Grading player rankings that still have faith in the New Orleans Pelicans

Ranking NBA players is a difficult exercise. It's entirely subjective and can be a poor way to evaluate talent and compare athletes, especially with how different roles can be in basketball, even within the same positions. How can you quantify the difference in impacts between a defensive jack-of-all-trades like Jrue Holiday and a true floor general and offensive conductor like Chris Paul?

Still, it's a valiant challenge to undergo and can lead to rousing discussions and debates which is why the league's media is so enamored with rankings. The Ringer recently released their latest update for their listing of the top 100 players in the NBA. Despite the New Orleans Pelicans' abysmal record through the first quarter of the season, their presence is all over the rankings.

The Pels and their fans should be pleased, as six of their players landed on the list. As stated, though, ranking 100 different athletes is an extremely difficult exercise, and The Ringer's choices are far from perfect. Here's an evaluation of where they put each of the six Pelicans.

The New Orleans Pelicans have six top-100 players according to The Ringer

Zion Williamson - 36

Zion Williamson has not had a great 2024-25 campaign so far. Despite coming off of the healthiest season of his career last year and slimming down significantly in the summer, Williamson was bit by the injury bug again and was ruled out for several weeks with a strained hamstring.

Even when he was healthy, he struggled early on, particularly with his finishing. He's currently averaging a career-worst 45.2 percent from the field due to his inaccuracy in his first few games.

Despite both his unavailability and his poor shooting to begin the season, 36 seems criminally low for Zion. That rank has him below players like Derrick White, Evan Mobley, and Karl-Anthony Towns, lesser players who aren't tasked with nearly as much responsibility as Z.

Grade: C-

Brandon Ingram - 55

Brandon Ingram has been the most consistent player for the Pelicans so far this season, mostly by default. With Zion, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum missing the majority of the year so far, the onus has been on BI to carry the Pelicans as their de facto top option. The results so far haven't been pretty.

It's not that Ingram is playing poorly; it's that he hasn't been able to elevate his play like the team needs. It's long been theorized that he'd be at his best as the number one option on a team, where his on-ball scoring, tough shotmaking, and point-forward abilities could be maximized. The Ringer's Zach Kram echoed that sentiment in the rankings:

"Ingram’s particular skill set and playing style mean that it’s difficult for him to play at his best when he’s not his team’s top offensive player—and Ingram isn’t so superlative that any contender would want him as a no. 1 option. He’s the NBA’s version of a square peg in a round hole."

Nothing that Kram said was unfair and him being ranked at 55 doesn't seem too far off, but it does put him behind some questionable choices in their rankings, like Kristaps Porzingis, OG Anunoby, and Jalen Johnson.

Grade: B

Dejounte Murray - 61

Dejounte Murray had his stock drop after he failed to elevate the Atlanta Hawks alongside Trae Young after they traded an absolute haul to acquire him. That's why the Pelicans were able to deal for him for such a reduced price compared to what Atlanta gave up. He hasn't had much opportunity to reclaim his esteem either, as he only appeared in one game for the Pelicans before going down with a fractured left hand that'll wind up holding him out for 4-6 weeks.

Still, in that one outing, he proved the impact he could have, fulfilling a role that the Pelicans have been desperately needing for a long time: true point guard. He tallied 10 assists in his first and only game for New Orleans so far and looked much more engaged and capable on defense than he did in Atlanta. 61 puts him directly behind Mikal Bridges, Aaron Gordon, and Zach LaVine, all players who he should regularly outperform when healthy, but, overall, it's a pretty decent spot for him.

Grade: A-

Herb Jones - 64

Herb Jones is one of the rare players in the NBA who's somehow simultaneously underrated and overrated. His reputation among casual basketball fans is understated, as he's not a major scoring threat or anywhere near a household name. Die-hard followers and analysts do have a tendency to overestimate both his impact and his potential, though.

His defensive abilities are undeniable, but this ranking suggests that he'll be a much better offensive threat than he likely will be. Rob Mahoney illustrated that in the piece:

"With every passing season, he seems to push further—winning over coaches and teammates who empower him at every turn. Why not see whether Jones can initiate some offense? Why couldn’t he level out as a well-above-average shooter from beyond the arc?"

In the four games he was able to play this season, Jones shot just 18 percent from deep. His actual hit rate isn't a huge cause of concern due to the tiny sample size — 11 total threes taken — but he looked hesitant and uncertain in his shot. Defense is mostly underrated in this league, but 64 puts him ahead of some much-more established and overall impactful players like Tyler Herro and Naz Reid.

Grade: C

CJ McCollum - 80

Whatever grace The Ringer earned from Pelicans fans with their generous placement of Herb Jones is quickly lost with their spot for CJ McCollum. CJ is far from a perfect player, and his most glaring flaws are a pretty big part of why New Orleans's has failed to get over the hump during his tenure as a Pelican. His inability to be a true floor general and his atrocious perimeter defense has kept the Pelicans from reaching their true potential.

Still, he's evolved his game significantly in his time in the Bayou to better serve the team, morphing into an elite, high-volume outside bomber in order to provide more floor spacing for Zion and Ingram and become less reliant on having the ball in his hands. Now, he's legitimately one of the most dangerous deep threats in the league while still being capable of generating his own offense off of the bounce and creating for others as a secondary playmaker. That level of offensive versatility is incredibly rare in the NBA and should have him higher than 80 and ahead of players like Ivica Zubac (78), Jaden McDaniels (75), and Alex Caruso (74).

Grade: D+

Trey Murphy III - 81

It's a little head-scratching why The Ringer has Trey Murphy III nearly 20 spots lower than Herb Jones, considering both players are on about the same trajectory. Just as Herb is a burgeoning offensive player, TMIII seems to have more potential than he's shown but on defense. At 6'8" with a seven-foot wingspan and athleticism to spare, he'll likely be a much more impactful stopper than he's been so far in his NBA career.

On offense, he's already a certified sniper, although he's capable of more on that end of the court too. Not only could he hit triples with much more volume, he's been steadily expanding his offensive repertoire, adding a midrange game and some ball-handling to capitalize on his physical tools. 81 is a good spot for him overall, but it may underrate his potential and can seem a bit off when surveying the other rankings around him.

Grade: B+