After previously talking about Kevon Looney’s goal for the 2025-26 season, it's time for part seven of my series, where I give goals for the entire Pelicans roster for this next season. In this part, I'll be talking about the Pelicans' heart and soul, Jose Alvarado.
With the 2024-25 season being as horrible as it was for the Pelicans, Alvarado proved to be a bright spot for this team. Posting career averages across the board of 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Jose was a reason for fans to tune in and go to games, as his energy was unmatched. With 20+ different players suiting up for New Orleans last season, it was crucial to have a leader who could keep things under control both on and off the court. That person was Jose.
Every successful NBA team needs a player who can be an extension of the coach on the court; for example, for the Indiana Pacers, that person was T.J. McConnell. Last season proved that Jose Alvarado is that person for the Pelicans.
There were some rumblings of Alvarado being traded, as the Pelicans added plenty of depth at point guard with the additions of Jeremiah Fears through the draft and Jordan Poole via trade. However, after Alvarado suffered a spine/back injury while representing Puerto Rico at the Americup, I think it’s safe to say he won’t be on the move.
Build off of last year and man the 2nd unit
His goals for this season have to be to continue putting up similar numbers to the ones he did last year, while being the guy trusted with running the Pelicans' second unit.
I previously mentioned T.J. McConnell and his ability to be an extension of Rick Carlisle, on the court, and while that is something Jose did last season, he should strive to do the same this season. We’ve seen in the NBA's long history that many guys have one outstanding season and then go back to being their normal selves. The Pelicans can’t afford for Alvarado to do that.
We saw the value McConnell had for the Pacers, especially in a playoff setting. New Orleans needs that from Jose.
With Dejounte Murray's timetable for return still unknown, Jordan Poole is likely going to be tasked with being the starting point guard. That means this team needs someone to run the second unit for the start of this season; Alvarado needs to be that guy.
His ability as a defender, shot creator, and playmaker already puts him in the upper echelon of backup point guards. But if he can have a similar impact as he did last year, this time on a winning team, he’ll enter that same tier as guys like T.J. McConnell, Payton Pritchard, and Tyus Jones.