CJ McCollum Has Big Plans With Zion Williamson In The Off Season: “I Took Him Under My Arms, I’m Gonna Make Sure He’s Right… I’m Getting Him Out To Vegas With Me.”

3 Min Read

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.”

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.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

Share This Article
Follow:
Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *