Under fire for having failed in his duty vis-à-vis CJ McCollum, one of his new teammates in New Orleans whom he has since contacted, Zion Williamson is really not having an easy season for his third round of track in the NBA.
Absent since the start of the season after injuring his right foot last summer, the Pelicans superstar may well have to step up to the plate once again, after facing widespread criticism for his overweight and physical condition. more generally.
In this disaster scenario, to which must be added a real distrust between Williamson and David Griffin, his GM, it is McCollum who comes to the rescue of his new teammate, not spared at the moment.
“Leave the youngster alone for a bit! “, McCollum said after a recent shootaround. “We talked and I’m going to call him again in the week, or so the week after, just to talk a bit. “
Initially described as a “detached teammate”, Williamson nevertheless ended up coming into contact with McCollum, and one imagines, with his new teammates. But for the former Blazers, who had his share of injuries early in his career, Williamson’s situation should still encourage leniency.
“I’ve been injured in the past so I know what it’s like. You feel disconnected”
“He is trying to do his rehabilitation in peace, to try to prepare to come back. He is a very talented player. He’s going through a lot of tough times right now and you [les médias] push it to center stage on a daily basis. He’s just trying to get back into his stride by really focusing on his rehabilitation. I’ve been hurt in the past so I know what it is. You feel disconnected. It’s special to live because you would like to be able to be on the ground. It’s tough, both mentally and physically. But it’s just hard on the body. And then you constantly have to read stories on your account, it’s frustrating. But I have a lot of respect for him. We get on well and we will continue to build our relationship. I am there for him when he needs it. “
In the soft underbelly of the Western Conference in 12th place, with 23 wins for 36 losses, the Pelicans showed at the “trade deadline”, by recruiting McCollum in particular, that they intend to play the playoffs, via the “play in from this year. Even without the unmistakable absence of their phenomenon under the panels, which weighed 27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists last season…
“I know it can be very difficult [d’être blessé gravement]”, concludes McCollum. “You can’t do what you normally do anymore. Like walking to the toilet. Get up in the shower, you gotta have a chair. I’ve been through this kind of stuff. It’s super frustrating. I don’t know what he went through but it’s hard. You need to have a very good entourage around you, family and friends to encourage you, help you and make sure you do things well: eat well, sleep well, stay involved. You have to find things that bring you happiness, good habits. For me, it’s my son, yoga, walking my dog, or just spending time with my wife. It’s important for the mental health of athletes, but ultimately for everyone. “
| CJ McCollum | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2013-14 | ORP | 38 | 13 | 41.6 | 37.5 | 67.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 5.3 |
| 2014-15 | ORP | 62 | 16 | 43.6 | 39.6 | 69.9 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 6.8 |
| 2015-16 | ORP | 80 | 35 | 44.8 | 41.7 | 82.7 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 20.8 |
| 2016-17 | ORP | 80 | 35 | 48.0 | 42.1 | 91.2 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 23.0 |
| 2017-18 | ORP | 81 | 36 | 44.3 | 39.7 | 83.6 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 21.4 |
| 2018-19 | ORP | 70 | 34 | 45.9 | 37.5 | 82.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 21.0 |
| 2019-20 | ORP | 70 | 37 | 45.1 | 37.9 | 75.7 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 22.2 |
| 2020-21 | ORP | 47 | 34 | 45.8 | 40.2 | 81.2 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 23.1 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 41 | 35 | 44.7 | 38.9 | 71.8 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 * | ORP | 36 | 35 | 43.6 | 38.4 | 70.6 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 20.5 |
| 2021-22 * | NOP | 5 | 37 | 51.4 | 42.5 | 76.5 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 28.4 |
| Total | 569 | 32 | 45.4 | 39.7 | 81.9 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 19.1 | |
