New Orleans took the league by storm last season by winning 18 of their first 26 games. They had a deep rotation and played exceptional defense, being a top 10 unit in this area most of the season. Then, the injuries started to pile up and the Pelicans became an inconsistent team later in the year.
Brandon Ingram only played 45 games, Zion Williamson was only on court for 29 games and CJ McCollum played most of the season with an injured thumb. These three players only shared the court in 355 possessions but they had an amazing +19.5 net rating together. No team in the league can remain elite with their three main players injured or at least physically limited so often. So, it wasn’t a surprise to see that the Pelicans couldn’t keep up throughout the whole season with the great level of play that they had shown earlier in the year.
2023/24 OUTLOOK:
With so many injuries last season, the Pelicans’ front office decided to give one more chance to this core of players to succeed. In consequence, New Orleans kept all their main players from last season in the roster for the new upcoming season. Both Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III consolidated themselves as solid rotation players and the Pelicans will once again have this season a deep enough roster which should be capable of surviving the injury of one of their best players.
The Pelicans use a physical style that is tough to match in today’s NBA: a great rebounding team that is focused on dominating the paint. The Southwest isn’t a powerhouse division anymore, so that opens a good opportunity for the Pelicans to be the best team in this division this season…
