Zion Williamson ruptured his patella tendon during a game on December 30th. Zion was projected to be the number one pick in this year’s NBA Draft, but with that injury he will likely fall outside of the top 5. The Pelicans have lost the talent and had their playoff chances nuked too late for any real chance at success next season. As for McCollum, it is unclear whether or not Portland overpaid but they could get another star player back from him if three key players stay healthy next season
Zion Williamson’s injury has nuked the Pelicans’ playoff chances and made the Blazers clear winners of the CJ McCollum trade. The Blazers have been able to rebuild their team with a lot of young talent, while the Pelicans are left to restructure their roster in hopes of making it back next year. Read more in detail here: how tall is cj mccollum.
The New Orleans Pelicans, straddling the line between NBA play-in teams and lottery teams, chose to purchase at the Feb. 10 trade deadline when they acquired Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum. However, in light of Zion Williamson’s current injury news, that decision seems to be even more unfortunate.
Following offseason foot surgery, Williamson is yet to make his 2021-22 debut and has had many obstacles in his comeback. The Pelicans likely anticipated that Zion’s eventual return, along with the arrival of McCollum, would energize the club and set the franchise on a path for the future.
Williamson’s struggles, on the other hand, have all but destroyed New Orleans’ playoff aspirations. The Blazers are also obvious winners as a result of the McCollum transaction.
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Williamson’s season has only gotten worse for him this year. He’s at maybe his lowest moment yet.
Williamson was chastised at the start of the season for allegedly gaining weight during his recuperation. The speculations did nothing to assuage concerns about Zion’s long-term viability, prompting strong words from Charles Barkley and others.
He may not be able to speak now.
Zion may need a second surgery on his right foot, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Williamson was supposed to return to practice in December, but he was experiencing additional discomfort. Williamson is still without a timeline, however a second surgery would likely keep him out for the rest of the season.
New Orleans has been dealt a heavy blow by the news. The status of Zion’s injury has been hazy and inconsistent. He’s never seemed like a sure thing to play this season.
Even still, the prospect of a second operation is sure to add to Pelicans supporters’ increasing list of worries. New Orleans’ playoff chances might be jeopardized if Williamson’s absence continues.
The Pelicans will struggle to make the playoffs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubHD8 AlVdM
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With a record of 23-35, the Pelicans are the Western Conference’s No. 11 seed and are on the outside looking in when it comes to qualifying for the play-in round. It’s difficult to see how they’ll catch up without Zion Williamson.
McCollum struggled in his Pelicans debut but has been outstanding in his previous three games, averaging 29.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 58.1 percent shooting (40 percent from beyond the arc). Despite this, New Orleans has gone 1-2 in its previous three games. What’s going on?
While McCollum is one of the NBA’s best pure scorers, he ignores the Pels’ savage team defense. New Orleans has given up over 120 points in two of its previous three games, ranking 22nd in defensive rating.
The addition of Williamson to the rotation would not necessarily solve the defensive problems. In fact, in his first two seasons, Zion had a negative defensive box plus-minus. Still, as a springy help defender, he has a chance to make an impact, and the Pelicans may swap his flaws for the offensive playmaking and scoring he could give.
Even with McCollum, the Pels still lack scoring and creativity, despite Brandon Ingram’s improvements in the latter category. They sacrificed defensive knowledge and mobility when they traded Josh Hart for CJ McCollum.
This squad does not seem to be a postseason contender.
The injury to Williamson has repercussions for the CJ McCollum trade.
On February 21, 2020, CJ McCollum (L) and Zion Williamson shake hands during an NBA game | Abbie Parr/Getty Images
The Pelicans may struggle to reach the play-in tournament if Williamson misses the rest of the season. Start your engines, Blazers fans.
As part of the CJ McCollum deal, Portland acquired a protected first-round selection from New Orleans in addition to Hart. If it falls between the No. 5 and No. 14 picks, the Blazers get that pick. Given the Pels’ present position, it’s likely that the decision will be communicated.
In their quest to retool around Damian Lillard, the Blazers would have more alternatives in such a situation. In order to get a star, they might bundle many firsts. In addition, Portland was able to free a significant amount of cap space by dealing McCollum and Norman Powell. It might make a free-agent push for a number of key players.
Meanwhile, following his strong start with the Blazers, Hart seems to be a viable future option in Rip City. In his first two games, Hart averaged 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 53.3 percent from beyond the arc on 7.5 attempts per game. It’s true that the sample size is tiny. In New Orleans, though, the 26-year-old has established himself as a wacky offensive creator and hyper-versatile defender. He now brings such qualities to Portland.
The Pelicans, on the other hand, have committed to spending about $70 million over the next two seasons on McCollum’s deal. Not to add the fact that they must determine whether or not to offer Zion Williamson a max rookie deal, which is far from a simple decision considering his injuries.
Williamson “reacted extremely favorably” to the McCollum deal, according to Pelicans club president David Griffin (h/t NOLA.com). However, such transaction might deprive New Orleans of a first-round selection and cause the Pelicans to face luxury tax concerns.
In actuality, Zion’s injury simply cements the Blazers’ position as the CJ McCollum trade’s victors.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
CJ McCollum’s growth has made him expendable in Portland, and he now has the starting spot beside to Damian Lillard.
