The Zion Williamson saga was a major talking point for most of the season around the New Orleans Pelicans. Zion missed the whole of the 2021-22 season with a foot injury and there were rumblings throughout the season that he wanted to leave the team. With all this uncertainty to go along with his injuries, it is no surprise that the Pelicans seem unwilling to offer him a full 5-year guaranteed deal.
The team did manage to put all this Zion drama behind them during the second half of the season and they made the playoffs as well, largely thanks to the acquisition of CJ McCollum before the trade deadline. McCollum averaged over 24 points per game for the Pels in the regular season but initially, a lot was made out of the fact that Zion didn’t reach out to him after the trade went down.
The two eventually caught up and CJ seems keen to build up a relationship between them this offseason. He was asked by Magic Johnson during the broadcast of Game 1 of the Finals on what his plans were with Zion and here’s what McCollum had to say.
CJ McCollum on Zion:
“We’ve been communicating this summer about times we’re going to meet up. I’m gonna get him out to New York to work with me during draft week… I’m getting him out to Vegas to spend some time together.” pic.twitter.com/SqelYx1PjK
— Jake Hardee (@pelicansbyjake) June 3, 2022
CJ McCollum on Zion:
“We’ve been communicating this summer about times we’re going to meet up. I’m gonna get him out to New York to work with me during draft week… I’m getting him out to Vegas to spend some time together.”
CJ has already taken over as the veteran leader of this young group and he should be a great mentor if Zion is willing to listen to him. The Pelicans took major strides this season without their star and the future could be very bright in New Orleans if he is fully committed to them moving forward.
The Pelicans without Zion gave the top-seeded Phoenix Suns all they could handle in the first round and adding him to this mix with CJ, Brandon Ingram, and their impressive rookies could make them a contender in the Western Conference next season.
