All-Time New Orleans Pelicans Starting-Five

Alonzo Mourning, C, 1992-1995

Hornets Statistics: 21.3 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 3.2 BPG

In a time where big-men reigned supreme Mourning made himself a household name. While he only spent three seasons with the ball club, Mournings short tenure in Charlotte was one for the ages! Sometimes, it takes players a year or two to get acclimated to the pro-game when coming out of college. For Alonzo, right from the beginning he made it evident that he was a player worth knowing.

In his rookie season, Mourning put up averages of 21.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG and an astounding 3.5 BPG. Had it not been for Superman himself Shaquille O’Neal, Mourning would have easily taken home Rookie of the Year honors. But hey, second in the running for ROY and a first team All-Rookie honor aint so bad!

Mournings ability to dominate on both sides of the ball solidifies his “all-time great” status for the organization and, of course, a spot on this list. His interior dominance was rivaled by many few in the NBA. In his three seasons with the ball club, Mourning managed to lead the Hornets to two postseason births, with an appearance in the conferences semi-finals in his rookie year. In his two playoff appearances with the team, the bruiser averaged 23.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG and 3.4 BPG. With the way he was able to dominate the game, the Hornets looked as though they were a franchise on the verge massive success for years to come.

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Unfortunately, however, Mourning did not share this feeling with Charlotte. Due to continuous rifts with front-court partner Larry Johnson, in 1995 Mourning rejected the organizations contract extension and was ultimately traded to the Miami Heat for a handful of role players and a future first-round pick. From right then and there, the center went on to make the franchise regret ever trading him, as he would end up with more accolades than Charlotte had hoped for. This includes two Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-Star appearances, nine more post-season appearances and, the ultimate prize, an NBA Championship.

Had the franchise decided to make Mourning their priority moving forward rather than Johnson, who knows where this team could have ended up. All we know now is that the organization had, and lost a future first ballot Hall of Famer. We saw his best years go bye while wearing another teams logo across his chest. While his tenure in a Hornets jersey may have been short lived, it is what he achieved with the ball-club in that time that places him on this list. Frankly, it would be foolish to argue otherwise!

Next: New Orleans Pelicans Round Table Discussion: State Of The Union

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to leave any comments you have on our picks for the New Orleans Pelicans/ Hornets All-Time starting five. Whether you agree with our picks or not, your opinions are always appreciated!

Go Pels!