The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to remake their roster to build a winner around Zion Williamson but it won’t be easy.
The Pels’ roster is full of mismatched pieces and needs something to bring it all together.
The Suns were in a similar position a year ago, as they were coming off another losing season, their sixth in a row, and had some young talent that was growing impatient.
With Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and some good role players already on the roster, the Suns really just needed the veteran leader to bring them all together and found one when they traded for Chris Paul.
Paul turned the Suns around, got the most out of his teammates and helped carry the Suns all the way to the Finals. The Pelicans are hoping something similar can happen to them with veteran Kyle Lowry.
Pelicans: The Pels need a veteran like Chris Paul. Could Kyle Lowry be the guy?
The Pelicans have recently been attached in rumors to free-agent Kyle Lowry, which makes sense given their need for veteran leadership and experience.
Even though Lowry has a ring, I still think he is a tier below Chris Paul, especially when it comes to playmaking and making his teammates better, but he’s not far behind.
Lowry is still a very good defender, can play on or off the ball and knows what it takes to lead a young team to the title, which is exactly what he did in Toronto.
Before the Suns got Paul, they were a team with two stars and a bunch of role players. Sound familiar? The Pelicans are in a similar position this offseason and need someone who can help bring all of these disparate pieces together into a cohesive unit.
Like Paul, Lowry would not be the number one option on his team, but a guy who elevates the superstars and helps get the most out of their talents.
I really don’t see the downside to signing Lowry to a short-term deal, and if they do, the Pels might be next year’s Suns, a team that just needed the right coach and veteran leader to bring together their roster.