THE The New Orleans Pelicans The Red Devils are just a few weeks away from the start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season. Even though the start is fast approaching, they still have a dire need to address their roster.
In their current configuration, the Pelicans are facing a logjam on the wing and are in desperate need of an upgrade at center.
This issue arose after Larry Nance Jr. was used as part of the package to bring in Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks and Jonas Valanciunas left as a free agent, landing with the Washington Wizards.
New Orleans has no shortage of players to take up minutes in the middle. They signed veteran Daniel Theis and selected Yves Missi out of Baylor with their first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Karlo Matkovic had a good showing in the 2024 NBA 2K25 Summer League and they claimed Trey Jemison from the Memphis Grizzlies.
What the team lacks is someone worthy of starting at center. Willie Green prefers a more traditional center, emphasizing defense over offense, but can he justify starting one of the aforementioned players and benching two of Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and CJ McCollum?
This led to a bold suggestion of ESPN’s Tim BontempsHe thinks New Orleans should consider running a small-sided lineup with Zion Williamson at center. A starting five of Murray, Jones, Murphy, Brandon Ingram and the former No. 1 overall pick with McCollum becoming the sixth man of the team.
“This creates one of the most intriguing five-man units in the league, but one that lacks interior size due to playing three wings with Williamson at center. There doesn’t seem to be a better option available. Not starting Murphy or Jones in favor of a traditional center would be a significant drop in talent on the starting unit,” Bontemps wrote.
This is a combination of players that Green should definitely lean on in certain situations. Good luck scoring on the perimeter with three elite defenders in Murray, Jones and Murphy running the game plan. Ingram and Williamson, when engaged, are no slouches defensively either.
But it’s hard to imagine Green being a team he starts games on and uses regularly, given the lack of size. A team whose identity is built on defense would sacrifice a lot of that with Bontemps’ lineup.
Even if Green surprises people and takes this approach, the team still needs help up front. They would get crushed by the likes of Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis and Domantas Sabonis in the Western Conference if they used Williamson full-time in the middle.
If one of their current options does not emerge as a go-to player for a mid-range position, a trade will have to be made. Rumors will circulate until a resolution is reached with Ingram.