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New Orleans Pelicans All-Time Franchise Team: Starting Small Forward

By Matt Cianfrone

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Sep 30, 2013; Metairie, LA, USA; A detail of a New Orleans Pelicans logo poses for a portrait at Pelicans Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Rick (@RickStoneNBA): Jamal Mashburn

I start a small forward with someone who could be seen as a shooting guard but I see more as a small forward. Jamaal Mashburn’s run in New Orleans may have been short-lived, but he was by far the best small forward the team has ever had on the roster. Mashburn donned New Orleans colors for just two seasons, however both those seasons saw massive scoring production.

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    • Mashburn averaged over 20 points per game in his two seasons in New Orleans, along with over 6 rebounds per game and shooting percentages over 39%. His second season was barred by injury that cost him most of the season, only playing in 19 games. If not for the injury that shortened his career, Mashburn could have very well been a cornerstone in the 2000’s for New Orleans basketball.

    In his one playoff series in New Orleans, Mashburn put up solid numbers, scoring 24.8 points per game, 5.3 assists per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. Shooting 43% from the field including 40% from behind the three-point line was not enough for New Orleans to get out of the first round in 2002-2003, but the numbers show just how productive Mashburn was and what he could have done had he not gotten injured.

    It’s tough to remember Mashburn a ton because of how short-lived his time in New Orleans was, however the impact he had on the franchise in his short time was enough to earn him the top spot. Small Forward is one of those positions that’s tough to find a lot that stands out in the short-lived history of New Orleans basketball, however Jamaal Mashburn’s play stands out above the rest for his ability to score the ball better than anyone else at the position during New Orleans tenure in the NBA.

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