New Orleans Pelicans News: CJ McCollum timetable for his return from surgery

Wednesday brought some great news for fans of the New Orleans Pelicans. The team’s starting guard (and elite shooter) CJ McCollum underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb, per the Pelicans.

This is welcoming news because McCollum had been needing to get this surgery for months. The only reason he waited so long is that he knew the team couldn’t afford to lose him in the middle of the season for an extended period of time (as the team was in the thick of a heated playoff race).

“I delayed it to try and help our team get to the playoffs, and we came up short,” CJ McCollum said after the Pelicans’ season-ending loss to the Thunder. “I was doing what I could to try and help out the team.”

Now, finally, McCollum has been able to get the treatment he needs to help himself fully recover from this nagging injury.

But there is even more good news where that came from! Doctors have also determined that he won’t need surgery on the torn labrum he incurred (and also played through) at the tail end of the season.

We know what you’re all wondering now, will he be back in time for the start of the next league year?

That’s the last leg of good news we’re here to deliver. Yes! McCollum is fully expecting to have healed from both injuries by the start of training camp next fall.

This is great news for a team that relies heavily on not only McCollum’s scoring, but his durability. He, along with fellow veteran teammate Jonas Valanciunas, plays an important role in keeping the team afloat when their superstars – Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram – are saddled with injuries.

The goal is for McCollum to continue to play that role. However, the hope is that he won’t need to fulfill that duty often (because said stars will be available), and instead, he can focus on mentoring and playing off them as the team looks to make a deep playoff run next season.

This season, McCollum appeared in 75 contests and averaged 20.9 PPG and 5.7 APG (a career-high) per game.