CJ McCollum had become synonymous with the Portland Trail Blazers, spending nearly a decade with the franchise that drafted him. Their decision to let him go to find another partner for Damian Lillard wasn’t entirely unexpected but it definitely was jarring to see CJ in another jersey. The New Orleans Pelicans ended up trading for the guard, who has taken up a major part of the scoring responsibilities for his new team as they look to build a contender around their generational talent in Zion Williamson.
Williamson however, has been absent for the entirety of this season after performing at an All-Star level during the last campaign. A prolonged recovery from a foot injury involving multiple setbacks has meant that Pelicans fans have not been able to see Williamson in action during the 2021-22 season so far. While he may not be an influence on the court though, it is expected that as the franchise star, Zion is involved with whatever is going on with the team off the court.
That doesn’t seem to be how it’s going at the moment though, with McCollum revealing recently that he is yet to even have a direct conversation with Zion.
“I haven’t had conversations with him directly,” McCollum said. “I’ve spoken with some people close to him and look forward to sitting down with him sooner than later. I know about as much as you do right now, but I’m gonna get to the bottom of it.”
This is a bit concerning for Pelicans fans considering that McCollum is a bonafide star in the league and a very significant addition to the roster for the franchise. The fact that he still hasn’t been able to speak with Zion face to face is something that will be questioned by everyone across the league.
It raises concerns about how committed Williamson is to the cause and considering that he might not even feature in their remaining 23 games this season, it’s also a bit of a shaky start to his relationship with his new co-star.
