It was a season of promise for the New Orleans Pelicans, until it wasn’t.
Spending much of the season in the top five of the NBA’s Western Conference, New Orleans looked primed to miss out on the Play-In Tournament for the first time and be a host in the first round of the playoffs. However, a 10-8 end to the regular season put them in the #7 spot and right back into the play-in, playing against the same Los Angeles Lakers team that the Pels were 1-3 against in the regular season, including losses of 16 (final game of the regular season), 17, and 44 points.
In that first Play-In game against the Lakers, the Pelicans looked as if they were on their way to a first-round series with the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Zion Williamson was having the best game of arguably his entire career, scoring 40 points along with 11 rebounds and five assists. However, in the closing moments of the game, Zion suffered a hamstring injury that would ultimately sideline him for the remainder of the season.
With the loss to the Lakers, the Pelicans had to regroup and host the Sacramento Kings in a “win and you’re in” game, which New Orleans won handily to get into the Playoffs and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, led by the duo of potential league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Rookie of the Year Chet Holmgren. Game One was the best opportunity the Pels had to get a win as OKC had one of their worst games of the year but survived 94-92. After that, New Orleans was beaten in Games 2 and 3 by an average of 26.5 points before bowing out in Game 4 on Monday night.
Now, with another season of disappointment hanging over the franchise, it’s time to look at some serious but needed changes for the team.
Trade Brandon Ingram
It’s time.
Brandon Ingram was set to be a star in the making when he arrived in the Big Easy as part of the Anthony Davis trade, but it has yet to work out. He’s been a consistent player when it comes to his numbers, there’s no questioning that, but the problem is that the Pelicans needed BI to come in and be the star that guys like Jayson Tatum, SGA, and others have been for their franchises. BI hasn’t been that. He’s been overshadowed by Zion’s arrival and injury history while having a lengthy list of problems himself. Now, you add CJ McCollum to the mix and I just think there are too many mouths to feed in terms of production in the locker room. You have three star-quality players who need the basketball in their hands for their games to thrive and that won’t work.
Out of the three, Zion is the must-keep because he’s the face of the franchise and you won’t be able to trade that contract (you don’t want to either after the healthiest year of his career). You can get the most in return for BI if you trade him this offseason while there’s still tread on the tires, so do it now and look to build around Zion with a mix of veterans and young talent.
Use your young talent
Over the last few seasons, the Pelicans have done an excellent job of drafting and developing young talent. Second round pick Herb Jones and 17th overall pick Trey Murphy III are just two examples of the Pelicans finding success in the draft while striking gold with an undrafted free agent in Jose Alvarado. Most recently, UConn guard and cousin of Angel Reese, Jordan Hawkins, was drafted in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft and showed flashes of excellence. However, he was optioned back and forth between the Pels and the G-League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.
Murphy had a strong season after missing the first six weeks or so with a knee surgery. Jones was a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year and Alvarado has quickly become a fan favorite in the Crescent City.
If the Pelicans want to find long term success, these young pieces need to be a key part of the equation. That’s another reason why Brandon Ingram has probably played his last game in New Orleans.
Willie Green has to win
After his third year as head coach, the Pelicans have appeared in two playoff series and bounced out in the first round for both. New Orleans is now 2-8 in the postseason under Green, so a lot of questions are being asked about the former player. Can he win when it matters, what will take for the group to go to the next level, and much more.
This season with a record of 49-33 was the best under Green, but again, the team struggled to win in April. With the resurgence of youth and the tam developing more and more chemistry, that would hopefully improve but if not, there may be a change at head coach inside the Smoothie King Center.
This offseason will say a lot about the future of the Pelicans, but the way they’ve operated the last few seasons needs to change. Whether or not it will remains to be seen, so grab your popcorn and hang on tight.