The 2021-22 NBA season was a mixed bag for the New Orleans Pelicans. Zion Williamson missed the entire season due to a lingering foot injury. The team struggled without their superstar forward; losing 12 of their first 13 games to start the season. But the team kept fighting, acquired C.J. McCollum in a late season trade, and first year head coach Willie Green ultimately led the team to the NBA Playoffs.
Though New Orleans lost their first round series to the top seeded Phoenix Suns in six games, the season was a surprising success – even though it was only a moderate success. With McCollum back, Zion returning and Brandon Ingram, it looks like the Pelicans have a bright future.
With such a promising season, you may want to wager on New Orleans before the season so be sure you check out the free bets available in your state so you can play for free. Let’s take a look at what the Pelicans must do this offseason to make the jump from playoff bubble team to a contender that could seriously push deep into the postseason.
A Healthy Zion Williamson
The most obvious factor missing from the Pelicans last season was Zion Williamson. Though he’s been in the league a three years already; he’s shown enough that he can be electric. Unfortunately, over the course of his first three seasons in New Orleans he’s missed more games than he’s played due to injury. Williamson hasn’t done himself any favors either. He’s frequently attracted criticism regarding his weight and conditioning and rumors that he is a subpar “detached” teammate.
No matter how detached he may be, Williamson is no ordinary player. When he’s healthy he’s one of the league’s brightest young stars and has the potential to develop into a top five player. The Pelicans entire future outlook is based around Williamson. Without him, talks of the team becoming a future contender are moot. Williamson has said that he “couldn’t sign an extension fast enough” if offered one by the Pels. This is a no-brainer decision for New Orleans.
At the same time, New Orleans must find a way to get Zion as healthy as possible before the start of the season. If Williamson misses the majority of games once more, the Pelicans development will be stagnant or even regress. Towards the end of last season there were reports that Williamson thought he was ready to return while New Orleans believed his foot had not yet healed completely. The Pelicans training staff must get on the same page as Williamson develops a plan to get him back on the court for the start of the season.
Acquire a Proven Veteran
In 2019, the Lakers traded away the last of their young core to acquire all-star forward Anthony Davis from New Orleans. The Pelicans received Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and 4 first round picks from Los Angeles. While Ingram is the only player still on the roster, the Lakers draft picks continue to pay off. New Orleans could package the pick and players like Devonte’ Graham and Jaxon Hayes to acquire an established contributor to add to Zion, Ingram and McCollum.
There are plenty of bad teams with proven players that they may be willing to part with for young talent. The Pelicans must explore all possibilities and see if they can acquire an immediate impact player before the trade deadline. Adding a couple of the right veteran role players to fill in the gaps alongside CJ McCollum, Ingram, and Williamson could make for one of the more lethal lineups in the league.
Continue to Develop Young Talent
Despite not selecting a player in the lottery in 2021, the Pelicans had one of the best rookie classes. Second round pick Herb Jones surpassed expectations and rode his strong defense to a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. This was the sixth time in franchise history a rookie has made an All-NBA team. Jones was also no slouch on the offensive end, averaging nearly 10 points a game, cementing his role as a two-way player and a leading all rookies in total steals with 130 across the season.
New Orleans also struck highlight gold with undrafted rookie Jose Alvarado, who quickly established himself as a Patrick Beverly type difference maker on the defensive end, crowd favorite, a solid backup playmaker and a real annoyance for opposing point guards. The Pelicans top pick in the draft, shooting guard Trey Murphy III, had the most limited impact of the three last season. But toward the end of the season and into the playoffs, Murphy emerged as a lethal shooter and reliable scorer coming off the bench.
The three rookies may never emerge as all-stars but they will be vital to the Pelicans over the next few seasons. If these young players can improve on their successful rookie years this upcoming season, the Pels will have a rock-solid supporting cast surrounding their superstars. However, a sophomore slump by the trio could lead to a disappointing season for New Orleans.
Want to see how the New Orleans Pelicans will perform on a night to night basis for this upcoming season? Check out PicksforTonight where you can find simulated computer picks for every Pelicans game this season. No matter how the Pelicans do this next season, they’ve got an exciting mix of young players that if all the right factors come together on the court; can be a team that can score inside-out and be a very capable defensive team. Let’s see how it all plays out. For the Pelicans’ full season schedule, go to https://www.nba.com/pelicans/schedule.
