The New Orleans Pelicans are 0-4, and somehow each loss just keeps getting more demoralizing.
After blowing a lead to Denver on Sunday night, the Pelicans had a chance to get their revenge Wednesday, but they didn’t show up, getting blown out 104-91. This loss has left a fanbase that cares so much about pro sports sad, disinterested, and confused about what the goal even is this season. I hate to be the I told you so guy, but this is exactly what should’ve been expected when the Pelicans entered another year playing with two timelines.
Sure, fans will always leave an offseason with a little optimism, even if the front office doesn’t make sweeping changes, but that optimism is gone four games into the season. Fans are starting to realize that this winning product Joe Dumars, Troy Weaver, and Jamahl Mosley preached this group would bring is nowhere close to that and was simply a lie. The Pelicans roster is one of the poorest-built ones in basketball.
Does the roster have talented players on it? Yes. But does any of it fit? No, and as an organization and fanbase, that was clear coming off back-to-back sub-30 win seasons.
Joe Dumars is trying to sink the Pelicans, not save them
I get that fans are upset, and I would be too if this were the product of basketball I gave my fandom to. But attacking Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, or any player on the roster shouldn’t be the approach taken. Does Murphy III look disinterested and play with zero aggression? Yes, 100 percent. Does Murray go off script a ton and force a ton of long mid-range shots that aren’t falling? Yes.
That being said, this is a Joe Dumars issue, not a player issue.
Aside from two roster spots, this is the exact same roster that won 26 games last year. There was every opportunity to enter a rebuild, but Dumars refused. It was clear things wouldn’t just magically turn around with a coaching change. I’m not sure any front office in pro sports would’ve seen the results of the last two seasons and not looked to start over. Especially when the only bright spot from 2025-26 was that your two first-round picks made All-Rookie Teams.
I mean no disrespect by this either, but Zion Williamson has continued to show he isn’t an effective No. 1 option on a winning basketball team. And even if you wanted to convince yourself he was a No. 1, the obvious first move would be to get him shooters to spread the floor and open up driving lanes for him.
Instead, the Pelicans are dead last in the league in three-point attempts and tied for last in makes per game.
It would be one thing for fans if the team was losing games, but was in the midst of a youth movement that looked like it could turn into something down the road. But that’s not the case. Instead, the Pelicans have a mixed-bag roster of young and old talent that lacks direction. The roster is also holding back someone like Jeremiah Fears, whose development is being tanked because he’s being forced to share point guard reps with Murray. This slow start is even making it hard to celebrate Derik Queen's incredible start, after having a preseason that was packed with criticism.
What makes it worse is that Dumars came in to bring change and do the opposite of what David Griffin did in his final years in New Orleans. But he is just repeating the same mistakes by refusing to pull the plug on a core group that has failed at every step.
Honestly, Pelicans fans, I’m sorry. I hope it does get better. I hope Joe Dumars finds a direction or gets the boot because what he and his regime are doing to this team and fanbase is malpractice.
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