“Availability is important, man” – CJ McCollum’s postgame comments hint at discontent with Zion Williamson

CJ McCollum did not seem happy with Zion Williamson after the New Orleans Pelicans lost their Play-in game.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson spoke to reporters on Tuesday ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder match on Wednesday.

Williamson, who has been out since January 2nd while recovering from a right hamstring strain, said that he is feeling physically fine but needs to overcome a mental hurdle before returning to the court.

The New Orleans Pelicans had a disappointing end to their season with a 123-118 loss. The Pelicans trailed by one point after Brandon Ingram's three-pointer with four seconds remaining but had a chance to tie or win the game with two seconds left.

However, Herb Jones' inbound pass to CJ McCollum went out of bounds, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sealed the game for the Thunder at the line. After the game, CJ McCollum appeared to take a dig at Zion Williamson:

“Availability is important, man. We've got to be available. We've got to do what we need to do off the court in terms of preparation, in terms of getting treatment, in terms of getting the right sleep, the right type of hydration, having the right type of diet. Everything has to matter to us for everybody, one through 15.”

NBACentral

@TheNBACentral

“Availability is important, man. We've got to be available. We've got to do what we need to do off the court in terms of preparation, in terms of getting treatment, in terms of getting the right sleep, the right type of hydration, having the right type of diet. Everything has to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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“Availability is important, man. We've got to be available. We've got to do what we need to do off the court in terms of preparation, in terms of getting treatment, in terms of getting the right sleep, the right type of hydration, having the right type of diet. Everything has to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/dlWg63EvnR

Zion Williamson did not play for New Orleans Pelicans despite being physically fit

Zion Williamson claimed that the decision was taken between him and the team, despite CJ McCollum appearing unhappy afterwards. Brandon Ingram top-scored for the New Orleans Pelicans with 30 points, but having Zion would have resulted in a different story.

Williamson claimed that he does not feel like himself just yet:

"Physically I'm fine, now it's just a matter of when I feel like Zion. I know the atmosphere I'd be entering based off like the playoff experience. So now it's just a matter of when I feel like Zion."

He added:

"So when I go to make certain moves, there is that hesitation. Sometimes there's not and sometimes there is. And I understand the magnitude of these games coming up and I don't want to be out there hesitating or doing something that may affect my team in a bad way."

First Take

@FirstTake

.@stephenasmith reacts to Zion Williamson's recent comments on when he will return:

"This guy is a fantastic talent. ... He's gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period. Because it's starting to look very bad and it's raising suspicions everywhere."

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.@stephenasmith reacts to Zion Williamson's recent comments on when he will return:

"This guy is a fantastic talent. ... He's gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period. Because it's starting to look very bad and it's raising suspicions everywhere." https://t.co/MlgTZMCYsp

The Pelicans had a chance to set up a date with the Minnesota Timberwolves but they ended up exiting early. It will be interesting to see how the front office responds considering Williamson’s longer than expected absence playing a huge role in the last few months.

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