2023-24 NBA Season Preview: New Orleans Pelicans
We are two days away from the start of the 2023-24 NBA season! Today, we will preview the New Orleans Pelicans, who look to have a bounce-back season after a disappointing end to 2022-23.
What happened last season?
Last season was a tale of two halves for the New Orleans Pelicans. For most of December and January last season the Pelicans were a top 2 seed in the Western Conference. They were flying high, but then Zion Williamson got hurt once again. The now 23-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in January that ultimately ended his season.
Even without the injured Williamson, the Pelicans had their best record in the past five years. They finished 42-40 which put them in second place in the Southwest Division and No. 9 in the Western Conference. Qualifying for the play-in tournament, the Pelicans faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first game and promptly lost 123-118 in New Orleans. The season was ultimately a disappointment after such a promising start for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Offseason Overview
The offseason for the Pelicans was a snooze. They lost Josh Richardson to the Miami Heat after 23 games in New Orleans. The only free agent signing that may get minutes is from center Cody Zeller–not exactly a splash signing by any means. Other than those two moves in free agency, they drafted Jordan Hawkins No. 14 overall from reigning national champion UConn.
Projected starting five
CJ McCollum, G – McCollum was one of four players who played in 75 or more games for the Pelicans last season. His first full season in New Orleans was a success with him averaging 20.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds. A deadly trio is forming for the Pelicans, but with McCollum being the only one consistently healthy it could all fall to him.
Brandon Ingram, F – Last season was a weird one for Ingram. He missed the whole month of December and most of January with a toe injury. Yet while playing in a career-low 45 games he averaged 24.7 points and 5.8 assists, which were both career highs.
Herbert Jones, F – Herbert Jones suddenly took off last April. In the final five regular season games, he scored double digits in four of them. This includes a career-high 35 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. His hot streak continued to the play-in, where he scored 20 in the loss to the Thunder. Jones is a streaky shooter that can be lights out when his game is on.
Zion Williamson, F – Williamson is one of the most talented players in the league when healthy, the issue is that it is a very big when. He only managed to play in 29 games a season ago. However, in that time the 2019 first pick put up 26 points per contest. He is as dominant as they come so a full season of Williamson could be huge for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jonas Valanciunas, C – Valanciunas continued his double-double streak last season after he finished averaging 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double season. The Lithuanian big man enters his 12th NBA season as a top 15 center in the league. Another thing of note is that he played in 79 of 82 games last season being one of the few points of consistency in the Pelicans lineup.
Other rotational players
Larry Nance Jr., F – Larry Nance Jr. played his first full season in New Orleans since being traded by the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the deadline in 2022. Last season he appeared in 65 games and was a key piece off the bench. He played significant minutes in part of the injuries suffered by some starters. The forward shot a career-best 61 percent last year, averaging 6.8 points.
Trey Murphy III, G – Murphy started in 65 of the 79 games he played a year ago. However, he will be back on the bench now that the Pelicans are healthy so his role will drop off a bit. Unfortunately, the third-year guard will miss the first 10 weeks of the season after suffering a knee injury that required surgery over the offseason.
X-Factor: Zion Williamson’s body
As we saw last season, when Williamson is healthy the Pelicans can be as dangerous as any team out West. However, as soon as he is off the court they fall apart. The concern here is just the vast amount of injuries the 23-year-old has already suffered. Between a meniscus tear his rookie season, foot surgery two summers ago, and a hamstring injury last season, the former No. 1 overall pick has struggled to find consistency.
The most games he has played in a season through his four-year career is 61, which is more than the other three seasons combined (53 games). If Williamson can stay healthy and play in 60-plus games again, then watch out for the Pelicans to have a strong season.
Projection
The New Orleans Pelicans have a massive dropoff between their starters and the bench. If any of McCollum, Ingram or Williamson gets hurt then it could be a very long season. Regardless of injury possibilities, I think they go 38-44 while missing out on the play-in and finishing third in the Southwest Division.
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