New Orleans Pelicans: Resetting the depth chart post-free agency
By Nick Alvarez
The New Orleans Pelicans won’t see much change in their Small Forward position heading into next season
Small Forwards: 1. Brandon Ingram, 2. Josh Hart, 3. Sindarius Thornwell
Every New Orleans Pelicans fan wanted to see the organization add another noteworthy player to this spot, but unfortunately, that has happened this offseason. The team seems destined to rely on the small rotation they used last year.
That’s not completely a bad thing though, because it means that burgeoning superstar Brandon Ingram will continue to see a lot of minutes of the court. I anticipate that with all those minutes, Ingram will likely play in a “swiss-army knife” role.
That means he’ll do a bit of everything in the team’s offense. From ball-handling to cutting and shooting, expect Ingram to continue his upwards trajectory and lead the team in most statistical categories in 2021. If the Pelicans end up having a good season, it wouldn’t even shock me if he ends up receiving some MVP votes at the season’s end.
Of course, we can’t forget about Josh Hart and the progress he’s showing either. Hart is arguably my favorite player on this team because he works his tail off on both ends of the floor. He’s a smart defender, a great rebounder for his size, and a smooth shooter. I fully expect him to continue being the team’s primary 3-and-D player.
Rounding out this position on the team is Sindarius Thornwell. I don’t expect that we’ll see Thornwell playing many minutes this season but that could change if he shoots the ball well from deep and someone goes down. However, if he plays poorly, don’t be surprised if Naji Marshall ends up getting a call-up.