[Saba Sports News] The New Orleans Pelicans have shared troubling news regarding their star guard, CJ McCollum. On Sunday, the Pelicans announced that McCollum has been diagnosed with a small pneumothorax in his right lung, commonly known as a small collapsed lung, following recent medical imaging. New Orleans also stated that McCollum will undergo further examination over the next 48 hours to assess his healing progress.
At 32 years old and in his 11th NBA season, McCollum has been a key contributor for the Pelicans, averaging 21.7 points per game in the team’s first six contests. Additionally, he has been contributing 4.8 rebounds, a team-leading 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, solidifying his role as one of New Orleans’ top all-around players.
Of greater concern is the fact that this isn’t the first time McCollum has faced this issue. He previously experienced a collapsed right lung in December 2021 while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. At that time, he missed 18 games, which amounted to an absence of nearly a month and a half before his return to the court.
Now, with McCollum dealing with a recurrence of the problem less than two years later, there is understandably heightened anxiety surrounding his condition.