The Future of the Pelicans: What About Zion?
Who would have thought that the New Orleans Pelicans would make the 2022 NBA playoffs? Who would have thought that the Pelicans could win two playoff games against the Phoenix Suns?
Nobody. And yet, the Pelicans did.
A Successful Season
For most of the 2021-2022 campaign, the Pelicans were near the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference. With an unimpressive record, and a roster missing 2019’s number one overall draft pick, Zion Williamson, New Orleans appeared to be stuck in neutral for the first half of the season.
Then in February, the Pels acquired CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., and Tony Snell from the Portland Trail Blazers. Even though New Orleans let go of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart, Didi Louzada, Tomas Satoransky, and draft picks, the seven-player deal helped the Pelicans finish with a 36-46 record to sneak into the play-in tournament.
CJ McCollum provided instant offense for the Pelicans. In 26 regular-season games in New Orleans, McCollum averaged 24 points on 39% three-point shooting.
Brandon Ingram, the 2020-2021 Most Improved Player, put up 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 55 regular-season games. While Jonas Valanciunas averaged a double-double with 17.8pts and 11.4 rebounds per game.
In the 2022 playoffs, Ingram, McCollum, and Valanciunas combined to give the first place Suns all they could handle in round 1. Ingram in particular erupted for 37 points on 61% field goal shooting in Game Two.
While the Pelicans bowed out in six games, everyone came away from that series impressed by the Pels, especially when you think about how far they’d come without star forward Zion Williamson.
Which begs the question: What’s next for Zion in New Orleans?
The Uncertainty
Zion Williamson averaged 27 points and seven rebounds in 61 regular-season games during the 2020-2021 season. That was the highest number of games he played since entering the league. For his career, Williamson has played in only 85 games combined since draft night.
Williamson’s inability to stay healthy, stemming from a variety of injuries, has plagued his young career thus far. And that’s why many pundits believe that Williamson’s injury woes could play a factor in whether or not he remains in New Orleans for the 2022-2023 season and beyond.
Where things get murky is with regards to Williamson’s next contract. The 21 year old could earn a multi-year contract extension in New Orleans this offseason. However, observers see the situation as problematic for the Pelicans because we saw more of Zion off the court than on the court the past few years.
When reporters asked Williamson if he would sign a contract extension with the Pelicans, he answered with two words: “Of course“
New Orleans will have the ability to sign Zion to the most lucrative deal as part of any extension agreement, and no rookie has ever turned down the extension in the current CBA as there’s simply too much money to be lost in testing the open market. But with all of the uncertainties surrounding Williamson’s future, and some members of his inner circle openly pushing for him to move to a larger market, the former Duke star is far from a lock to put pen to paper.
The Pelicans made it to the 2022 playoffs without Williamson, and currently have question marks of their own surrounding ownership and their future in NOLA. The team pushed the top seed in the Western Conference to six games without Williamson, so if they get the sense that Zion may not be committed to the franchise long term, would they dare test the trade market in a sign and trade scenario?
At one point, many believed the Pelicans season was a lost cause if Williamson didn’t suit up. Now many are questioning whether they might be better served flipping him for assets while his trade value is still high. With a checkered injury history, and a desire to play in a larger market, is the writing on the wall for Zion in the Big Easy? Or will GM Trajan Langdon attempt to mend fences between the two camps, in the hopes that adding a talent like Williamson to their current roster will be enough to make waves in the West?
Time will tell. But don’t expect it to be a quiet summer in New Orleans this year.
-Iggy Gonzales
Twitter: @godzilla500
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.