New Orleans Pelicans
Team Outlook:
After making the playoffs as an 8 seed two years ago, the Pelicans fell off the map as the injury big hit hard. The Pelican lost over 300 games due to separate injury and illness for several players, and even the best teams cannot overcome that loss in production. Star player Anthony Davis was shut down for the last month of the season, and ended up requiring surgery on both his knee and shoulder in the off season. One of the biggest additions may have come through the draft in Buddy Hield, and his pure shooting ability. If Hield can connect from the outside it will help to open things up on the inside for Anthony Davis. This team looks to avoid the injury bug this year and make it back to the playoffs. Look for a 7th or 8th seed as there is going to be a lot of roster turnover as guys get healthy and come back from leaves of absences. Davis will be in the MVP contention at the end of the year if he can lead this team back to the playoffs, and his stats will reflect that.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Langston Galloway: Point Guard
Galloway looks to slot in as the starter while Jrue Holiday has been granted a leave of absence to be with his wife during her time of need. The team is giving Jrue as much time as he needs and this will give Galloway another chance to start in his third NBA season. Galloway comes over from the Nicks in the offseason after seeing both his minutes and points per game dip last season with a drastic cut in his number of starts. Galloway was only originally viewed as a backup, but will now get a chance to start and earn his playing time for when Holiday eventually makes his way back.
Buddy Hield: Shooting Guard
With an injury to Tyreke Evans, it looks as if the 6th overall pick in this year’s draft is going to get the chance to start right away. Hield was an absolute monster from three in his senior season at Oklahoma and is easily the best shooter in this year’s rookie class. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the NBA, and how long till he finds his game. Once this happens, Hield will be a top shooting guard for years to come. He will not be a safe play right away, but should come into his own as he gets more comfortable in the system and learns to work with star Anthony Davis.
Solomon Hill: Small Forward
Hill was brought over from the Pacers in the offseason and did not come cheap. Hill signed a 4-year $48 million contract as the rampant spending in the NBA continued. The former first round pick out of Arizona was brought over for his defensive presence, especially out on the perimeter where the Pelicans struggled to cover opposing guards. Hill should make an immediate impact right out of the gate and will continue to contribute as he gets more comfortable with Davis.
Anthony Davis: Power Forward
Without a doubt, Davis is the centerpiece of this team and should be in the MVP conversation at the end of the year. The biggest area of concern here is health. He has been medically cleared to play, but was shut down for the last month of the season last year and had offseason surgeries on his knee and shoulder. Davis is going to be priced near the top every day, but is worth the investment as he can contribute in all categories. The Pelicans look to make a major step forward in trying to make the playoffs this year, and that goal will land squarely on Davis’ surgically repaired shoulder. Davis seems to have at least five games per year where he leaves early and does not return making him hard to consistently trust, but when he is playing at his best he can carry your lineup as he contributes in so many categories.
Omer Asik: Center
Asik was brought over in a trade from the Rockets in 2014 and played his way to a $56 million deal and nearly averaged a double-double in year one with Anthony Davis on the court. However, last year those numbers dropped dramatically as Davis dealt with several nagging injuries, and Asik was asked to do more than he was capable. The Pelicans have brought in Terrence Jones (Davis former college teammate) and rookie Cheick Diallo, and if Asik does not start to produce again he could see his minutes’ dip dramatically. With all the talented big men coming in, Asik is going to have a short leash. If Davis is healthy and the duo meshes again, he has a double-double upside, but if he gets out to a slow start look for Terrence Jones to take the job.
Key Bench Players:
Terrence Jones:
Jones passed up other free agent offers so he could play with his former college teammate in Anthony Davis. The forward should see an increase in minutes early as the team is going to play cautious with all of the injuries from a season ago. The familiarity with Davis should give him a leg up coming off the bench and make him productive for this team.
Tim Frazier: Point Guard
Frazier figures to make the team and see some playing time while Jrue Holiday is out on leave. He is not going to fill the stat sheet, and has never been much more than a minor bench player, but his role looks to increase behind Langston Galloway.
Quincy Pondexter: Shooting Guard
Pondexter, a former first round pick by the Thunder has been brought over to help a team devastated by injuries and who will be leaning on a rookie shooter in Buddy Hield. Pondexter is going to be asked to play more than ever before and will need to increase his shooting percentage if he wants to see that role increase even further. This was a good signing in the offseason and should help this team down the stretch.
Chieck Diallo: Power Forward/Center
Diallo, a former 5-star recruit who played one season for Kansas, was drafted by the Clippers 33rd overall, and then instantly traded to the Pelicans looks to finally have a home after coming to the United States from Mali. He signed with the Pelicans after a solid 10.2 points per game and 9.4 rebounds in 5 summer league games.
Jrue Holiday: Point Guard
Holiday has been granted a leave of absence to care for his wife who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. There is no timetable for his return, but the team has given their full support and told him to take all the time he needs. If and when Holiday makes it back to the team he should reclaim his starting role as he is one of the cornerstones of this organization. Langston Galloway looks to fill the starting role in his absence.
Tyreke Evans: Shooting Guard
Evans will not be ready to go to start the season after undergoing 3 knee surgeries in a 9-month period. There is some speculation that his tenure with the team could be over. If Buddy Hield comes in and produces right away, all the trade talk may come to fruition. It will be interesting to see how he comes back when healthy, and what kind of playing time he will receive.
Key Losses: Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Norris Cole, Luke Babbitt, Toney Douglas
Key Additions: Buddy Hield, Cheick Diallo, Terrence Jones, Solomon Hill, Langston Galloway
