The New Orleans Pelicans have had a rocky season so far; they were initially considered dark horses until Zion Williamson went down with another potential season-ending injury. But players like Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Jonas Valancunas haven’t let their star’s absence be felt.
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They currently sit tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers at 37-37. They occupy 3 of the 4 playoff spots, pushing everyone’s second-favorite team, Dallas, out of contention. Much of it is because of CJ’s constant presence, a presence that his former team is missing.
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum formed a formidable partnership akin to what Bradley Beal and John Wall were before their injury troubles. The duo complemented each other perfectly, but the Blazers never built a competent team around them. More often than not, it was just the duo dragging the team to victories.
While McCollum got traded a couple of seasons ago, the brotherly bond between Dame and him remained. But my competitive spirit as a player didn’t die. In the postgame press conference after beating the Los Angeles Clippers, McCollum was asked what he thought of the Blazers’ situation.
He had quite the response.
CJ McCollum when asked if he’s been watching Damian Lillard and the Blazers:
“I heard that their season is over. It’s just uhh… Word on the street is they’re not gonna make the playoffs this year which is very unfortunate.” 😂
pic.twitter.com/5TEUD0DkJR— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 26, 2023
CJ McCollum tried to hide his smirk at the start, but let it go while answering the question
“I heard that their season is over,” CJ said, covering his mouth to hide the smirk. And then he let all his inhibitions go and openly smiled, showing his jubilation. It was almost like he was aiming for a vindictive smile—against the Blazers’ front office.
“Very unfortunate,” he added, stating that he would have liked to see them in the playoffs, but their chances are all but done. Dame went down with an injury of his own, and the Blazers are considering shutting him down. Their only tool in the offense is being effectively asked to sit at home.
The Pels won the move, with them trying to disrupt everyone’s favorite team and their chances to go further. Nobody believes the Pels can win it all this year, but they know in a 7-game series, their team can suffer.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a good chance to play in the postseason
Having seen a potential breakout season from Trey Murphy III, the Pelicans have a strong young attacking lineup, that also has veteran support. Ingram has been excellent; Cj McCollum and Larry Nance are veterans.
Their veteran squad depth isn’t anything to write home about, but they make up for the loss of Zion. Any slip-ups from the teams above them, and they are ready to grab that opportunity to climb back up. The Lakers are in pole position to slip down, given 6 out of their 8 games are against the West.
It looks like a race between Zion and his role model LeBron James – who will regain enough fitness to make it back on time.
