Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the New Orleans Pelicans – a team full of budding, young superstars.
Introduction
For years, the New Orleans Pelicans were trying to build around their former 1st overall selection, Anthony Davis. Since drafting the generational talent at the 2012 NBA draft, the Pelicans were able to bring in good quality basketballers like Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon and DeMarcus Cousins, but couldn’t get these key support pieces to stay injury free to go for a meaningful playoff run.
In the 7 seasons Anthony Davis was in New Orleans, the team made the playoffs twice, getting as far as the 2nd round in 2018. The signs were promising for the Pelicans in that 2018 season – they brought in DeMarcus Cousins, who partnered brilliantly with Davis in the front court for the first half of the season. For the first time since arriving to New Orleans, Jrue Holiday was able to play a full season, while Rajon Rondo brought ball-handling and high-quality passing, throwing lobs to both Davis and Cousins.
Ultimately, tragedy struck, losing Cousins midway through the season, to a torn Achilles. Davis was still able to will his team to the playoffs, but came up against the Golden State Warriors dynasty in the 2nd round, losing in 5 games. It would spell the beginning of the end for the Davis-era of Pelicans basketball, as Davis lost confidence in the Pelicans putting playoff-quality talent around him and demanded a trade during the 2019 season. His request was granted during the 2019 off-season, being sent to the LA Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and 3 future 1st round picks.
That 2019 off-season was very eventful for the Pelicans, not just because they traded away Davis. They finished the 2019 season with a 33-49 record, 13th place in the Western Conference. With a 7.5% chance of getting the 1st overall pick, the Pelicans did just that, in a draft with the best prospect since Davis, Zion Williamson. In a nutshell, the Pelicans swapped franchise centrepiece Davis for Williamson and partnered him with a super talented young duo of Ball and Ingram. The team was back into a rebuild, but already had the pieces ready for their next tilt at success.
Since the off-season retooling, Williamson has missed more games than he has played, resulting in the team not being at full strength and struggling to reach the playoffs. In the small number of games Williamson has played, he has shown to be ready-made for the NBA and a leader of this franchise. In his absence, Ingram blossomed into the go-to scorer and facilitator of the offence. But ultimately, the team would not be able to reach its full potential if Williamson remained on the sidelines.
Last Season
The Pelicans were forced to make some changes to their roster before the 2022 season. The team decided to switch Steven Adams for Jonas Valanciunas, while Lonzo Ball moved on to sign a contract with the Chicago Bulls. As a result, the team went out and signed Devonte’ Graham from the Charlotte Hornets.
Zion Williamson had surgery on a fractured foot during the off-season, but suffered a setback in his recovery, ultimately missing out on the entire 2022 campaign. As a result, the team was one of the worse in the NBA, starting off the season with a 1-12 record, and only scraping by to get to 16-28 by the midway point of the season. Something needed to be done. To improve the future support cast for when Williamson did return from injury and make the outlook of the franchise more positive. The team decided to move off Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart and a 1st round pick to bring in CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Post the All-Star break, the Pelicans ranked in the top 10 for both offensive and defensive rating, helping them claw their way back to improve their record to 36-46 to end the season. This got them the 9th seed in the Western Conference and the opportunity to participate in the play-in tournament. The team were able to take care of the 10th seeded San Antonio Spurs, and upset the LA Clippers to take the 8th seed and the last spot in the playoffs. They weren’t given much hope against the league-best 64-win Phoenix Suns in the 1st round, but got the series 2-2 thanks to the great play from Ingram and McCollum. However, the Suns showed why they were the best regular season team, winning the final 2 games and knocking out the Pelicans. However, the improvement the Pelicans showed from being one of the worse teams in basketball to begin the year to be in the playoffs and compete against the best gave the team and their fans much hope for the future.
Off-Season
Ins:
Dyson Daniels (8th pick, NBA draft)
EJ Liddell (41st pick, NBA draft)
Karlo Matkovic (52nd pick, NBA draft)
Outs:
Tony Snell (free agency)
Jared Harper (free agency)
Gary Clark (free agency)
The Pelicans had one of the quietest off-seasons in the league. Many would see the last season’s trade for CJ McCollum and the return of Zion Williamson as the big ins for this upcoming season. All of the external ins were from the NBA draft, picking Aussie guard Dyson Daniels 8th overall and EJ Liddell 41st overall.
Everyone on this roster were under contract for this upcoming season, except for Tony Snell and the two-way contracted players Jared Harper and Gary Clark. The team decided to let all three of them go, to free up roster spots for Daniels and Liddell.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – CJ McCollum
| H: 6’3″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 30 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$133.1m | Years Pro: 9 |
Career Averages:
19.2 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.5 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.7 to, 45.5%/39.6%/81.0%, 31.6 mins
Averages Last Season:
22.1 pts, 4.3 reb, 4.5 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.6 blks, 2.0 to, 46.0%/38.8%/68.2%, 34.6 mins
2022-23 Projections:
21.0 pts, 4.1 reb, 4.6 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.4 blks, 1.7 to, 45.6%/38.7%/72.4%
The former running mate of Damian Lillard in Portland, CJ McCollum was traded to the Pelicans at last season’s trade deadline, and contributed to their successful 2nd half of the season. He is a score-first guard who is also able to facilitate the offence. He will be a great 2nd/3rd option for this team alongside Williamson and Ingram.
