New Orleans Pelicans: 1 goal for each Pelican in the 2021-22 season

New Orleans Pelicans: 1 goal for each center

Willie Hernagomez: Be the insurance policy

Hernangomez had a nice season for the Pels, getting a lot more run than expected after an injury to Steven Adams and the ineffectiveness of Jaxson Hayes.

Hernangomez is solid, not spectacular, but the Pels don’t need him to be. Everyone is hoping Hayes will seize a bigger role this season, as he is the higher ceiling player, but Hernangomez just needs to be ready to do his thing if he is called upon.

Jaxson Hayes: Be consistent on and off the court

I am not going to get into Hayes’ legal issues, as the investigation is still ongoing and I have plenty to say about his treatment by the LAPD. But this is a make or break season for Hayes in many ways, as he has to show consistency both on and off the court.

He needs to put his head down and go to work, to prove that he is worth investing in for the future, which means continuing to improve on the defensive end and giving maximum effort every time he’s on the floor.

Hayes could be an X-factor for the New Orleans Pelicans this season, but he needs to show he can do it night after night.

Jonas Valanciunas: Shoot 3-4 from long range per game

Whether Valanciunas is part of the long-term plans for the Pelicans might come down to whether he can up his 3-point volume.

Valanciunas is a great low-post player but the Pelicans already have one of those in Zion Williamson, so in order for the pairing to work, JV has to show that he can occasionally step out and shoot.

If he ups his 3-point attempts to 3-4 per game (up from .9 per game last season) and hits them at a decent clip, teams will have to respect that and he can draw his man away from the hoop, which makes it a lot harder to double Zion.

Valanciunas can’t only live in the post, or he might find himself on the trading block next season.