When it was first announced that he had been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, CJ McCollum‘s fans from his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, were more than a little disappointed.
Those loyal to Portland knew just how special McCollum was, even if he isn’t the most talked-about player in the entire NBA.
Now, just weeks into his time with the Pelicans, McCollum is showing how talented a player he is.
CJ McCollum over his last 4 games:
38 PTS – 2 REB – 5 AST
30 PTS – 6 REB – 7 AST
23 PTS – 4 REB – 5 AST
36 PTS – 11 REB – 5 ASTFlourishing in NOLA 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dmLdhfLPRm
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) February 18, 2022
Over his last four games, McCollum has put up 36, 23, 30, and 28 points respectively.
In one of those games, the first one, he also landed a double-double.
McCollum has always been one of the more low-key, below-the-radar greats in the game and he’s proving it again – but does New Orleans need more than that?
Big Points, Big Loss
There is a new sense of excitement around this Pelicans team.
The lineup of McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes, and Jonas Valanciunas seems like something that could really go far in the postseason.
But as talented as they are, the chances of New Orleans pulling itself into the playoffs still feels slim.
Make no mistake, they are doing better than expected but they are still light-years away from what they would be if Zion Williamson was back.
Unfortunately, the team is sitting in limbo because Williamson is still injured and his rehabilitation process is going far slower than expected.
The addition of McCollum to the team is definitely a cause for celebration and he is showing that he’s a missing puzzle piece who will help them in the long run.
But while they are better, there is no denying that the Pels are still not a fully-realized team.
NEXT: Rumors Point Toward More Bad News For Zion Williamson