New Orleans Pelicans Articles - Page 87

The NBA’s decision to resume the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World comes with plenty of contingencies. Among them is the possibility of asking coaches aged 60 or older to keep their distance from players, including in games. That proposal hasn’t sat well with some of the oldest and most respected coaches in the league, […]

The New Orleans Pelicans franchise has been around since 2002. They were originally called the New Orleans Hornets, but they changed their moniker in 2013. While they are fairly young, there’s no doubt that the team has seen a slew of great players represent the city. With that said, we take a look at the […]

The 2019-20 NBA season will finally resume this July with a 22-team format, with 13 teams in the Western Conference and nine teams from the Eastern Conference. Each team will play eight “seeding” games to determine the final lineup for the 2020 postseason. However, they are entering Orlando with varying number of games. To address […]

New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson just earned a small yet important victory in his legal battle pertaining to the alleged improper benefits he received prior to signing with Duke in 2018. A report by the New York Post states that Williamson’s camp has succeeded in blocking a lawsuit filed by his former marketing […]

At long last, the NBA is back. Well, it will be soon. The league’s board of governors approved a return-to-play plan featuring 22 teams, 13 from the Western Conference, and nine from the East. Only one team–the Portland Trail Blazers–voted against the plan. Sources — NBA approves 22-team format to finish season by 29-1 vote […]

New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball has taken a unique step to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last week. Ball was recently featured on a new song entitled “Don’t Shoot Me,” which addresses racial profiling by uniformed personnel of the law. The Pelicans playmaker was gracious enough to […]

The NBA is expected to propose a play-in tournament as part of a 22-team return-to-play proposal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The season will tentatively resume on July 31 and end on Oct. 12, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This proposal would bring all 16 teams currently qualified for the playoffs as well […]

New Orleans Pelicans talent Zion Williamson is not out of the woods yet. A Miami judge denied his request for a protective order, ruling that the former Duke standout must answer questions under oath about his college eligibility, according to attorney Darren Heitner. The Pelicans rookie and his legal team hoped to stop the discovery […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are taking the next step in fighting all forms of racism in the wake of the recent death of George Floyd, as well as several other acts of oppression that has mired the nation of late. The organization has just announced that they will be establishing a Social Justice Leadership Coalition […]

Recent rumors suggest that the NBA wants New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson in the playoffs. As the NBA mulls over possible postseason scenarios, reports claim that all options would include Williamson and the Pelicans no matter what. The Pelicans are currently 10th in the Western Conference. They are 3.5 games behind the no. 8 […]

A recent report noted that the NBA was looking to include New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson in any possible format iteration. NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh initially reported that in conversations with those familiar with the NBA’s plan to resume the 2019-20 season, Williamson’s name kept popping up. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst indicated that has been […]

The NBA remains suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic, but New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson still finds himself under fire. Earlier this month, Williamson’s former agent–Gina Ford of Prime Sports Marketing–filed court documents alleging Zion received “impermissible benefits” to play at Duke University. Ford stipulated Williamson should have to answer a series of questions to […]

The New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans franchise has been through a lot since joining the NBA in 2002. Not only has the organization had to move cities during a season because of the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina, but two Hall of Fame players have requested trades from the franchise in Chris Paul and Anthony Davis. The […]

If the 2019-20 NBA season resumes in July at Walt Disney World, New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson could be a key to the league’s playoff seeding and return-to-play format, per Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports. The NBA is reportedly considering a non-traditional first-round playoff series, with a group stage format being thrown out as […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have been quite fortunate when it comes to their free-agent signings over the years. After all, the current heart and soul of the team — Jrue Holiday — was retained via free agency, while vets like JJ Reddick and Rajon Rondo also made huge impacts in their short tenure in NOLA. […]

New Orleans Pelicans guard JJ Redick just offered some insights into what the format of the 2019-20 NBA season could look like if and when it resumes. Speaking on “The JJ Redick Podcast” on The Ringer, the Pelicans sharpshooter revealed what he’s heard about the NBA’s proposed schedule format. “The scenario I’ve heard…the top six […]

It was recently revealed that New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson was given special permission to carry on with his rehab in the team’s practice facility despite it being closed because of the lockdown. Christian Clark of NOLA.com reports that the Pelicans submitted a formal request to the league for their young star to […]

Director Spike Lee and NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen want New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson to star in a “He Got Game” sequel. During his recent appearance on The Encore, Lee said he and Allen were trying to get in touch with the Pelicans rising star before the COVID-19 pandemic, via Complex: “We […]

Prior to New Orleans Pelicans phenom Zion Williamson making his NBA debut in late January, Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies was widely considered to be the runaway winner for this season’s Rookie of the Year award. Williamson then made such a tremendous impact over the next month or so that people began to believe […]

New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball was having arguably the best year of his career prior to the season hiatus. The move to New Orleans over the summer seems to have worked wonders for Ball, as he has found a new sense of freedom playing for head coach Alvin Gentry. In the mind of his […]

