New Orleans Pelicans: Season predictions for the guards
By Zeke Cohen
Our 2022-23 NBA season outlook series is intended to give New Orleans Pelicans fans an idea of how their favorite players at the guard, forward, and center positions will perform during the upcoming season.
With New Orleans opening their season next Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets, here are our predictions for the Pelicans guard rotation.
CJ McCollom: The New Orleans Pelicans starting point guard
The Pelicans won’t have a traditional point guard in the starting lineup, but CJ McCollum has shown that he can play that role, though he is still more of a scorer than a facilitator.
McCollum will be the third scoring option this year, which should benefit him, as teams are going to have to focus on stopping Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, which should give CJ plenty of opportunities to have big games.
His 3-point shots should tick back up to around eight per game, but this could be the first time in seven years that CJ doesn’t average at least 20 points per game, as he might get fewer attempts overall with Zion back.
But expect his efficiency to go up and for him to shoot at least 40 percent from 3-point range. McCollum gives the Pelicans one of the best third guys in the NBA, and his consistency will carry them through any injury problems or cold stretches for the other regulars.