New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum will enter his 12th year in the league next season. The former Lehigh star set a Pelicans franchise record with 239 three-pointers last season and shot a career-high 42.9% from beyond the three-point line. McCollum’s veteran leadership and consistent play on the court have been crucial for the Pelicans since they acquired him via trade in 2022.
Frank Urbina of HoopsHype compiled the NBA’s top 30 shooting guards for the upcoming season. McCollum ranks 11th on the list, and Urbina believes that despite his consistent longevity in the league, McCollum is still slightly underrated.
“New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has had an interesting career, as aside from being named Most Improved Player in 2015-16, he has never won or received any other award. This is surprising, as he has averaged 19.5 points per game and nearly 40 percent three-point accuracy in his career since entering the NBA.
“McCollum was effective as always last season, posting a 20/4/4 stat line while shooting a personal best 42.9 percent from beyond the three-point line. This was despite playing a lot as a lead guard, which will no longer be the case in the 2024-25 season after the Pelicans signed Dejounte Murray.
“McCollum may not be a star, but he scores very well at all three levels and is a solid rebounder and playmaker for his position, perhaps even so much so that fans and the media underestimate him a little these days. And he is certainly one of the better shooting guards in basketball.”
CJ’s game could benefit even more this season from the addition of Dejounte Murray as lead guard. McCollum has played point guard since joining the Pelicans two and a half years ago. He averaged a career-high 5.7 assists in 2022, but his natural position is the two.
With Murray forcing the tempo of the game and Zion dominating the box, McCollum should get plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities. Last season, he attempted 2.1 catch-and-shoot three-pointers and made nearly 43% of them. Murray also made over 200 three-pointers last season, giving the Pelicans a dangerous backcourt duo from distance.
McCollum was brought to New Orleans to win. The Pelicans were moderately successful in his first two seasons here, making the playoffs twice and winning 49 games last season, the second-most in franchise history. However, New Orleans hasn’t made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2018. They’ve never posted three consecutive winning seasons in a row in franchise history. McCollum and Co. hope to break that streak this season.