On Friday, New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum became the franchise’s single-season leader in made 3s, passing the record set by Peja Stojakovic in the 2007-08 season (231).
Pels Leader Breaks Franchise Record to Wrap Up Regular Season
Finishing his night against the Golden State Warriors with 28 points on 8-13 shooting from 3, McCollum has now converted 235 total 3-pointers this season. It’s only McCollum’s second full season with the franchise, as the former 10th overall pick spent the first nine-plus seasons of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers.
This season, McCollum is averaging 20.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 1.0 steal per game while shooting a career-high 42.9 percent from 3.
While the explosive Zion Williamson is the face of the franchise and Brandon Ingram is a fan favorite, McCollum has become their leader in the locker room, not just on the 3-point leaderboard. A heady hybrid guard on the court, McCollum is thoughtful and thought-provoking off of it, displaying a level of maturity that fits the Pelicans’ roster well. Even-keeled and focused, the Ohio native is New Orleans’ elder statesman at 32 years old.
A Friendly Challenge
McCollum curiously wasn’t asked about breaking the 3-point record following their victory over the Warriors. However, heading into the game, Trey Murphy III spoke about his teammate potentially breaking the Pelicans’ single-season 3-point record. Ever confident, the 3-point marksman sees McCollum’s impending record as a challenge.
“I appreciate him for setting the bar for wherever I need to get to later on in my career,” Murphy says, per The Athletic’s Will Guillory.
Asked how long he expects McCollum’s record to last:
“A year.”
A deep shooter, Murphy is averaging a career-high 14.8 points per game this season. However, because injuries have limited him to 56 games, he’s unable to eclipse the single-season mark he set last season. In 2022-23, Murphy made a career-high 202 three-pointers. Had Murphy been healthy enough to play 23 more games this season, his pace (3.0 made threes per game) would have put him on par with McCollum.
To that point, durability may be the primary determinant of whether Murphy does break McCollum’s record. Not that it wouldn’t hurt for him to increase his output from beyond the arc as well.
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