New Orleans Pelicans: Quincy Pondexter Can Be the X-Factor

Although injuries have sidelined him for the past two seasons, Quincy Pondexter will play a big role in the success of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The New Orleans Pelicans disappointed last season – that much is obvious. They finished the year 34-48, good enough for 10th place in the Western Conference.

While they improved after the DeMarcus Cousins trade, they didn’t go next-level like many expected. The Pelicans went 11-14 with Cousins on the roster, as the team just didn’t seem to gel.

Some have already written off the Anthony Davis-Cousins connection as a result of their poor finish. That doesn’t seem right though. The Pelicans only had 25 games with those two on the roster, hardly enough time to evaluate anything. Giving up on the pair of who many would say are the two best big men in basketball after not even a third of a season is ridiculous.

A lack of time together isn’t the only problem the two faced though. The Pelicans were void of shooters.

Jrue Holiday is a very good point guard, who had a strong season behind the arc. He’s not exactly stretching the floor though.

Meanwhile, Dante Cunningham (now a free agent) took a major step forward from three, and Jordan Crawford was a nice surprise. E’Twaun Moore ended the season with solid percentages but was extremely streaky throughout the season.

One player that people tend to forget though is Quincy Pondexter. There’s a simple reason for that; he didn’t play a game last season, or the year before that. Injuries have ended the previous two years for Pondexter before they even started.

Due to that, you might not remember just how valuable he is. While he’s not the star on the court, Pondexter is an excellent defender, and can hold his own on offense. He’s a career 36.5% shooter from three, and excelled from deep in 14-15 when with New Orleans.

Pondexter might not have “take-over” ability, but that’s not what the Pelicans need. With Cousins and Davis, as well as Holiday, they already have enough of that.

Furthermore, Cousins and Davis create a logjam in the paint. Sure, both have great mid range games, and Cousins is fantastic behind the arc while Davis can keep you honest. You’d be ridiculous to think they don’t do most of their damage down low though. Due to that, they need players who command attention outside.

That’s where Pondexter comes in.

Players like Solomon Hill have their place on any team. His strong defense makes him a valuable asset. Teams will live with him being open from three though. The Pelicans had too much of that on their roster last season.

Getting Cousins and Davis some outside protection is one of the most important things the Pelicans can do this offseason. Pondexter can do just that.

While Pondexter may be seen as nothing more than a role player, the 29-year-old could be one of the keys to the Pelicans’ success.