New Orleans Pelicans by the Numbers: Number 31
Number 31 has been worn by two different players in New Orleans Pelicans franchise history but it would be a surprise to anyone if both players could be named by fans. The jersey has seen to court for just nine game and 125 minutes in its entire history of use leaving it more a trivia question than anything else of significance.
The First to Wear Number 31: Darryl Watkins, 2012
The Most Recent to Wear Number 31: James Southerland, 2014
The Number 31’s in Between: None
There is a perfect way to describe the history of the number 31 in franchise history. It sums up a lot about the NBA and gives the exact reason why both Daryl Watkins and James Southerland ended up with stints in New Orleans.
The end of the season for lottery bound NBA teams is a weird place.
Thirty-one got it’s start late in the 2011-2012 season when the Hornets were on their way to completing a 21-45 season that would end up landing them Anthony Davis. With the team needing to lose as many games as possible to make sure to land a good spot in the lottery the team turned to players like Daryl Watkins to absorb a ton of minutes and be terrible. For Watkins it was a chance to play a few more games in the NBA and collect a paycheck after playing overseas for three years following a 71 minute stint with the Sacramento Kings in 2007-2008. Watkins played his hardest in the five games he got with New Orleans with the highlight coming in his final game, a 42 minute outing during which he scored 13 points on 3-6 shooting and hauled in 10 rebounds in a New Orleans loss. With his job done Watkins never played another moment in the NBA and 31 officially went into the franchise record books.
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Just two seasons later, James Southerland got another late season call in the 31 jersey, playing in just three games for the Pelicans to end this past season. Southerland’s high point came in a 9:31 outing in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder during which he scored 10 points and pulled in three rebounds. The Pelicans kept Southerland on the roster into the offseason and gave him a shot to earn a rotation spot for this coming season during the Las Vegas Summer League, but he wasn’t able to and now it seems the 31 is headed back into boxes.
In all reality the number 31 has no real history for the New Orleans franchise. It has existed and officially been in the record books but with less than 200 minutes of use it really is a blank slate for some player to come. Who or when that will be is still to be determined but until then I am sure Daryl Watkins loves holding the franchise record for points and rebounds by a player wearing the 31.