With the announcement on media day 2021 of the injury of Zion Williamsonthe season did not start under the best auspices on the side of Pontchartrain… Communication around the injury of the nº1 of the 2019 Draft has also been quite calamitous throughout the season, the Front Office postponing several times the date of the return from position 4 then writing it on the game sheets at the end of the season and during the Play In to finally not bring it into play.
This season therefore looked like a way of the cross for the Pels, but that was without taking into account the level of play of Brandon Ingram then the transfer of February seeing disembarking CJ McCollum. This movement revived the team by bringing more variety and solutions in attack and allowed them to make a nice run to clinch the Play In and surprise San Antonio then the Clippers before selling their skin dearly in the first round of the Playoffs against the Suns, taking two games from them, including one on the Phoenix floor.
It will be difficult for the Pelicans to reach the level of surprise of the previous season, but the fans will demand that they at least qualify for the Playoffs. Be careful, Louisianans will no longer benefit from the surprise effect…
- OFF-SEASON MOVEMENTS
Dparts : Gary Clark, Jared Harper, Tony Snell
Arrives : John Butler, Dyson Daniels (Draft), John Petty Jr., Daeqwon Plowden, Dereon Seabron (TW)
Leaders: Josh Alvarado, Dyson Daniels, Devonte’ Graham, Kira Lewis Jr., CJ McCollum
Backs: Izaiah Brockington (TW), Brandon Ingram, John Petty Jr., Daeqwon Plowden, Dereon Seabron (TW), Garrett Temple,
Wingers: Zylan Cheatham, Herb Jones, Naji Marshall, Trey Murphy III
Strong wingers: Larry Nance Jr., Zion Williamson
Pivots : Jaxson Hayes, Willy Hernangmez, Jonas Valanciunas
PG : CJ McCollum SG : Brandon Ingram SF : Herb Jones PF : Zion Williamson
C : Jonas Valančiūnas
No professional leader in this starting five, but it is hard to see how the Pels would go without putting McCollum and Ingram together on the field with the keys to the attack. Herb Jones will bring defense and toughness to position 3 in the continuity of the good surprise of the previous season, while Zion Williamson will want to show that he really has what it takes to dominate in the NBA and be a real reliable player on the hard, especially in attack. At position 5, we know the qualities of Jonas Valančiūnas on pick n roll to offer its own solutions guardsboth near the circle and behind the 3-point line.
The will-o’-the-wisps Devonte´Graham et If Alvarado will bring their craziness each in their particular style, Graham as a three-point shooter and Alvarado as a defensive energizer, in a role in which they excel. On the back lines, Garrett Temple will bring his experience when the starting backcourt will be sitting on the bench. Posts 4 and 5 are a bit light behind Williamson and Valanciunas, but Larry Nance Jr. will be able to use his athletic qualities and his stature to contribute to the defense. On station 5, Willy Hernangmez will be keen to show that he is not efficient only in selection (MVP of Eurobasket 2022) and that he has his place in the NBA.
Position 3 remains the poor relation of the bench, where the players present bring few guarantees.
- PLAYER TO WATCH: Zion Williamson
This is the real x factor of this franchise, which built its identity without him the previous season. A physical monster with very good hands, he has everything to dominate the NBA but he will have to fit into a squad that reached the Playoffs without him and which has forged an identity asunderdog by reversing the situation during the Play-in. him to understand that he must win the trust of his teammates and fit into a collective that has surprised the NBA.
De la continues. The Front Office managed to extend CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson, which, along with Brandon Ingram, allows the Pelicans to see ahead and secure some stability this season after a previous exercise where the team was partly dismantled.
The collective experience of Play-in 2022. A hierarchy and a collective were born during this Play-in, and the players of the Pels will want to build on this experience by surfing on this dynamic for the coming season. Coach Willie Green’s aura will be put to the test, but he has proven himself to be a real leader capable of motivating a group.
The back lines. The McCollum-Ingram pair will be able to run at full speed after a few months of adapting in the second half of last season. The complementarity of the two players and their ability to create their shot or move away from the ball will allow the team to alternate between the two back positions.
The return of Zion. We’ve already talked about it above, but the scope of the bird season will follow the health curve of Williamson and his ability to fit into a collective and a group. In any case, we can be sure that they will be watched and followed.
Not (yet) a real leader. There may be a lack of a true business leader in this workforce. The incumbent is a fullback, the two substitute leaders, Grahama and Alvarado, have atypical profiles, and the Rookie Dyson Daniels is a project that should not bring consistency, at least for the first few months.
The health of Zion Williamson. The potential of position 4 is dizzying, but can he play an entire season and assume a large part of the Louisiana attack? We will find out this season. He has extended with the Pelicans and will be eagerly awaited (no pun intended) by fans and observers.
The depth of the workforce. Behind the starting 5, it’s a bit short. There isn’t really a player capable of creating his own shoot on a regular basis. Garrett Temple will have the key to the back lines off the bench, but having only him as the only solid option on the backcourt, isn’t that a bit light?
The Pels are a crossroads. The 2022-2023 season was all a trap for the team coached by Willie Green. Unlike 2021-2022, the other franchises will be waiting for them at the turn and will no longer be surprised. The integration of Zion Williamson will also be one of the great challenges of the coaching staff: it will be necessary to spare him at the start of the season while including him in the offensive game, without forgetting to put the ball sufficiently in the hands of Ingram and McCollum. In a Western Conference whose hierarchy has changed little this offseason, it is difficult to see them go higher than the 8me square. On the other hand, behind them, the young teams of Oklahoma City, Sacramento or Houston will probably be progressing, so beware of missteps. We see the Pels reach Play in again.