Six years ago, when the New Orleans Pelicans won the NBA draft lottery and got the chance to draft Zion Williamson, the future had never looked brighter. With Anthony Davis being traded to the Lakers, the Pelicans now had a young core to build around with Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Zion, and two other rookies. Banners were expected to be hung in New Orleans over the next decade.
Things didn't end up going that way as the Pelicans consistently dealt with injuries, letdowns, and setbacks. The 2024-25 season was a new low for this organization as they dealt with so many injuries that they finished with the second-worst record in the entire league.
But now, after one offseason under Joe Dumars, things are looking as promising as they did back in 2019.
This team's biggest issue last season was a lack of depth, as the Dejounte Murray trade and the departure of Jonas Valančiūnas left the team extremely thin at both guard and center. During this offseason, the Pelicans made it clear their main goal was to keep the core of Zion, Trey, and Herb together and bring in depth around them.
This plan was executed perfectly with additions of Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, Kevon Looney, and three rookies who can all play meaningful minutes if needed.
The entire league is underestimating how much value this added depth adds to the Pelicans
The Indiana Pacers are a perfect example of how valuable depth truly is in the NBA, as it holds way more value to have 12 really good players than a star-studded starting five.
Although none of the Pelicans' moves brought in an All-Star, that doesn't mean these moves were bad ones. Jordan Poole is the perfect sixth man for this team, and they got him coming off a career year in Washington for an aging vet in CJ McCollum.
When healthy, the Pelicans' lead guard rotation is going to have Dejounte, Poole, Jose Alvarado, and Jeremiah Fears. That type of guard play rivals the Pacers when healthy for one of the best guard rooms in the entire NBA.
At center, the Pelicans have three guys who could all be starters for other teams. Kevon Looney was, in my opinion, the glue that helped keep the Warriors dynasty together for years. Yves Missi is coming off an incredible rookie year, and Derik Queen has insane potential and brings a style of play that the Pelicans have never had next to Zion.
Outside of these guys, the Pelicans will still have Jordan Hawkins, Karlo Matkovic, Saddiq Bey, and Micah Peavy looking to provide a spark off the bench.
New Orleans now finally has a well-rounded enough roster where if someone gets hurt and needs a few nights off, they can really rely on someone else to step up.
The way Joe Dumars was able to keep this core together while getting younger and deeper puts the Pelicans in a position where they'll be prepared to face any challenges thrown at them this season. So while the rest of the NBA continues to doubt this team, maybe it's time you start believing.