SG – Herbert Jones
| H: 6’8″ | W: 210lbs | Age: 23 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$3.6m | Years Pro: 1 |
Career Averages:
9.5 pts, 3.8 reb, 2.1 asts, 1.7 stls, 0.8 blks, 1.3 to, 47.6%/33.7%/84.0%, 29.9 mins
Averages Last Season:
9.5 pts, 3.8 reb, 2.1 asts, 1.7 stls, 0.8 blks, 1.3 to, 47.6%/33.7%/84.0%, 29.9 mins
2022-23 Projections:
10.0 pts, 4.0 reb, 2.2 asts, 1.7 stls, 0.7 blks, 1.3 to, 48.2%/34.6%/83.9%
Drafted in the 2nd round due to his age, Herb Jones showed how ready-made he is for the NBA. He was the key link to the Pelicans’ resurgence, providing elite defence from a rookie. Averaging 1.7 steals in his rookie year, his selection to the All-Rookie 2nd team was justified, often guarding the best opposing guard/wing. He will need to continue to develop a 3-point shot, but has shown to be a vital member of the Pelicans’ starting core.
SF - Brandon Ingram
| H: 6’8″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 25 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$101.5m | Years Pro: 6 |
Career Averages:
18.5 pts, 5.2 reb, 3.8 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.6 blks, 2.4 to, 46.1%/36.0%/76.9%, 32.8 mins
Averages Last Season:
22.7 pts, 5.8 reb, 5.6 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.5 blks, 2.7 to, 46.1%/32.7%/82.6%, 34.0 mins
2022-23 Projections:
22.5 pts, 5.6 reb, 5.1 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.6 blks, 2.6 to, 46.9%/36.3%/84.6%
Brandon Ingram broke out and became an All-Star in 2020 after the trade to the Pelicans – being awarded Most Improved Player. Since then, he has been the leader of this team in Williamson’s absence, remaining a consistent scoring threat on the team. He had a drop in efficiency last season, but will be an offensive weapon for the Pelicans if he can return to league-average shooting splits.
PF - Zion Williamson
| H: 6’6″ | W: 284lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 6 yr/$206.4m | Years Pro: 2 |
Career Averages:
25.7 pts, 7.0 reb, 3.2 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.6 blks, 2.7 to, 60.4%/33.3%/68.3%, 31.2 mins
Averages Last Season:
N/A (foot injury)
2022-23 Projections:
25.5 pts, 7.3 reb, 3.1 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.5 blks, 2.7 to, 58.7%/32.8%/70.1%
Zion Williamson, when healthy, can be one of the more polarising players the league has seen. He is very unique, in stature and in his game, being an elite 2-point shot despite only standing 6’6”. Williamson uses a combination of brute strength and outstanding athleticism to free up space in the paint for him to score. All the Pelicans need now is for him to be on the court and healthy.
C - Jonas Valanciunas
| H: 6’11” | W: 265lbs | Age: 30 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$30.1m | Years Pro: 10 |
Career Averages:
13.4 pts, 9.5 reb, 1.2 asts, 0.4 stls, 1.0 blks, 1.6 to, 56.3%/35.9%/78.5%, 26.1 mins
Averages Last Season:
17.8 pts, 11.4 reb, 2.6 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.8 blks, 2.4 to, 54.4%/36.1%/82.0%, 30.3 mins
2022-23 Projections:
16.4 pts, 10.9 reb, 2.2 asts, 0.5 stls, 0.8 blks, 2.0 to, 55.4%/35.9%/80.1%
Jonas Valanciunas was a very important piece to the Pelicans offensive system. He has slowly transformed into a 3-point shooting big man, averaging more attempts than ever in his career last season. He was also a focal point in the post, maintaining his post scoring skillset, whilst also averaging a career-high in assists. However, is low upside on the defensive end.
Backups
G - Devonte' Graham
| H: 6’1″ | W: 195lbs | Age: 27 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$36.4m | Years Pro: 4 |
Devonte’ Graham has always been an inefficient scorer, but has delivered as someone who can put the ball in the basket, especially from 3-point range. He struggled with his new team last season, dropping his already low efficiency even lower. His strength – 3-point shooting – regressed and was moved to the bench once McCollum arrived. He still has value to the team; he will need to be a spark plug scorer coming off the bench.
G - Jose Alvarado
| H: 6’0″ | W: 174lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$5.4m | Years Pro: 1 |
Jose Alvarado was a late bloomer coming out of college, going undrafted despite winning the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The Pelicans took a chance on him, which paid off immensely. He is a high-energy defensive guard coming off the bench, known for sneakily stealing the ball away from unsuspecting opposition PGs. Will get more of an opportunity to establish himself into the rotation this upcoming season.
