Through it all, McCollum has repeatedly expressed a desire to play whatever role works best next to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Unfortunately for him, prior to this season, it had been tough to figure out precisely what that role looks like because he hasn’t spent enough time with Williamson and Ingram learning through trial and error. “It’s hard to have success consistently when you’re injured. Not just individually, but as a team,” McCollum said. “The continuity, the consistency, the chemistry, they just weren’t there for us.”