The New Orleans Pelicans have had a rough go over the past two seasons. Winning just 47 total games, watching player after player get injured, and a head coach being fired 12 games into a season, it’s been a nightmare, to say the least. But 2026-27 appears to be bringing new life; with a new head coach and a healthy roster, the Pelicans are prepared to compete in the Western Conference. One of the most slept-on aspects of this Pelicans team heading into next season is the depth Jamahl Mosley has at his disposal in year one.
As I mentioned in years past, we’ve seen this team be derailed by injuries time and time again, and while injuries could still be an issue this season, New Orleans has depth like they never have before.
While we wait for training camp and preseason basketball to get here, one of the things many writers do is predict what the rotation of the team they cover is going to look like. For the Pelicans, outside of Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Zion Williamson as starters, there isn’t any overly obvious rotation as we approach the season.
The Pelicans’ depth may truly be their biggest weapon and the thing that can separate them from other teams out West.
Depth could become the Pelicans' biggest advantage
Quality depth wasn’t something the Pelicans have had a ton of over the last couple of seasons, and that was obvious anytime a major injury happened. Before the Bennedict Mathurin signing, this team had a pretty legit 11-man rotation that has now only gotten stronger with his arrival. Between Zion, Murray, Murphy III, Yves Missi, Saddiq Bey, Derik Queen, Herb Jones, Jeremiah Fears, Karlo Matkovic, Jordan Poole, Bryce McGowens, and now Mathurin, Mosley now has 12 players who could be rotation pieces across the league.
Every good team in the NBA needs an identity, and while we know parts of this team's identity are expected to be toughness and defense, depth should be a third theme for this squad. If Mosley can encourage this group to lean into selflessness and really play with a one-for-all mentality, they could be a playoff team.
In his time in Orlando, Mosley didn’t see rosters with this level of depth, and he should really lean into it to start the regular season. Having several guards, wings, and bigs you can trust to start or eat up minutes with the second unit is a luxury and makes this group one of those teams where a different player steals the show every night.
That type of versatility is something this team hasn’t seen in years and could help the Pelicans dominate matchups with different players every night. On nights where the team needs to shut down the perimeter, maybe Jones is featured more. On nights where heavy three-point production is needed, maybe Murphy III, McGowens, Matkovic, and Bey see their touches increased. Having options isn’t something this group has had, and now it’s up to Mosley to maximize them.
If Mosley can make the Pelicans' depth the difference-maker it has the potential to become, this group could be playing meaningful basketball in April and beyond.
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