The New Orleans Pelicans are revamped for 2019-2020, giving the Big Easy a reason to fall in love with basketball all over again.
It’s a cliché that doesn’t hold much weight scientifically. But for the city of New Orleans, it rings true more often than not ― especially when it comes to its sports franchises.
“It’s darkest just before dawn.”
New Orleans sports fans suffered nearly four decades of mediocrity with their Saints to only have the events of Hurricane Katrina call into question ownership’s commitment to the city. The future of the Saints in New Orleans was bleak and a season in San Antonio exacerbated rumors of a move.
Then, the Miami Dolphins chose Dante Culpepper over Drew Brees, the Houston Texans passed on Reggie Bush, Tracy Porter took Peyton Manning to the house, and the rest is history.
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In January, Anthony Davis’ tenure with the Pelicans, mired with overpaid role players, mid-game x-rays and seasons that typically end around Easter, began to come to a close. The writing had been written on the wall since Davis’ move to Klutch Sports, but the trade request (and a t-shirt non-choice) made it official. New Orleans lost another superstar.
The ensuing months brought to light tales of a second-rate organization ― an afterthought to ownership and an organization players did not want to play for.
Blame was placed on Dell Demps for the failures of the AD era, and rightfully so. Negative contracts like Omer Asik and Solomon Hill outshined solid moves. Year after year, money tied up in non-contributors was too much to overcome, the medical staff seemed to make players’ injuries worse, and Anthony Davis continued to show that a team on which he is the alpha would only ever be middle of the pack.
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In a whirlwind off-season, the future of the New Orleans Pelicans went from grave to quite fortunate. David Griffin, the architect of the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 2016 championship team and chosen vessel of change for new owner (and basketball lover) Mrs. Gayle Benson entered the picture. The Pels leapfrogged six teams were worse records to win the NBA draft lottery to acquire the No. 1 pick, Zion Williamson. That lucky bounce of a bingo ball provided Griffin the leverage he needed to reconstruct the roster using a freshly loaded “war chest.”
When all was said and done, New Orleans’ training camp roster sits complete with 15 new faces. Griffin turned Anthony Davis, Solomon Hill, and low-value draft picks into a wealth of young and hungry talent including former top picks Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.
The real story of this offseason, however, will be that of the 2019 NBA Draft ― the night David Griffin laid the foundation for a sustainable championship contender in New Orleans.
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In games kicking off the 2019 preseason, a few things are glaringly obvious about the evolution of the Pelicans.
First, the Achilles Heel of the Davis era, NBA-quality depth, became a strength seemingly overnight. The Los Angeles Lakers‘ trio in return for Davis, trading down in the NBA draft and newfound cap flexibility provided David Griffin everything he needed to mold his vision using real NBA talent. Long gone are the days of Tim Frazier and DeAndre Liggins logging significant minutes.
New Orleans has more to pound its chest about than a deep squad this season. Entering Tuesday’s season opener against the defending champions in Toronto, two of the Pelicans’ four-member 2019 draft class figure to play significant roles early on while two promising young talents wait in the wings.
The Redshirts
8th-overall pick Jaxson Hayes is an athletic anomaly with no signs of slowing down his rapid development.
Early comparisons to Tyson Chandler stick out for Hayes, a 7-footer that made headlines early with a gravity-defying poster on a New York Knick in Summer League. The rim-running big calls a former NFL tight end, “Dad”, and is extremely raw from a development perspective, having focused on football until his late high school growth spurt. He has proven to be very coachable and driven to expand his game (even drilling a sidewinding three-ball in Las Vegas after never attempting one in college).
Perhaps the surprise of the draft came in 32nd-overall pick Marcos “Didi” Louzada Silva. Largely unknown before draft night, Didi made his mark in Las Vegas showing a deadly spot-up shot and defensive awareness well beyond his years. His fluidity and positioning in Summer League have many excited for his future in New Orleans as a potential top-flight 3&D. The one holdback for Didi, unfortunately, is the 20-year old’s grasp of the English language. Born and raised in Brazil, the youngster has drawn comparisons to Leandro Barbosa, his fellow countryman and former Alvin Gentry spark-plug. Louzada will prep this year in Australia’s NBL alongside future lottery picks like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton. Early returns are promising as the NBL preseason is underway with Didi continuing his torrid pace behind the arc.
With the expected development of these two young and supremely talented pieces, next years squad should receive a jolt of youthful energy akin to what the other two rookies will add to the fold in 2019.
Game-Ready
Ready to make his mark out of the gate, 17th-overall pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker was high on the Pelicans draft board after an impressive interview and workout during the pre-draft process. Thrilled with his fall to 17, the Pelicans rushed to the podium and haven’t looked back. En route to a First-Team All-Summer League performance, NAW shows flashes of creativity, veteran-savvy, and killer instinct that have led to increased expectations for the first-year combo-guard entering his rookie campaign.
Early returns against live NBA competition show Alexander-Walker’s Las Vegas performance was just the tip of the iceberg. All but cementing himself as the backup point guard on this deep roster, he seized opportunities this preseason showing effectiveness in the pick and roll, an ability to facilitate and ignite the second unit, and a deadly stroke from three.
It’s no secret who headlines this Pelicans rookie class. Zion Williamson has been nothing short of incredible in his doses of live NBA action so far. His athletic prowess was no secret coming into his NBA career. The surprises have come in the quickness with which he has adjusted to the offensive game. His speed and explosiveness provide effective scoring opportunities off pistol action and in transition. His instincts are already proving to be a major problem for opponents on the offensive and defensive glass. Flashes of grace and bursts of power in traffic have the 19-year old exceeding expectations that once seemed best-case scenarios. All before an official minute has been logged.
With each Zion “Ooohhh” or “Ahhhh”, Pelicans brass is finding it more difficult to quell the comparisons to certain basketball royalty. Perhaps nothing can be heard louder and clearer than the Pelicans’ new basketball tagline “Won’t Bow Down”, accompanied by hair-tingling videos proclaiming that New Orleans “doesn’t like being told what to do” and “doesn’t need a king.”
There will be growing pains, specifically as the youth adjusts to the sophisticated NBA defensive scheme installed by new Associate Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik, a top mind in NBA circles. Preseason action has seen plenty of issues with defensive communication, particularly on switches, leading to far too many uncontested layups and open looks for Gentry’s liking.
The work-ethic and raw talent is there in spades for the Rising Sons of New Orleans. There is a buzz in the city for this team that no Chris Paul or Anthony Davis-led team got to witness. From the top-down, the Pelicans organization oozes charisma and excellence for the first time in its history.
Tuesday night begins an era of Pelicans basketball that was born of the franchise’s darkest days.
New Orleans has been granted another opportunity to build a championship team around a superstar. Without a flashy market, most teams are lucky to get a generational talent once in a, say, generation. Entering 2019, The Pelicans will have their third opportunity to win a championship with that guy.
Third time’s a charm.