Pelica Debrief
Fansided

What if the New Orleans Pelicans took Jamal Murray over Buddy Hield?

By Xaiver Aguiar

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 31: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets in action during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on October 31, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 31: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets in action during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on October 31, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Pelicans 2018 Off-Season Doesn’t Do Much

The Pelicans would be picking 24th and are looking to take the best player available. We’ll assume all the players that went before that spot are still off the board.

Demps decides to add to the frontcourt and takes Michigan big man Moritz Wagner. Coming off an incredible March Madness run with the Wolverines, Wagner can stretch the floor for New Orleans.

The Julius Randle experiment doesn’t happen with how loaded the forward position is on the team. The front office still has their eyes set on a former Laker big-man and takes a flier on 30-year-old Brook Lopez.

With the loss of Rondo in free agency, depth at the guard position is thin, and like in real life, the team decides to sign Elfrid Payton. As much as this exercise is an improvement over what actually happened, there still needs to be Dell Demps’s incompetence.

The important part of the roster to start the season looks like this:

PG’s: Jamal Murray, Elfrid Payton

SG’s: Jrue Holiday, Tim Hardaway Jr.

SF’s: Bojan Bogdanovic, Dillon Brooks

PF’s: Anthony Davis, Moe Wagner, Nikola Mirotic

C’s: Brook Lopez, Bam Adebayo, Willy Hernangomez

The Wild 2018-19 New Orleans Pelicans Season

There are two main storylines: Jamal Murray coming into his own as a player and the franchise trying to satisfy Anthony Davis. Davis has the same desire to win but is happier with the New Orleans Pelicans because the roster is in a far better place.

AD struggled with injuries in 2018, and that doesn’t change in my fantasy world. In the 20+ games Davis misses, the team stumbles. They are at the back end of the playoff picture near the trade deadline and need to make a move to solidify their standing.

The front office decides a change is needed and calls up the Los Angeles Clippers. They agree to this massive deal that will instantly help New Orleans scoring:

Harris is crucial during the periods Davis misses and helps lead the Pelicans to the 7 seed. New Orleans will face a tough challenge against the 2nd seeded Portland Trail Blazers.

From the start, this is an awful matchup for Damian Lillard’s squad. Holiday is making Dame’s life miserable, and no one on Portland can guard Anthony Davis.

The depth for New Orleans shines through, and both Bogdanovic and Hardaway Jr. have a marquee game in the series. The Pels win a decisive Game 6 in New Orleans and advance to the second round for a date with the Houston Rockets.

Houston’s offensive prowess is why many national media members pick the Rockets to win the series in short order. The NBA world is stunned when the Pelicans trounce the Rockets in Game 1 after a 40 point performance from Anthony Davis.

Games 2 and 3 are remembered for the incompetence of Alvin Gentry. In both games, he plays a banged-up Davis for too many minutes. He is a shell of himself on the court and is a liability because of it.

Jamal Murray catches fire in Game 5, but it’s not enough in the end. James Harden hits a pivotal floater over the outstretched arms of Brook Lopez to win the series.

Another second-round exit for the Pelicans, and Davis is furious with the disappointing result. The key difference from the real-life events is that Davis is not mad at the organization but rather just Gentry. He wants to win in New Orleans (for now), but change needs to occur. It’s an eerily similar situation to the one in Portland right now with Damian Lillard.

Harris was just a rental and will leave the team, and New Orleans is in limbo heading into the off-season.

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