the Warriors.
Although McCollum mustered three deep balls, he converted only 35.2 percent of his shots in the loss and was also an ineffective floor general, collecting just three assists. McCollum is typically much more productive, and the subpar performance shouldn't deter fantasy managers from utilizing him, especially as the Pelicans make their playoff push.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Makes rare impact on defensive end
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McCollum finished with 17 points (7-15 FG, 3-7 3Pt), eight assists, two steals, two blocks and one rebound across 25 minutes in Monday's 124-90 win over Portland.
McCollum is averaging just 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on the season, so fantasy managers should always take it as a bonus whenever he produces in the defensive categories like he did Monday. His scoring output likely left managers wanting more, however, and that's become a familiar refrain of late. McCollum has been held under 20 points in four of the Pelicans' last seven contests and is shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from the free-throw line during that stretch.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Posts 20 points in win
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McCollum posted 20 points (8-19 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, three assists and one steal over 36 minutes during Thursday's 115-96 victory over Charlotte.
McCollum was far from his best Thursday, but he still notched his seventh game with at least 20 points across the Pelicans' first 11 March contests. During that stretch, the point guard has averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 0.7 steals in 35.6 minutes.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Does it all in win
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McCollum logged 26 points (9-18 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 4-6 FT), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in 39 minutes during Sunday's 117-107 victory over the Rockets.
Coming into the contest, McCollum had totaled just 27 points (10-29 FG) over his previous two matchups, so Sunday's offensive performance was certainly a step in the right direction. The dynamic point guard also displayed his defensive prowess by recording multiple tallies in each defensive category for just the second time all season. Across nine March appearances, McCollum is averaging 21.8 points, 6.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals-plus-blocks.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Poor outing against Lakers
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McCollum closed Tuesday's 123-108 loss to the Lakers with 13 points (5-17 FG, 1-10 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds and nine assists across 37 minutes.
McCollum saw his streak of 20-point performances end at three games and struggled massively from the field Tuesday, ending the game with more field-goal attempts than points scored. The veteran thrived in the assists department and recorded at least eight dimes for the third straight contest, but he needs to be more consistent with his shooting to maintain his fantasy value. He's averaged 21.0 points, 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game over his last 10 contests.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Delivers double-double
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McCollum contributed 22 points (8-17 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 11 assists, five rebounds and one steal over 30 minutes during Sunday's 127-110 victory over the Trail Blazers.
Even though Brandon Ingram (foot) was sidelined for the second straight game, McCollum embraced a secondary role on offense in a game where Trey Murphy caught fire early and rolled to a career-high 41 points and nine triples. Thanks in part of Murphy's hot shooting, McCollum was able to cash in with 11 assists, one shy of matching his best total of the season. While playing point guard on a full-time basis for the first time now that he's no longer sharing a backcourt with Damian Lillard, McCollum has maintained a career-best average of 5.9 assists per game in 2022-23.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Excels from deep, free-throw line
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McCollum concluded Saturday's 110-96 loss to the Thunder with 26 points (8-20 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), eight assists and seven rebounds in 39 minutes.
With Brandon Ingram (foot) sitting out the front end of the back-to-back set, McCollum shouldered most of the offensive load for the Pelicans, finishing the night with a team-high 30.9 percent usage rate. Despite drawing increased defensive focus, McCollum came through with a strong showing from both three-point range and the free-throw line. McCollum has bounced back from the charity stripe in a big way after converting at a career-worst 68.2 percent clip in 2021-22. He's now maintaining an 80.1 percent rate for the 2022-23 season, with that percentage right in line with his career-long rate (80.9 percent).
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Catches fire in crunch time
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McCollum provided 32 points (12-22 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), five rebounds and five assists across 35 minutes during Wednesday's 113-106 victory over the Mavericks.
McCollum was well on his way to a solid game before turning things up a notch in the fourth quarter, when he knocked down six of his nine field-goal attempts en route to scoring 16 consecutive points to close out Dallas. He's scored at least 20 points in three of four games to kick off March while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range, erasing any lingering concern about his recent right thumb injury affecting his offensive production.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Drops 24 points against former team
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McCollum registered 24 points (9-19 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and seven assists across 36 minutes during Wednesday's 121-110 victory over the Trail Blazers.
McCollum had been playing through a right thumb injury of late that may have played a part in him shooting 14 of 37 from the field and two of 17 from three-point range over the previous two contests, but his more efficient showing Wednesday might have restored the faith of fantasy managers. Brandon Ingram has taken over as the Pelicans' go-to option since returning from a toe injury in late January, but the continued absence of Zion Williamson (hamstring) leaves enough usage left over for McCollum to make a consistent impact in the scoring and assists columns.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Struggles from downtown continue
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McCollum produced 18 points (8-18 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six assists, two rebounds and one steal across 36 minutes in Monday's 101-93 loss to the Magic.
McCollum has been held under 20 points in both of the Pelicans' last two contests, with his 2-for-17 showing from three-point range between those games contributing heavily to the substandard scoring performances. Though in most cases fantasy managers could chalk up the poor showings from downtown as outlier performances, McCollum acknowledged prior to Monday's game that he's continuing to play through a right thumb injury, per Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune. McCollum doesn't sound like he's at any immediate risk of missing games because of the injury, but it may take a bit for him to regain his usual shooting touch.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Drops 22 points in return
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McCollum (ankle) produced 22 points (8-16 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), nine assists, six rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes during Wednesday's 120-102 loss to the Lakers.
McCollum returned from a one-game absence due to a right ankle sprain and took on his usual workload. He'll now have a full week off to rest his ankle during the All-Star break. Once the Pelicans open their second-half schedule Feb. 23 against the Raptors, McCollum and Brandon Ingram will continue to carry the load offensively with Zion Williamson (hamstring) having recently suffered a setback that will likely delya his return to action until around mid-March, if not longer.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Available to play
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McCollum (ankle) will be available to play Wednesday against the Lakers, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
McCollum should see his usual workload in his return from a one-game absence, so he's safe to fire up in all season-long settings. Jose Alvarado will likely shift back to the second unit with McCollum back in action and Kira Lewis will likely be working with minutes in the lower teens.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Questionable against Lakers
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McCollum (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Lakers, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
McCollum is questionable to miss his second straight game due to a right ankle sprain. Jose Alvarado started in his place against the Thunder. If McCollum is ultimately ruled out, his next chance to suit up will be after the All-Star break versus the Raptors on Feb. 23.
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Pelicans' CJ McCollum: Won't play Monday
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McCollum (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Thunder.
McCollum was initially added to the injury report as questionable due to a right ankle sprain, and he's since been downgraded to out. Jose Alvarado and Kira Lewis are two candidates to start at point guard in McCollum's absence.
