The New Orleans Pelicans have underachieved these last couple of seasons after making the playoffs in a crowded Western Conference in 2024.
The team traded away Brandon Ingram for pennies on the dollar and has been waiting for what feels like an eternity for Zion Williamson to take that leap into superstardom.
At this point, Williamson is highly unlikely to live up to his full expectations, but it doesn’t mean that he couldn’t help the Pelicans get back to being the team they once were, as the team is loaded with talent.
In addition to Williamson, New Orleans boasts Derik Queen, Trey Murphy III, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Bennedict Mathurin, Jeremiah Fears, Saddiq Bey, and Yves Messi.
Perhaps the Pelicans have too many mouths to feed at the guard position and are a bit small at center, but they have plenty of capable two-way stalwarts on this team and players who can put up points in bunches.
New Orleans’ perimeter defense could be especially intriguing with Murphy and Jones stationed out there and Murray having the size and length to guard bigger players.
The biggest factor for the Pelicans next season will be if Williamson can stay healthy and perform at a high level, but they’ll also need to be ready to account for some of his deficiencies on the offensive side of the floor.
Williamson isn’t particularly adept at shooting the 3-pointer or operating as a prototypical three-level scorer, but he is sure to strike a ton of fear into opposing defenders whenever he gets downhill.
Murphy could also be due to take another leap, as he’s emerged as the Pelicans’ most versatile scorer at all three levels. He could also emerge as one of New Orleans’s most reliable defenders alongside Jones.
A lot of eyes will be on Queen, as he proved to be an absolute wrecking ball down low in the post and a capable playmaker, drawing a lot of comparisons to none other than three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
Mathurin could also have some untapped potential, as he’s proven to be an absolute bucket when he’s given full freedom to operate.
Fears may be a year or two away from developing into a premier three-level scorer, but the Pelicans could continue to ease him into the fold with Poole and Murray expected to handle the lion’s share of minutes at guard.
All of this to say, the Pelicans have all of the right ingredients to be an absolute force on both sides of the floor next season, especially if they stay healthy.