LaVar Ball had quite a few things to say pretty much about anything and everything in a recent appearance on Complex’s Load Management podcast. One of the things he took aim at was New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson, who happens to be the teammate of his eldest son, Lonzo Ball. LaVar compared the […]

Whenever LaVar Ball speaks, it’s as if the NBA is transformed into the WWE. The Ball family patriarch was running his mouth once again earlier this week. In usual LaVar fashion, he had more than a few controversial things to say, especially about the Los Angeles Lakers. One of the most attention-grabbing statements he made […]

Zion Williamson was undoubtedly one of the most-hyped rookies since LeBron James in 2003. Even while he was still in college playing for Duke, Zion turned heads and drew international media attention. However, according to LaVar Ball, the rookie wouldn’t get as much buzz with the New Orleans Pelicans without his son Lonzo Ball. Specifically, […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly joining the ranks of teams planning to reopen their practice facilities as the NBA tries to navigate a suspended season amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to Christian Clark of Nola.com, the Pelicans will reopen their facility on May 18, three days after Louisiana’s current stay-at-home order is set to […]

New Orleans Pelicans star rookie Zion Williamson is being pressed to admit he received impermissible benefits to attend Duke University. Williamson’s former agent, Gina Ford of Prime Sports Marketing, alleges the Pelicans star received money and other stipulations to attend Duke for the 2018-19 college basketball season. Via Garrett Stepien of 247 Sports: Zion Williamson‘s […]

The New Orleans Pelicans debuted in the 2002-03 season when the then Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans. The now Pelicans stood as the Hornets up until the 2012-13 season. The following year, they renamed to the Pelicans, while Charlotte regained its Hornets moniker and history. The NBA, then, agreed that the Pelicans franchise history […]

New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball has endured the mockery of fans and fellow NBA players due to the odd-looking jump shot he carried into the league. While he’s vastly fixed it during his brief time with the Pelicans, it appears his form is lacking, even in the weight room. The young point guard took […]

The New Orleans Pelicans had one of the deadliest offenses in the NBA before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19. The team was averaging 116.2 points per game and had its eyes set on making the playoffs with 2019 No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson leading the way. The Pelicans went 10-9 with […]

LaMelo Ball is projected to be a top pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft — potentially number one overall. Not surprisingly, his older brother, New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, is sending a message to his little bro long ahead of their first professional matchup. During an appearance on The JJ Redick Podcast, the eldest […]

There are a lot of factors that go into winning an NBA championship. In basketball, the need for a superstar or superstars to build around is a must. Likewise, surrounding those franchise cornerstones with the right role players is key to building a championship contender. Moreover, having the right coach with the right system in […]

The 2019-20 NBA season is still on hiatus and players are doing anything to pass the time. For New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart, however, he isn’t particularly enjoying his time off. Hart was looking to have a nice Saturday night playing Call of Duty. Unfortunately for him, his video game night ended in a […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are a pretty recent franchise. They are, in fact, the youngest franchise in the NBA today, having been in existence for just 18 years. As such, it is safe to say that this team currently does not have much history behind it — especially compared to the other franchises that have […]

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry claims rookie star Zion Williamson was playing normal minutes after his first five or six NBA games. The Pelicans initially had Williamson on a minutes restriction after the 2019 No. 1 overall pick returned from his knee surgery. However, according to Gentry, that restriction was lifted early. If […]

Despite playing just 19 games in his rookie season so far, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has proven that he is indeed a generational talent. Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has witnessed Williamson’s athletic gifts up close, and he shared what separates the 6-foot-6 high leaper from other great athletes. “Well, it’s pretty much […]

The New Orleans Pelicans undoubtedly have a bright future ahead, and it doesn’t look like they have to make major moves to catapult the franchise into playoff and, eventually, title contention. New Orleans was in 10th place in the Western Conference standings before the season was suspended due to COVID-19. After 2019 No. 1 overall […]

The effortless chemistry between Lonzo Ball and New Orleans Pelicans No. 1 pick Zion Williamson has been undeniable in his 19 games in the league. Many had grown giddy with the prospect of a tall point guard with great vision throwing lobs to a 6-foot-6 skywalker who’s made a career out of thunderous dunks. Williamson […]

A 2011 failed trade that involved Chris Paul heading to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for the duo of Stephen Curry and Kay Thompson has recently been the talk of the town. Paul, who at that time was with the New Orleans Hornets, admitted that this blockbuster deal was almost done, and that he […]

When New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was still out recovering from surgery, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant became the top favorite to win Rookie of the Year. But when Williamson suited back up, analysts were forced to debate on who will be the season’s top rookie. For Williamson, he’s simply happy that Morant is […]

Zion Williamson’s mother, Sharonda Sampson, certainly knows best — as she instructed the New Orleans Pelicans rookie to study the All-Time greats to reach his full potential. At the top of that list, of course, is the NBA’s GOAT Michael Jordan. Per ESPN, the matriarch of the Williamson household asked Zion to closely monitor tapes […]