Evaluating Each New Player’s First Season with the New Orleans Pelicans

Marquee names in the AD trade

Lonzo Ball – 56 games, 12.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 41.2 FG%

2019-20 projections – 12.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 40.6 FG%, 32.7 min

Lonzo has made some impressive strides in his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans. While it was fair to wonder if he would ever score enough to be an above average NBA player, his defense and playmaking were never a question.

With Lonzo next to Jrue the Pels have one of  the best defensive backcourts in the NBA. Lonzo is able to stop most perimeter players from penetrating the lane and gets his share of steals and deflections.

His three-point shooting has been his biggest improvement this season, he shot 38.3% from deep this year compared to 32.9% on fewer attempts last year. Since the last day of January, Lonzo has connected on 45.7% in that 16 game heat check.

Brandon Ingram – 56 games, 24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 46.6 FG%

2019-20 projections – 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 47.5 FG%, 29.6 min

Ingram has had the best first year of any player with New Orleans this year, going from a player who showed flashes of star potential to a bona fide All-Star. The scary blood clot that forced him to shut down his 2018-19 season seems to be a thing of the past.

This offseason (whenever that will be) Ingram will most definitely get a max contract offer from the New Orleans Pelicans, and he’ll be worth it.

Ingram has become a more efficient scorer in each of his four seasons and this year shot nearly 40% from three point range (38.7%). Couple that with an increased scoring burden and you have the young star teams were seeing when he was drafted second overall in 2016.

If Ingram can get better as a defender, he’ll enter All-NBA territory at a position stuffed with some of the best players in the league (Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard just to name a few).

It’s a shame that these players might not to get to finish their first season with the New Orleans Pelicans, but their play so far has to have fans excited for next year.

Thanks for reading!