Coming into the 2025-26 NBA season, many experts predicted the New Orleans Pelicans wouldn’t be good, but I don’t think anyone expected them to be 3-16. Most major betting companies also had the Pelicans' win total set line set around 30 wins, and as of right now, New Orleans isn’t even close to hitting that, as mathematically they are on pace to win 13 games.
A few things can be chalked up as the main reasons this season has been such a disaster: a coaching change, injuries, and a lack of chemistry. But more than any of those, the by far biggest problem has been the team's lack of ball movement.
The Pelicans' lead assist man on a per-game basis right now is Zion Williamson, who’s averaging just 4.0 assists per game and has only appeared in 8 games. While rookie big Derik Queen has emerged as an offensive hub who can create for others, with four games of 7 or more assists, it’s still not enough. And when you look at this team's current roster, the only player who even remotely can be a lead playmaker is Dejounte Murray, who is still sidelined until likely the New Year with an Achilles injury.
This suggests the Pelicans may have to get active in the trade market to find a playmaker, because this isn’t looking like an issue that can be fixed in-house. Making a trade likely wouldn't change the outcome of this season, but it would help build a more well-oiled flow offensively.
Getting a playmaker would take pressure off everyone.
Do you guys remember Ricky Rubio (one of my personal favs of all-time)? That’s the type of playmaking impact this team needs. Someone whose sole focus is finding the open man and is really only taking shots when they have to.
As great as it is to see Zion Williamson initiating the offense and trying to create for others, it also draws his focus away from his real role on this team: scoring. The former #1 pick is averaging the lowest points per game of his career at 21.8, and a primary reason for that is that he has so much on his plate offensively.
Interim head coach James Borrego wants to see this team play unselfishly and with a lethal pace. To do that and not have a crazy amount of turnovers, you need someone you can trust as a decision maker when playing in transition, which is something this group lacks. Hence, they have the fourth-worst assists-to-turnover ratio in the entire NBA this season.
While making a trade at this point of the season may be a long shot, acquiring someone whose sole focus is to playmake and generate shots for others would help bring a balance to this team's roster.