The New Orleans Pelicans are a completely different team than what they expected to be coming into the 2024-25 NBA season. On opening night against the Chicago Bulls, Head Coach Willie Green deployed nine different players for 10 or more minutes: Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Daniel Theis, Jordan Hawkins, Yves Missi, Javonte Green, and Jose Alvarado.
That group, along with Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III, who both missed the season tip-off with injuries, were meant to be New Orleans's primary rotation. In the Pelicans' last game, an unwanted victory over the Charlotte Hornets, 10 different players saw 10 or more minutes: Jose Alvarado, Yves Missi, Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, Antonio Reeves, Elfrid Payton, Karlo Matkovic, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Lester Quinones, and Keion Brooks Jr.
A couple of months into the season, the Pelicans and their faithful did start to expect major roster changes. New Orleans was reportedly considering a complete roster overhaul. Ultimately, they only made two deals ahead of the trade deadline, although they did make waves by dealing away former All-Star Brandon Ingram. In exchange, they got back Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown Jr., a 2026 top-six protected first-rounder via the Indiana Pacers, and a second-round selection in 2031. This package wasn't what the Pelicans fans were expecting, neither before the season nor ahead of the trade deadline, but Kelly Olynyk has wasted no time proving why his acquisition was a major win for New Orleans.
Kelly Olynyk has found a new home with the New Orleans Pelicans
For years, fans have wanted the Pelicans to acquire a stretch five, a big man capable of both hitting open triples and defending the rim. Built around Zion Williamson, a non-shooting superstar who's an unstoppable force attacking the rim, it only made sense that his ideal lineup configuration would feature a strong anchor behind him to cover for his defensive deficiencies who could also space the floor on the other end of the court.
Of course, every team in the league would love to have a paint protector who can also shoot from deep. It's like saying the Pelicans are looking for another star player or a 3-and-D wing. Those archetypes can work on any team and can make pretty much any roster better.
That's why the Pelicans had to trade for one, and it partly cost them Brandon Ingram. Since arriving in New Orleans, Kelly Olynyk has done everything he can to show that he's the stretch big that they've been waiting for. Through 17 games, he's averaged 10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while stroking 51 percent of his field goals, including 38 percent from beyond the arc.
He's not just hitting open treys, either. He's regularly putting the ball on the floor, blowing by closeouts, taking advantage of mismatches, creating for himself and his teammates, and producing extra opportunities on the glass. Not only has he been excellent on offense, but he's impressed on the defensive side of the ball, too.
The Pelicans have been absolutely awful since the trade deadline, so this stat will have to be taken with a grain of salt, but he currently has a -9.5 net defensive rating, which means that the team allows nearly 10 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the court. New Orleans has had a 111.7 defensive rating with Olynyk in the lineup, which would rank as the ninth-best defense in the NBA this season.
What's the most encouraging about Olynyk's time so far with the Pels has been his harmonious pairing Zion. According to databallr, Williamson goes from averaging 30.6 points per 75 possessions without Olynyk to 32.6 points with Kelly on the court with him. At the same time, when Zion is on the floor, Olynyk has splashed 57.1 percent of his triples. That's not a typo; it's actually 57.1 percent.
Clearly, this is a pairing that the Pelicans will want to see more of, and one that will make them exponentially more dangerous on both ends of the court next season.