Did CJ McCollum call out Zion Williamson after Pelicans' Play-In Tournament loss vs. Thunder?

A Pelicans season that began with so much promise ended in disappointment on Wednesday night.

New Orleans lost to Oklahoma City in the second game of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament, eliminating the team from playoff contention. The Pelicans were missing Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr. and Zion Williamson, who hadn't played since suffering a hamstring injury on Jan. 2.

MORE: Ranking the NBA's best 30 players entering the playoffs

But the health issues didn't stop there. Pelicans guard CJ McCollum revealed after the game that he had been dealing with a thumb injury for months and delayed surgery because he wanted to help New Orleans reach the playoffs. He was also affected by a shoulder problem.

While McCollum didn't specifically name Williamson during his postgame media availability, he did share some, uh, interesting thoughts with reporters, saying that the Pelicans "need our best players on the court."

"Availability is important, man. We've got to be available," McCollum said. "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. ... If we don't do that, I'll never have a real answer for you as to what we can accomplish because we won't be able to see it."

McCollum added that he could have taken "the easy way out and gotten surgery" much earlier, but he's "not that type of person, not that type of player."

"Even though [the injury] affected my performance some nights, I never made excuses," McCollum said. "I just go compete and do the best that I can and always try to lead by example."

This was so loud pic.twitter.com/wShAQpOfsp

— ken (@JaiIpose) April 13, 2023

Those comments came a day after Williamson discussed his rehabilitation process and explained why he hadn't yet returned to the court.

"I can pretty much do everything, but it's just a matter of the level that I was playing at before my hamstring [injury]," Williamson said. "I'm just a competitor. I don't want to go out there and be in my own head and affect the team when I can just be on the sideline supporting them more.

"I know myself. If I was to go out there, I would be in my head. I would hesitate on certain moves, and that could affect the game."

The Pelicans were in third place in the Western Conference standings at the time of Williamson's injury. They dropped all the way down to ninth, forcing them to enter the Play-In Tournament.

McCollum, Williamson and Brandon Ingram only played in 10 games together this season.

"It's important to have your guys on the floor. I don't know if that's the central issue, but it's definitely important," New Orleans coach Willie Green said. "It helps your team reach its potential. We didn't do that this season."

Zion Williamson contract extension details

Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million extension with the Pelicans last year. That deal runs through the 2027-28 season.

The contract extension includes a weight clause, according to NOLA.com's Christian Clark. Williamson will reportedly have "weigh-ins periodically throughout the entirety of his new deal."

If the sum of his weight and body fat percentage rise above 295, the amount of guaranteed money in his contract can be reduced.