Five Questions following the New Orleans Pelicans’ Free Agency: Debrief Discussions
Pelicans fans can rejoice! The New Orleans Pelicans brought in a few surprises in the first few weeks of free agency. In the aftermath of Demps, Loomis, Ferry and Gentry’s successful first go round, Pelican Debrief analyzes the impact.
1) On a scale of 1-10, grade the Pelicans’ offseason thus far.
Preston (@PelicanBriefNBA): Let’s give ‘em a 9!! After the Pels’ disastrous season (30-52 finish), we were already beginning to wonder if the Anthony Davis‘ free agency clock had begun ticking.
AD: The Trouble with a Superstar
With Dell Demps’ future in question, Benson’s ownership tied up in an ugly inheritance battle, Omer Asik’s disaster of a contract, over 300 games lost to injuries and the tragedy of BDJ, things were not looking up for our heroes.
But Loomis sure did turn the tide, reinforcing Demps’ control with the hiring of former Cavs’ and Hawks General Manager, and our new special adviser to Dell, Danny Ferry.
While the Pels’ didn’t get the benefit of drafting Kris Dunn with the sixth overall pick, they did get their choice of Eric Gordon‘s replacements. The Pels opted for a three point threat in Buddy Hield. They also might have run off with a steal in the form of Kansas big man, Cheick Diallo.
In free agency, they shored up the depth of the roster with signings to Hill, Moore, Galloway, Jones, Frazier and Gee.
In regards to what the Pels’ faced at the outset of the offseason, they couldn’t be sitting in a better spot. (We were never getting KD)
Rory (@Rory_Callais): 7. I generally love the signings, but I still think Solomon Hill is overpaid. Also, a lot of the positivity around the signings hinges on the assumption that guys like Hill or E’Twaun Moore will improve with an expanded role. They very well may, but the potential for disaster is still very real. That said, the signings fill a lot of holes and put the team on a far better trajectory than it was a year ago.
The recent focus has been on free agency, but I agree in that the Pelicans had their best draft night since grabbing Anthony Davis. I think Buddy Hield has star potential and will grow alongside Davis.
Rick (@RickStoneNBA): A tentative 8.5. Mostly due to the fact of how much of an improvement this offseason was compared to the past few. For the first time in a long time, the New Orleans Pelicans went against the grain of stuffing veterans that did not fit the system and overpaying for free agents they were only bidding against themselves.
This time around, they focused on what kind of young, cheap players could become long-term fits to Dell Demps, Danny Ferry and Alvin Gentry’s respective plans. Realizing their strategies in past free agencies were not working and having the intuition to change it for the better is winning half the battle.
Drew (DrewMartinASU): I’ll give the offseason an 8 for now. I say for now, because I think a large amount of the optimism resonates from the assumption that new signings like E’Twaun Moore or Solomon Hill will be able to serve as high-quality role players from the get-go. The fact of the matter is that we haven’t really seen what they can do in an expanded role.
As for the draft, Buddy Hield was a solid pick at No. 6, albeit a consolation prize considering Kris Dunn was taken by Minnesota one pick earlier. A Dunn-Anthony Davis pick-and-roll offense would’ve been scary, but I think Hield definitely has the potential to become a major offensive threat in the league and a star for New Orleans.
As for the Pelicans second round pick, Cheick Diallo, a strong summer league performance was very promising. He’s not likely to get a huge amount of playing time this season, but there may be good things to come from Diallo in the future.
Next: Asik and Tyreke's futures?