A Dismal Start

There was some hope down in the French quarter this preseason.

A playoff run last year and the addition of Dejounte Murray had New Orleans dreaming of the second round—or more.

But here we are, not even at the All-Star break, and those dreams have already evaporated.

An 8–32 record not only buries them at the bottom of the West but in such a loaded conference, even a modest losing streak makes the playoffs feel as far away as Bourbon Street from Baton Rouge.

But how does a team with talented pieces and proven contributors stumble this badly out of the gate?

The Health Woes

There’s only one place to start for the Pelicans and it’s with the numerous key pieces that have spent chunks of the season in street clothes.

Brandon Ingram has played in only 18 of the team’s 40 games this season, Herb Jones has been active in 20, and Zion has played in only 8. 

To add to the damage Trey Murphy, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray have all missed extended periods of time at some point this season.

Brutal. Tough to compete in this league when your key pieces are spending more time with the trainers than the coaches.

A Bumbling Offense

So how do you create offense without so many critical creators sitting on the sideline? We have no clue, and neither does Willie Green.

It’s a natural consequence of playing without the guys you built your offense around, but Nola’s offense often looks like a high school team still figuring it out—tentative, stagnant, and desperate for someone to take the reins.

McCollum and Murphy have provided regular sparks, but with Dejounte Murray struggling to find his shot, the Pels just don’t have enough reliable creators left on the rosters, culminating in the 28th ranked offense in the league.

Someone call Tim Frazier.

Undisciplined Defense

There isn’t much to hang their hat on defensively either.

You could go back to the injuries here too, losing a tone setter like Herb Jones is no small thing. But the issues go beyond personnel.

It’s a lackadaisical structure that relies on high end defensive playmaking, at the cost of tight rotations and perimeter discipline. 

The Pels can rack up steals with the best of them, ranking 5th in the league in that category, but their riverboat gambler approach has allowed their opponents to dominate the offensive glass and get to the paint at will. 

Impending Departure

The elephant in the room all year long has been Brandon Ingram’s deal.

After negotiations soured this past summer, a split between the silky scorer and his second franchise has looked all but inevitable, but here we are.

Rapidly approaching the trade deadline as Ingram’s stock falls with each missed game. 

Finding a deal that feels worthwhile may be difficult for New Orleans, but playing out a final unceremonious season with a team more or less out of the playoff picture doesn’t make sense for either side. 

Lost in the bayou without a lantern.

Promising Young Talent

But hey, there is some good news.

Trey Murphy’s leap has been extraordinary. The 4th year player is putting up 21 ppg on nearly 40% from beyond the arc. 

Brandon Boston looks like a solid rotational wing, and Yves Missi has attacked the glass with relentless energy night in and night out.

Sure you’d like to see us writing about Zion’s physical transformation and outstanding health, but a prototypical 3&D wing and a relentless young center isn’t nothing.

Gotta build that foundation one brick at a time.

Salvage or Scrap

As it stands, New Orleans is stuck in a roundabout. The hopes of playoff success with this roster have been all but extinguished, but there are routes out of this.

Offloading assets in an effort to stockpile and support future talent would be a great place to start, but the Pels better act fast without looking too desperate.

Finally there’s the Zion question. The high flying phenom is an unbelievable talent, but just how patient can this franchise be?

One era is coming to a close, but the blueprints for a new one are readily available. Now it’s on the front office to get to building.