There was a lot to like about the 2020-21 season for the New Orleans Pelicans. At the top of the list was the play of Zion Williamson, who stayed largely healthy in appearing in 61 games while averaging 27 points per game on uber-elite efficiency. Williamson’s breakout wasn’t necessarily unexpected, but he is the unquestioned centerpiece of the franchise and his play was stellar. There were other strong performances but, on the whole, the Pelicans finished with only a 31-41 record, even with the net rating (-0.3) of a near-.500 team. That 31-win effort cost Stan Van Gundy his head coaching job in the offseason and, even with Williamson and Brandon Ingram returning, the Pelicans overhauled much of their roster for 2021-22 and beyond.
Roster:
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Jose Alvarado (two-way)
Zylan Cheatham
Wenyen Gabriel
Devonte’ Graham
Jared Harper
Josh Hart
Jaxson Hayes
Willy Hernangomez
Daulton Hommes (two-way)
Brandon Ingram
Herbert Jones
Kira Lewis Jr.
Didi Louzada
Naji Marshall
Trey Murphy III
Tomas Satoransky
Garrett Temple
Jonas Valanciunas
Zion Williamson
Projected Vegas Win Total: 39.5 wins
Biggest Addition: Jonas Valanciunas
Steven Adams wasn’t the problem for the Pelicans last season, but he has slipped since his prime years in Oklahoma City. Adams wasn’t a great fit with Zion Williamson either, as he is a limited offensive player that can’t space the floor. Enter Valanciunas, with the Pelicans paying a pretty hefty price to land him from Memphis. Valanciunas isn’t a dynamic defender, but he is a very gifted offensive player at center that can operate in the post and space the floor when needed. New Orleans also has backcourt changes to navigate, but Valanciunas should help the Pelicans offensively at the very least.
Biggest Loss: Lonzo Ball
The Pelicans have invested heavily in the backcourt, both in the draft and with the addition of Devonte’ Graham. That seemingly opened the door for letting Ball go this offseason, and it will be interesting to see if that calculus proves to be correct. Ball was the best defensive guard for New Orleans, and he has also developed into a reliable shooter with secondary creation skills. The Pelicans do have youngsters in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis, but they’ll have big shoes to fill.
Biggest Question: What’s going on with Zion?
As noted above, Williamson is the sun, moon and stars for the Pelicans. Ingram is also a budding star offensively, but Williamson is in a different tier and things have been rather weird between player and team. On top of all kinds of rumors about Williamson not seeing eye to eye with the Pelicans, word broke at Media Day that he actually had surgery on a fractured foot in the offseason. All indications, at least for now, are positive with regard to his health as the regular season nears, but the Pelicans aren’t going anywhere without Williamson healthy, invested and available to play.
What Makes This Season A Success
Given all of the player movement in the offseason and heavy investments to win in the short term, the Pelicans need to at least make the play-in tournament. In the big picture, New Orleans needs Williamson to buy in and be ready to go, but for this season only, the Pelicans need to show results. There are too many strong teams in the West to fully project the Pelicans to land in the top six, but getting into the dance would be a logical step.
What Makes This Season A Failure
A lot can go wrong here. What happens if the backcourt changes don’t work? What if Williamson is unhappy as the team scuffles a bit? New Orleans was better than the 31-41 record they had last year, but the results do need to follow in the standings. If they don’t, David Griffin and company will be in a strange place.
