CJ McCollum isn鈥檛 merely anybody, and the Pelicans knew it when they traded for him at the deadline two weeks ago. It鈥檚 why they willingly gave up vital cogs Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to get him, and why they cast moist eyes on the prospect of his explosive pairing with resident superstar Zion Williamson. There鈥檚 just one problem, though: the latter doesn鈥檛 seem to think so 鈥 or worse, doesn鈥檛 seem to care.
Heading into the All-Star Weekend, McCollum still hadn鈥檛 heard from Williamson. Typically, marquee names get in touch with each other soon after learning they鈥檒l be teammates, and not simply to dispense with the pleasantries. They want to win, and a big part of winning involves hitting the ground running with a partner in progress. The way things had turned out, it was evidently not the case with the Pelicans. As their new acquisition admitted in an interview with TNT鈥檚 famed crew of Shaquille O鈥橬eal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had conversations with him directly. I鈥檝e 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鈥檓 gonna get to the bottom of it.鈥
Interesting choice of words, and certainly not what the Pelicans would have like to hear. Not that McCollum, who also happens to be the president of the players association and, in his words, 鈥渁 leader all my life,鈥 was taking it hard. And, to be fair, Williamson did reach out to him once word of his comments reached the rehabbing junior.
That said, McCollum鈥檚 even-keeled reaction makes revelations of former Pelican JJ Redick regarding Williamson鈥檚 predilection to stay disengaged. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a responsibility that you have as an athlete when you play a team sport to be fully invested,鈥 he said on ESPN鈥檚 First Take the other day. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e fully invested in your body, you鈥檙e fully invested in your work, and you鈥檙e fully invested in your teammates. That is your responsibility, and we have not seen that from Zion.鈥
Interestingly, the Pelicans just sent season ticket holders e-mail on renewal plans available for the 2022-23 season, and nowhere in the correspondence was Williamson mentioned. In all likelihood, it was because the front office did not want patrons to be disappointed with his continued absence. What isn鈥檛 clear: why it appears he will remain decommissioned for the foreseeable future. Is his nagging foot injury the cause? Will he need a second surgery to address it? Or is he forcing his way out?
Only time will tell how the Pelicans will emerge from all the mystery. If they鈥檙e bent on truly contending for the hardware, however, they would need Williamson burning rubber, and, more importantly, shedding himself of his image as 鈥渁 detached teammate,鈥 per Redick. Else, they鈥檒l be stuck with exactly what their latest public relations material reflects: McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valan膷i奴nas. In other words, they鈥檒l be good but not great 鈥 and far from what the fans deserve.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
