Pelica Debrief
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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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MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 30: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans is guarded by Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat during the second half at American Airlines Arena in November 30, 2018, in Miami, Florida. 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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 30: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans is guarded by Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat during the second half at American Airlines Arena in November 30, 2018, in Miami, Florida. 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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The friction between Davis and Gentry is too much for the team to ignore, and Gentry gets fired. There isn’t a great crop of head coaching options in the off-season, but the talent of New Orleans is enticing to potential candidates.

New Orleans is able to sway Taylor Jenkins away from the Memphis Grizzlies to make him the next head coach of the team. He’s a players coach whose focus is player development and would be a great fit with this incarnation of the franchise.

Jenkins spearheads Bam Adebayo’s development and gets him playing at an All-Star level. Murray continues his ascension and is looking like one of the best young guards in the league. Holiday is sort of the odd-man-out, and there are some signs of friction developing due to his lack of touches.

Throughout the 2019-20 season, the New Orleans Pelicans are a team with something to prove. The roster cohesion paired with Jenkins leading the charge has made New Orleans one of the best teams in the West.

The team’s newfound life and offensive ability have allowed them to be the 3 seed in the West heading into the MVP. (Believe it or not, Murray being a Pelican does not stop a global pandemic).

Bubble Murray still exists, and he is the cog in the Pelicans making the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Pels have the talent to make the Finals in a West that is seemingly wide open.

New Orleans will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals. The Clippers are coming off a 7 game series win against the young Lakers, who still have Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. LeBron wasn’t enough to carry the young core to the next round, and tensions rise in LA.

New Orleans is clearly the better team, but Anthony Davis begins to break down. He has more miles in this simulation than he does in real life, and it’s proving costly when it matters most. He misses a game with a knee injury, and for the second straight playoffs proves unreliable.’

Holiday and Bogdanovic have monster series, but it isn’t enough to help the dwindling New Orleans Pelicans. Although the losses are razor thin, the series goes swiftly in the Clipper’s favor. The series ends in 5 games, and the season comes to another disappointing end.

The Beginning of the End for these New Orleans Pelicans

The 2020-21 season is a rough one for the Pelicans. Both Bojan Bogdanovic and Brook Lopez walk away in free agency. Once a small market team starts having success, they begin to get poached by larger markets. This case is no exception to that rule.

It’s hard for the New Orleans Pelicans to entice free agents despite their recent results. The depth of the team struggles, and the roster ends up being round out with rookies and low-tier veterans.

The season is frustrating from the start, with Holiday and Murray missing time with injury. Anthony Davis is putting together a fantastic season, but it isn’t translating to the win collum. Adebayo plays well but doesn’t gel with Davis on the court.

By the mid-way point of the season, the team isn’t in the playoffs, and panic ensues. Dell Demps decides to stay put at the deadline, and it costs him in the long run. Adebayo picks up a knock later in the season, and the team can’t overcome an injury-plagued season.

Where Would the New Orleans Pelicans Be Now?

Anthony Davis is growing tired of his situation in New Orleans and wants a roster shake-up heading into next season. It seems as if Murray will be protected, but Holiday or Bam seems to be on the way out. Bradley Beal has been heavily discussed as a possible trade target and could be a good fit with Murray and Davis. This is a make-or-break off-season for the Pelicans and should dictate the future of the franchise.

There is a world where the Pelicans don’t trade for Brandon Ingram. They wouldn’t be incompetent enough to earn the first overall pick and draft a generational superstar in Zion Williamson. Trey Murphy III would not have Pelicans fans watching Virginia basketball tape in the middle of the summer.

Such statements seem ridiculous and unplaceable. Yet, with one change of a draft card in 2016, it becomes a new reality.

Next. The Pelicans are building the right kind of team around Zion Williamson. dark

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