F - Trey Murphy III
| H: 6’9″ | W: 206lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$11.8m (RC) | Years Pro: 1 |
Trey Murphy started off his rookie campaign very slowly. A 1st round pick, he spent time with the Pelicans’ G-League affiliate, before finishing the season with consistent minutes and a bench role. He is known as a high-upside 3-point shooter, who has already shown flashes of hitting 3-point shots at a high volume (38.2% on 3.0 attempts per game while playing 13.9 mins a contest)
F - Larry Nance Jr.
| H: 6’8″ | W: 245lbs | Age: 29 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$31.3m | Years Pro: 7 |
Larry Nance Jr is a hybrid forward/undersized Centre who is capable of playing a multitude of roles for a team. He has shown to be a decent shooter from the interior and from 3-point range, as well as being a solid perimeter defender for his size. He has unworldly athleticism that has resulted in some mean posterizers.
C - Jaxson Hayes
| H: 6’11” | W: 220lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$6.8m (RC) | Years Pro: 3 |
Jaxson Hayes has had a very up and down start to his NBA career. There are times where he has flashed potential to be a quality starting Centre, but he can struggle to stay on the court due to unnecessary flagrant fouls. He has also had off-court issues with the law. Last season, he was able to start during the playoffs in place of Williamson and use his athleticism to be an above-average interior scorer (61.6% from the field last season).
The Rest
11. Naji Marshall (SF)
12. Willy Hernangomez (C)
13. Garrett Temple (SG/SF)
14. Dyson Daniels (PG/SG)
15. Kira Lewis Jr (PG)
T-W. Dereon Seabron (SG)
T-W. EJ Liddell (PF)
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the New Orleans Pelicans win totals sitting at 43.5, 9th best in the Western Conference. This is a good representation of where the Pelicans are at, compared to the rest of the conference. They’re still such a young team, and are missing their centrepiece, Zion Williamson. There’s potential for this team to break out and be an automatic playoff team, but until we see consistency in their line-up, it’s likely that they’ll be battling for a play-in spot.
Conclusion
The New Orleans Pelicans are so close to being able to put everything together. The returns of the Anthony Davis trade, as well as the lottery luck of the 2019 off-season, has allowed the franchise to make a quick reset, positioning themselves to make a run at the playoffs sooner than expected, and hopefully stay there consistently.
This team has been playing at less than full-strength for so long, because of Zion Williamson’s injury-fraught career. The Pelicans will become a playoff threat as soon as Zion is able to stay on the court. In 2021, when Williamson became an All-Star and played most of the regular season, the Pelicans looked like they would make the play-in tournament. However, when Williamson missed the last 6 games, the team lost 5 and missed the playoffs entirely. The only way for the Pelicans to reach their full potential is if Williamson can leave his injury issues to the side, since the talent he adds to this roster would make this team very tough to beat.
Adding CJ McCollum at last season’s trade deadline was a masterstroke. Yes, he may not be a great defender, but he can provide this team a consistent source of shooting and playmaking. If Williamson or Brandon Ingram have an off night, McCollum is more than capable of stepping up and carrying the scoring burden if needed. This three-headed offensive juggernaut allows the Pelicans to target any opponent’s weakest defender, from the guard, on the wing, or in the post.
The one that allows this team to gel has to be Herb Jones. He showed so much promise as a rookie that he is already being touted as a future All-Defensive team selection. Being able to play him as the primary defender to any opposing #1 option puts less strain on Williamson, Ingram and McCollum to step up and play at 100% on both sides of the ball. Even if the team wants Williamson and Ingram to develop into plus-defenders, Jones’ inclusion in the starting line-up allows them to do it against opposing #2 and #3 offensive options.
In stating the obvious (yet again), if the Pelicans are able to reduce the number of injuries to their starting personnel, this will help the team immensely. But there are other issues they need to rectify. The team finished last season ranked 19th in offensive efficiency and 18th in defensive efficiency. As previously mentioned, they did finish the 2nd half of the season in the top 10 for both categories, but currently, they don’t have an explicit identity that they build around. The Pelicans haven’t showed themselves to be elite on either side of the ball. This has to change if the team wants to rise through the Western Conference and be a perennial contender.
This Pelicans team has all the pieces they need to step up into the top echelon of the Western Conference. Having a starting line-up of McCollum, Jones, Ingram, Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas, supported by exciting youngsters Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado and Jaxson Hayes, the squad shows a really nice blend of experience and youth – a team that is capable of competing now and for a while yet. But, as referred to consistently throughout this article, Williamson has to be injury-free for all this to work out. I’m predicting the Pelicans to get to 46 wins this upcoming season, where they’ll be in contention for the 6th seed in the Western Conference. The biggest story to come out of New Orleans will be the successful return of Zion Williamson. He will be back, participating in at least 75% of the Pelicans’ games and playing at an All-Star level, like he did in 2021.