New Orleans Pelicans Preview
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The Pelicans are trying to win-now with a roster not good enough again.
Last Season
Yet another disappointing season for the New Orleans Pelicans as general manager Dell Demps tries and fails to build a win-now roster in order to save his job. Here’s a not-so-fun-fact, since 2012 when Anthony Davis was taken first overall (and Austin Rivers taken 10th), the Pelicans have not had a first round pick that they kept until Buddy Hield in 2016, and he only lasted half a season albeit for landing DeMarcus Cousins at a discount. A win-now team trading away rookies for established players is reasonable, but the Pelicans since trading 2013 pick Nerlens Noel for Jrue Holiday has posted a combined 143–185 record (win% = 0.436), missing the playoffs every season except one where they got swept in the first round. The problem with not having quality young players is that there is no source of cheap talent on the team. The Pelicans are a non-playoff team that is capped out.
The team essentially went all in midseason when they traded Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, and their 2017 first round pick for one of the best players in the league DeMarcus Cousins. Why is this move an all-in? Despite adding a generational talent, the Pelicans still finished 34–48, missing the playoffs. Jrue could leave this offseason, and Pelicans do not have the cap space to replace him. Next season is the last year on Cousins’ contract so without showing any ability to improve, he might leave too.
Not having starter-caliber players next to their stars crippled the team. Solomon Hill was the major addition signed to anchor the starting SF spot, but his limitations severely hurts spacing offensively. The team also had no starting caliber SG’s after trading 3 shooting guards to Sacramento, and resorted to trying out E’Twaun Moore, Jordan Crawford, Hollis Thompson, Axel Toupane, Anthony Brown, Wayne Seldon, Reggie Williams, and Quinn Cook. Bad contracts is a major cause for the Pelicans’ inability to improve. Why is Quincy Pondexter still on the roster earning over 3.6 mil this year when the last game he played was on April 25, 2015! I repeat, 2015! Two whole seasons, and he’s questionable to see the floor at all next season.
Draft From the Past
31st Pick: Frank Jackson, a combo guard similar to disappoin — … player Austin Rivers.
Combo guard from Duke, check.
Not someone to set up teammates, check.
Undersized against bigger shooting guards, check.
Good finisher around the rim, check.
Can shoot off the catch, check.
Drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans, check.
Traded by the Pelicans, pending.
Offseason Priority
Resign Jrue Holiday. Holiday is an unrestricted free agent and the best point guard the team can have heading into next season as they hold his bird rights. This is because the team does not have cap space to replace him with a player his caliber. If Holiday leaves, the team would have to sign and start bench-level 1’s like Patty Mills, Darren Collison, and Brandon Jennings. Luckily for New Orleans, there are very few buyers in the point guard market this offseason.
Free Agency Tinder Superlike
Assuming they retain Holiday, the priority should be a low-usage 3-and-d player with the Pelican’s remaining limited cap space (around 8 million)… Introducing the second most famous C.J. Miles in the world (although it isn’t hard to imagine superliking the most famous C.J. Miles in the world… google it). Last year for the Pacers, Miles demonstrated underrated defensive capabilities to go along with shooting 41.3% from 3. Miles split time last season between the 2 and the 3 along with some minutes at the 4, making him the perfect versatile addition for the Pelicans.
One Defining Stat
The team’s payroll is all you have to look at to understand why the team is so expensive despite lacking talent. Hill is better suited as a backup and can’t shoot. Asik is paid almost 10 million to sit on the bench or be the worst offensive player in the league. Moore is overpaid. Ajinca is overpaid for a 3rd (potentially 4th) big on the roster. Pondexter hasn’t played in 2 years. Cunningham is forced to play out of position at 3.
How far away are they
Very far, but it would not be insane for the Davis-Cousins combo to blossom into the league’s most deadly 4–5 punch and lead the Pelicans to some playoff success. They just need to hit on role players on value contracts.
The Up and Under
Up: Davis and Cousins show the world small-ball is overrated and dominate teams with their size and skill. Davis improves on his already amazing season last year and becomes the best player in the league (he was 4th in PER last season). Cousins quits committing nonsensical fouls and technicals and prove he is the best low-post player in the world. Holiday turns back the clock and return to all-star level production. Solomon Hill learns to shoot, Miles gets signed and doesn’t regress, Jackson is in contention for 6MOTY… Warriors in 5 Conference Finals.
Under: Holiday leaves. Demps uses all his cap space on another big. Boogie proves that he’s the problem in Sacramento. Jackson busts. Rest of the team fail to improve cumulating to Davis having a mental breakdown, doubling his number of eyebrows injuring himself in the process causing him to miss the season. Starting lineup becomes Jackson, Moore, Hill, Cunningham, Ajinca; break the longest losing streak record in NBA history.
