CJ McCollum isn’t merely anybody, and the Pelicans knew it when they traded for him at the deadline two weeks ago. It’s 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’s just one problem, though: the latter doesn’t seem to think so — or worse, doesn’t seem to care.
Heading into the All-Star Weekend, McCollum still hadn’t heard from Williamson. Typically, marquee names get in touch with each other soon after learning they’ll 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’s famed crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, “I haven’t had conversations with him directly. 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.”
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, “a leader all my life,” 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’s even-keeled reaction makes revelations of former Pelican JJ Redick regarding Williamson’s predilection to stay disengaged. “There’s a responsibility that you have as an athlete when you play a team sport to be fully invested,” he said on ESPN’s First Take the other day. “You’re fully invested in your body, you’re fully invested in your work, and you’re fully invested in your teammates. That is your responsibility, and we have not seen that from Zion.”
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’t 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’re bent on truly contending for the hardware, however, they would need Williamson burning rubber, and, more importantly, shedding himself of his image as “a detached teammate,” per Redick. Else, they’ll be stuck with exactly what their latest public relations material reflects: McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valančiūnas. In other words, they’ll be good but not great — and far from what the fans deserve.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
