New Orleans Pelicans: The Best All-Time Franchise Roster
By Tim Burke
Center
The man in the middle is responsible for orchestrating the team’s defense and sending opponents’ shots into the stands. The players listed below all contributed more on the defensive end of the floor.
Tyson Chandler – Starter
New Orleans stats – 3 seasons (2006-09), 10.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists,1.4 blocks, 61.1 FG%, 197 games, 34.3 min per game.
Chandler’s three seasons were memorable for all New Orleans fans most notably for the deep playoff run his team made. But his early rim destroying alley-oop finishes were truly something to behold.
The NBA leader in offensive rebounds in 2006-07 and 2007-08, Chandler would grab a bunch of his teammates misses and create extra possessions for his team. He also finished second and third in rebounding in 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively. His 2,225 rebounds are fifth in team history, although his 11.3 per game is the highest.
The anchor of this teams’ defense Chandler amassed 9.6 Defensive Win Shares during his time in New Orleans. The most of any center in this listing, owing largely to his rim protection and rebounding.
Jamaal Magloire – 9th Man
New Orleans stats – 3 seasons (2002-05), 11.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, 47.0 FG%, 187 games, 31.7 min per game
A member of the original New Orleans Hornets when the team relocated from Charlotte before the 2002-03 season, Jamaal Magloire was a one-time All Star.
Magloire was the least effective of the three centers listed here, but he was more important on the offensive end. He averaged the most shots per game of any of these centers by nearly two shots per game.
Defensively Magloire was a solid rim protector who would swat a shot into the tenth row if given the opportunity.
With my rotation center providing a little extra scoring off the bench while still being a solid defensive big, this team’s weakness won’t be the center position.
Emeka Okafor – Reserve
New Orleans stats – 4 seasons (2009-12, 2017-18) 9.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, 54.4 FG%, 207 games, 28.0 min per game
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Emeka Okafor was added to New Orleans in the same deal that sent Chandler away; some fans may dislike him because he’s not Chandler but that’s not a fair comparison to make. While not the same caliber player defensively that Chandler or Magloire were, Okafor still held his own on that end.
He was nearly a very efficient offensive player, hitting more than half the shots he took while averaging more shots than Chandler did.
Okafor re-signed with New Orleans Pelicans in the 2017-18 season after Boogie Cousins tore his Achilles.