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

Dec 16, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings former player Peja Stojakovic next to Kings owner Vivek Ranadive during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Charles (@CLaRoccaJR): Peja Stojakovic

Ok I will start my claim off by admitting a complete and utter bias for Peja Stojakovic.

Peja used to be my favorite player during his old Kings days and I used to watch endless highlight videos of him on YouTube. When he signed with New Orleans it was a big deal as Peja was still considered one of the best scores in the NBA and it was the first major signing the franchise had in New Orleans. While Peja was not able to recreate the magic from his Kings days, Peja was still an excellent shooter during his tenure in New Orleans.

He struggled with injuries a bit and that is was ultimately led to a decline in production, but he was as feared as anyone when shooting the ball. Besides his excellent three-point shooting capabilities, he is all over the franchise all time leaders. He even tops the list in three-pointers made and attempted, while finishing fifth in three-point percentage.

Peja played four complete seasons in New Orleans and all of them were fairly productive albeit injury prone. One season however is the season where Peja cemented himself in the hearts of New Orleans basketball fans forever. That season is the magical 2008 season in which the franchise won 56 games. That year Peja put forth one of the best shooting seasons of his entire career.  He shot a career best 44% from three and averaged 16 points per game proving to be a reliable third option and deadly floor spacer for the then Hornets.

Also that was the year Peja-on-a stick was formed and from then on Peja lived in New Orleans fans hearts forever. He is the best small forward in franchise history based on longevity and consistent production. Stojakovic will most likely be surpassed as the franchise history continues to grow but he will always be my favorite Hornets player.

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