CJ McCollum Makes Honest Statement After Pelicans' 9th Straight Loss

New Orleans Pelicans star CJ McCollum acknowledged a bright spot for his team amid the losing streak.

Dec 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Monday's 124-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks marked the New Orleans Pelicans' ninth straight defeat, bringing their record to 4-18 on the season. Six of the team's nine losses have come by double-digits, and the Pelicans have only won one road game this year. After winning 49 games last season, New Orleans season already seems to be on the brink of collapse.

One bright spot the Pelicans have found this year is rookie center Yves Missi, who recorded another double-double on Monday night with a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. Missi was the team's first-round pick in this past NBA Draft, but many thought the Cameroonian-born center would be a developmental project.

The 6-foot-11 center started playing basketball when he was 16, and his one season at Baylor showed inconsistency from a player who had not played much organizational basketball. From the beginning of the year, Missi has been a pleasant surprise, with his knack for blocking shots and hustle for collecting rebounds and scoring.

Yves cannot stop dunking pic.twitter.com/4CslvbtdxR

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 3, 2024

Veteran guard and teammate CJ McCollum praised the rookie after Monday night's game for developing so quickly and being a major asset to the Pelicans starting the year.

"He's great. He absorbs information well, he's watching film and getting his work in," McCollum said of the rookie center. "You're seeing a development defensively, obviously, and then his ability to rebound and finish around the basket. He's been the bright spot of what's happened so far in our season."

New Orleans had many questions surrounding the center position heading into this year. The Pelicans lost Jonas Valancuinas, Cody Zeller, and Larry Nance, Jr. this offseason but drafted the unproven Missi and signed undersized center Daniel Theis. Many thought forward Zion Williamson would play a bunch of center in small-ball lineups, but Williamson has only played six games this season because of injury.

The Pelicans have needed Missi to play out of necessity, but the rookie is proving his worth as a major piece in this team's future. New Orleans returns home to face the Phoenix Suns on Thursday evening.

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