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The New Orleans Pelicans have endured some underwhelming seasons in recent years. While head coach Willie Green and the team have shown clear growth over the last three seasons, this organization has been unable to get over the hump and solidify themselves as threats in the Western Conference by winning a playoff series. After adding Dejounte Murray to a core group that contains Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Herb Jones, the Pelicans are primed for a possible breakout 2024-25 season.
With key contributors like Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, and others on the bench, there have been questions about what the Pelicans' rotations and starting lineup will look like heading into the season. This is especially true with Jonas Valanciunas no longer commanding the frontcourt after signing with the Washington Wizards in free agency and Larry Nance Jr. being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in the deal to acquire Murray.
It is clear that the Pelicans need to address their frontcourt. More specifically, Green and his coaching staff are going to need a plan heading into the start of the season regarding who the team's starting center will be. Well, Williamson isn't going to be in this position, which is why the task of being the small-ball center could fall on the Pelicans' best defensive player.
“I'm told Herb Jones is essentially going to serve as the starting center for the Pelicans,” ESPN's Shams Charania revealed on Thursday while appearing on the Pat McAfee Show. “You look at CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, and Zion Williamson — a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, Zion's playing the five (center position).' Willie Green came out the other day saying he's not the five.”
“Herb Jones is essentially gonna serve as the starting center for the Pelicans.”
— Shams Charania 👀
How many games will the Pels win this year? 🤔
(via @PatMcAfeeShow)pic.twitter.com/KTZCPLIfvR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 10, 2024
While Williamson would be the obvious choice to be the Pelicans' starting center in the absence of Valanciunas, starting Jones in this spot is also advantageous to the team. Aside from taking pressure off Zion and maintaining his health to begin the season, having Jones down low gives the Pelicans a lot more options on how to attack offensively. In doing so, Williamson can live up to the hype of being an elite-level offensive weapon at the power forward spot.
The only problem is that New Orleans won't be as strong of a rebounding team, as the five-man lineup Charania and so many have detailed doesn't have a clear rebounder. Williamson averaged 5.8 rebounds per game last season, and Ingram averaged exactly 5.0 rebounds.
Jones is a great defender and can hold his own against any player in the league, but the idea of sacrificing size in the Western Conference, which houses some of the best big men in the league like Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Anthony Davis, could lead to some defensive problems for the Pelicans as a whole. Then again, going small with Jones as the team's center gives the Pelicans a lot more scoring options, especially on the perimeter.
Green has not yet revealed who will be starting for the Pelicans when they kick off the 2024-25 season against the Chicago Bulls on October 23.
