The New Orleans Pelicans Have the Best Young Core in the NBA
The New Orleans Pelicans are 23-32 and sit in 11th place in the Western Conference, but the future couldn’t be brighter for their young core.
The next generation of NBA superstars are making the league take notice. Teams being led by young, generational talents are succeeding ahead of schedule and doing it in exciting fashion. Teams like the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks are competing in their respective conferences behind strong play from a core of under 25-year-old players.
All of these teams (and probably several more) can lay claim to having the most enviable young core in the NBA, but the fact is that the New Orleans Pelicans are the best young team in the league. Here’s a look at the best young combinations in the league and how they compare to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Memphis Grizzlies
At 28-27 and currently in eighth position in the West, the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the surprise stories of the NBA season. This young team was supposed to be a year or two away, but someone forgot to tell 20-year-old Morant and the rest of the Grizzlies young core. The Memphis front office has been busy and productive over the last two seasons, turning one of the NBA’s worst teams into a playoff contender while loading up on young talent.
In addition to Rookie of the Year favorite Morant, the Grizzlies showcase fellow 20-year-old Jaren Jackson Jr., who has made the leap to average 17.1 points per game. Brandon Clarke (23) and 24-year-old Dillon Brooks have emerged as solid rotation pieces and are a testament to the Grizzlies’ eye for talent.
Josh Jackson is still just 22 and has a world of unrealized potential. Tyus Jones and De’Anthony Melton have been solid contributors and are 23 and 21 respectively. Newly acquired Justise Winslow has been injured, but is 23 and still hasn’t hit his ceiling as a player.
The Grizzlies have done an amazing job of maximizing trades and draft picks to stock their coffers with a talented young core. Though they have been a better team than the Pelicans thus far, they’ve had the advantage of good health and a favorable schedule. The Grizzlies are young and deep but few teams would take Morant and Jackson over Williamson and Ingram. The New Orleans Pelicans are slightly better at the top and a bit deeper, giving them the edge over Memphis.