Subscribe
Follow Us
There is no doubt in any NBA fan's mind that the New Orleans Pelicans have one of the most talented rosters in the league. When Zion Williamson was healthy last season, the Pelicans were slugging it out with their West counterparts for the top seed in the conference. Unfortunately, injuries piled up for New Orleans, and it dropped all the way to ninth in the conference as the team was eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the play-in tournament.
As training camp began for their 2023-24 campaign, a torn meniscus injury to last year's breakout star Trey Murphy III was a big blow for the squad. Those kinds of ailments usually take longer than expected to heal, but the hope is for Murphy to be 100% by December or January. Jose Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. sustained minor injuries, but they are both expected to be ready for opening night.
Even with the talent and star power on this roster, there are still glaring holes that diminish their chances to be in championship contention.
Constant injuries and missed games
When the Pelicans acquired CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers, it was a clear indicator that they were going all-in to win it with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Since the trade was completed, New Orleans has played 119 contests, but the Pelicans' Big 3 has played for only 10 games together for a total of 172 minutes.
That is obviously not a recipe for success for an organization that is vying to reach the status of the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers. As Pelicans head coach Willie Green continues to build an excellent culture and environment, he must continue hoping that his core guys are able to play at least 65-70 games for the foreseeable future.
Article Continues Below
Williamson has played over 30 games just once in his rollercoaster career, while Ingram has missed 85 contests over the past three years. The inability to build tremendous chemistry and continuously mentor their youthful teammates on the court has been a massive hindrance to their ascension. The breakout of Herbert Jones a couple of years ago and the shooting spree of Trey Murphy III in 2023 could have been more highlighted if New Orleans was racking up successive wins, especially in the playoffs.
Since they are expected to be complete for opening night, the concrete objective is they must have the ability to jive as a unit despite having several veterans and numerous youngsters on their roster. Furthermore, the Pelicans have a slew of draft capital they can utilize to fortify their lineup if they see an asset that will provide a massive boost to their title chances.
Injuries are inevitable in any sport, but it seemed a bit too exaggerated for the Pelicans case. With it being a huge roadblock to their ceiling as a team, the front office may use the emergence of guys like Jones and Murphy III as silver linings to the past seasons being clear disappointments. Even with the clear trajectory of these players, meshing them together with the nucleus will only be plausible if they are healthy.
The Pelicans organization has been patient with their players, but they might be down to one or two more seasons before the front office decides to do a shakeup that will change their roster drastically. New Orleans will definitely be a top League Pass squad because of Zion Williamson, but will it be enough to catapult them to a top-six spot in the rigorous Western Conference?
