Where the ESPN top-100 got it wrong for the New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans: Where the ESPN top-100 got it wrong

Zion Williamson- 40

Zion dropped out of the top-25 after missing all of last season. I get that injuries matter, but this seems a bit ridiculous given what we’ve already seen Zion do.

Of course we have to see him do it again for full seasons, but if he’s healthy, this ranking isn’t even close to correct and the list of guys he’s ahead of is long.

In addition to all of the guys listed for McCollum, you can add Fred VanVleet (38), Kyrie Irving (33), Andrew Wiggins (32) and Khris Middleton (31). This is not a diss to these guys, as they are all great players who have done more in the league than Zion, but if Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes are being ranked on potential, then Zion should be too.

And when he’s healthy he’s got more than any of those guys, but this shows just how divisive he is, as some clearly don’t have a lot of faith that he can stay on the floor. Until he does, that is going to remain, but if Zion plays a full season you can expect him to be back in the top-25 again and maybe even higher.

Brandon Ingram- 29

Brandon Ingram dropped three spots to 29th, which makes little sense considering he’s coming off arguably his best season in the NBA in which he carried the New Orleans Pelicans to the playoffs. He had an outstanding postseason and grew overall as a leader, playmaker and defender.

The players around him are all All-Stars, so it’s hard to argue against any of them without seeing the rest of the list as guys like DeMar DeRozan (28), Zach LaVine (27) and Jrue Holiday (26) all have their arguments as well.

We can argue over individual rankings, but what’s clear is that the Pels have one of the strongest starting lineups in the league and all five of them should be on this list next season with a few guys moving up considerably.