Pelicans' CJ McCollum Diagnosed with Second Collapsed Lung in Two Years; Three Week Break at Minimum Expected

Injury comes amid a series of health issues for the Pelicans, threatens progress following stronger than expected season start.

Veteran guard CJ McCollum of the New Orleans Pelicans was diagnosed with a collapsed lung for the second time in two years, leading to an expected minimum break from play of three weeks.
In addition to McCollum’s injury, the Pelicans are also missing Trey Murphy III due to a knee injury, Jose Alvarado due to an ankle injury, and backup wing Najii Marshall due to a knee injury.
Despite their injuries, the Pelicans have managed a strong start to their season, posting a 4-2 record, with McCollum being a key component of this success, averaging 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.
The Pelicans will undergo additional examinations in the next two days to determine a recovery timeline for McCollum, who previously took about five to six weeks to recover from the same injury during the 2021-2022 season.
Despite his injury, McCollum has maintained a positive attitude, joking about his situation on social media, providing some relief for Pelicans fans.