4 New Year’s resolutions for the New Orleans Pelicans

It’s time to take a look at what resolutions we hope the New Orleans Pelicans made for this New Year.

The New Orleans Pelicans are 3-2 to start off the New Year with a big game looming against the Toronto Raptors on day two of 2021.

A year ago the Pelicans were 1-4 after game five so being 3-2 as the team adjusts to a new coaching staff while dealing with a significantly shorter preseason than normal is actually pretty good.

Let’s take a look at some things that 2021 can bring for this team as they make a push to the playoffs during a shortened season.

On to the Pelicans’ New Year’s Resolutions!

New Orleans Pelicans: The Lonzo Ball to Zion Williamson lob needs to return

Resolution 1: More Lonzo to Zion lobs

What we saw so much of last season once Zion Williamson was healthy enough for the lineup, was certainly missing the first four games. Then, it happened. On the final day of 2020, order was restored as we were treated to a lob of beauty.

https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA/status/1344831325287501825?s=20

Lonzo to Zion should be a normal event that happens more than once a game. So 2021, make it happen with multiple Zo to Zion highlights a game.

Resolution 2: Improvement by Jaxson Hayes is a must.

Jaxson Hayes has struggled through the first five games. He has looked out of sorts at times and not been effective in the ways many of us expected with a year under his belt.

However, during the New Year’s Eve game against the Thunder, he showed moments of hustle and made some key plays to help the Pelicans surge to a big win.

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Hayes and see a lot of potential in the second-year player out of Texas. Now that he’s seemingly worked off the rust, it’s time to continue to show some improvement and become the key player off the bench for the Pels in the middle.

Resolution 3: More beyond the arc shooting from Lonzo Ball

As his confidence in his shot improves, the 3-point percentage for Ball improves as well. For the Pelicans to make any push into the playoffs, this is an element of Zo’s game that he needs to continue to build on.

And with that addition to his game, Zo becomes a key force to be reckoned with and another scorer that is needed and necessary for this team to continue its winning ways.

Lonzo hasn’t shot well from 3-point range overall this season but he needs to keep firing them, as it adds another element to the Pels’ offense.

Resolution 4: More Steven Adams just being Steven Adams

Steven Adams was very candid in his postgame interview after the Thunder game about how weird it was at the start of the game as he played for the first time against the team he played for the past seven years and it was refreshing to hear.

As a fan, I’ve often wondered how weird it would be to play against the team you spent so much time with. And Adams delivered reality to Jen Hale.

Adams has a great attitude and it’s evident in his interviews and refreshing to have someone so honest and carefree representing the team.

Plus, snow doesn’t scare him off from being himself.

Keep being you, Steven Adams. Keep being you.

Happy New Year!!