With great news from Zion WilliamsonSince the start of the New Orleans Pelicans season, the morale of the team and the fans has improved considerably. The often-injured power forward has had a rather busy summer, as has the newcomer. Dejounte MurrayWill the Pelicans hold on? Brandon Ingram? Or is a trade still on the cards? The Pelicans have a formidable team as constructed, but it will be up to Zion to determine how far they go this season.
New Orleans Pelicans offseason: Review so far
Zion uses Pelicans offseason to reinvent his body
A loud noise could be heard off the port of New Orleans this offseason as the Pelicans took a risk on acquiring former Atlanta Hawks Dejounte Murray, the two-way point guard. But that’s not the ultimate change of the season for the Pelicans. After struggling with fitness, health and injuries since arriving in the NBA from Duke, Zion Williamson is expected to enter the upcoming basketball campaign as an NBA player. better physical shape and fitness He was never there. This development has to be welcome news for the Pelicans organization, the highlight of their offseason. Perpetually riddled with injuries due to his physical conditioning, Williamson appears ready to restart his career, leading to an entirely different version of the powerful and lethal forward.
With Murray joining the Pelicans, the name Brandon Ingram has been the talk of the town all summer. Was he going to leave or stay? New Orleans certainly considered that idea. For now, though, the highly skilled 2016-17 All-Rookie remains a Pelican.
Due to the Murray acquisition, New Orleans lost depth in this trade. However, adding someone with Murray’s offensive talents could be worth it.
Departures of key players
The Pelicans sent away Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and Dyson Daniels in the deal with Atlanta. Of the three, Daniels was the biggest loss because of his potential and the fact that he had played well for the Pelicans in his first two years in the NBA. The other big loss was the center. Jonas Valanciunas who signed as a free agent with the Washington Wizards. The loss of the big man left New Orleans thin at center, a factor that isn’t a problem for Managing Director David Griffinapparently.
Other Pelicans off-season departures included EJ Lidell, Matt RyanAnd Naji Marshall who signed with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent.
Acquisitions of key players
The acquisition of Dejounte Murray, as mentioned above, was by far the Pelicans’ loudest and best addition this offseason. Making it work between him and Ingram will be the challenge. Murray and Trae Young The Pelicans are hoping their version of the star-studded duo story will produce different results. In light of New Orleans’ center position issues, the team has signed Daniel Theis this offseason. While not a true center, Theis provides some relief to the team behind Williamson.
New Orleans also selected No. 21, the former Baylor center. Yves Missi in the first round. His college career showed tremendous potential, but it remains to be seen if he’s ready for the NBA. Let’s assume Missi isn’t ready to play meaningful minutes. In that case, the Pelicans need to address the center position before the February trade deadline. Assuming the team is in playoff contention, which is very likely given its current roster, this would be a wise move on David Griffin’s part.
An impressive range of features offering multiple options
It’s likely that Brandon Ingram won’t be traded this summer, given the current offseason situation. If that’s the case, the Pelicans will be looking to 2024-25 NBA season with a starting lineup featuring Williamson, Ingram, Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb JonesOr Trey Murphy III. Overall, the roster is solid, with the exception of the center position. Considering Williamson showed last season that even though he’s not in the best shape, he’s a force to be reckoned with, teams in the West shouldn’t overlook the Pelicans, especially now that Williamson is where he is physically.
The Pelicans started well last season but have had some slumps as the year has gone on. If New Orleans can avoid injuries to its star players, the Pelicans could be among the teams in contention for a top seed and not just a play-in tournament.
