The Pelicans’ future is not just Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram

The New Orleans Pelicans have one of the best under-25 duos in the NBA in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Zion hasn’t played this season and there are concerns about his durability but there are few teams in the league who have a better pair when healthy.

Add CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas and you have the makings of a contender with the right balance of young and veteran star power.

But if you were watching the comeback win over the Lakers, you might have noticed that it wasn’t just the veterans or stars propelling the Pelicans to victory.

They had three rookies playing key minutes in the clutch, which is why the future looks bright in New Orleans and not just because of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Pelicans: Herb Jones, Jaxson Hayes, Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado

People tend to forget that Jaxson Hayes is just 21-years-old, the same age as rookie Trey Murphy III and nearly two years younger than both Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado.

So the fact that he has played his way into the starting lineup and given the Pelicans solid production is a big deal, as he still has a lot of room to improve and could give the Pels a weapon at a good price.

Herb Jones was the steal of the draft, the best defender in his class (in my opinion) a guy who worked his way into the starting five and plans to stay there. He is the exact type of player to put around Zion, BI and CJ, as he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact.

Trey Murphy III had his biggest game of the season against the Lakers and looks to be getting more confident with each game. He gives the Pelicans a 3-point weapon off the bench that they have lacked for most of the season. He continues to improve defensively and as a rebounder and now looks like a guy who will be part of the rotation for years to come.

Same with Jose Alvarado, the heart of the Pelicans’ bench, who was just rewarded with a four-year contract after going undrafted. His defense and energy are game changers and the Pels have him locked up for the foreseeable future.

I didn’t even mention the injured Kira Lewis Jr. or the fact that the Pelicans could have two more top-10 picks in the 2022 NBA Draft if they get lucky with the lottery balls.

The Pels are building around Zion and BI, but they have a lot of young talent making an impact and more in the pipeline. The rest of the league should be concerned about what the New Orleans Pelicans are building.