CJ McCollum

Untimely injuries never allowed the 2024-25 New Orleans Pelicans to discover their full peak, but if December 5, 2024’s performance confirmed anything, it certainly had the potential to be eye-opening. Consistent, as always, amidst the chaos, CJ McCollum prepares victory’s final touches, putting his isolation chops to the test against Grayson Allen in the final 40 seconds of a tied game. Calm and unrushed in his between-the-leg dribble, even with Devin Booker shading over to help, McCollum lofts a soft-touch floater high off the window and through, providing one of the many must-haves for New Orleans’ upset aspirations. Clutch contributions from McCollum’s teammates proved to be just the recipe New Orleans needed to end their skid. Making himself a problem for the Phoenix Suns’ defense to deal with throughout, the smooth-scoring combo guard starred through 25 points (on 9-of-18 shooting), three rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers.