New Orleans Pelicans All-Time Franchise Team: Wildcard Two

Jan 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors point guard Greivis Vasquez (21) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson (33) at Air Canada Centre. The Pelicans beat the Raptors 95-93. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Brendon (@zimmerguy4): Greivis Vasquez

One way to approach these final two spots is to take the two who were screwed over by way of an overcrowded position or lack of credentials, but were the toughest to leave off. But that is not my thing.

For a “wildcard” I can’t help but choose two guys who are exactly that, and Greivis is a wildcard through and through. His breakout season in 2012 was exactly what the team needed to bridge the gap between Chris Paul’s domination and Anthony Davis’ domination. Vasquez came over from a Memphis team for which he thoroughly underperformed, but ended up dominating in his second season in New Orleans.

That year, he took the reigns as the team’s starting point guard and downright exploded. He had no athleticism to fall back on, but used an improved shooting touch and nice chemistry with Robin Lopez, Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis to become a real force coming off of a pick. Knowing now that he parlayed those skills into success on two other teams and a long-term deal, this was the beginning of a legitimate NBA career. Boy was it fun to watch. Biases aside, seeing Greivis surprise the league in AD’s rookie season gave me new hope for the Pelicans after seeing Gordon try to leave for Phoenix, Aminu underperform and Rivers completely fail.

Lastly, it’s nice to select someone other than AD and Reke from this era of New Orleans basketball. Obviously, we’re in the middle of that stretch, and heroes will be crowned as great moments cement themselves in the team’s history. But to remember Greivis Vasquez and the immeasurable moxy he brought to a squad that underperformed is nice.

Also: Vasquez is second in team history in assists. He played for the Hornets for two seasons. That is all.

Next: Austin Picks a Player