Everyone in the NBA is talking about the Los Angeles Lakers’ ongoing struggles, the Boston Celtics’ rise atop the Eastern Conference, or who could win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
However, the silence when it comes to the New Orleans Pelicans is deafening. Were it not for the much discussed Zion 360 dunk to close out their game vs. the Suns, you’d be hard pressed to find much in terms of national coverage of the upstart team.
The Pelicans Lead the West
Having a young team with an average age of 25.56 years old, Zion Williamson and company are currently one of the hottest teams in the league as they’re 8-2 in their last 10 games and sit atop the Western Conference at 18-9.
The Pelicans are fresh off two straight wins against the Phoenix Suns. On the second end of the back-to-back wins, Williamson exploded for 35 points to lead the Pels to a 129-124 overtime victory.
In 22 games thus far, the top pick from the 2019 NBA Draft is averaging 25 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.
This month alone, he already scored 35 points thrice. Although he’s putting up MVP-worthy numbers, can Williamson stay away from injuries in the long run? Preferably long enough to make a deep run in the playoffs? Time will tell, but don’t be surprised if you start seeing an increasing number of DNP’s as New Orleans opts to play it safe with their uber talented big man.
Not a Solo Flight
One of the reasons why the Pelicans are successful as of late is the fact that Zion Williamson has teammates who can provide reinforcements consistently.
Brandon Ingram continues his rise as one of the leaders of the team, averaging 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 46.7% three-point shooting in the 15 games he has played so far. CJ McCollum puts up 17 points on average and is leading the Pelicans in assists with 5.7 dimes per night. In their second win against the Suns this season, McCollum finished with 29 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals in 45 minutes.
Jonas Valanciunas’ numbers shouldn’t be overlooked either (13p-9r) as he is shooting 52.3% from the field and continues to be effective in his roughly 24 minutes a night.
Even sophomore player Jose Alvarado has his high moments for the Pelicans this season. Against the Denver Nuggets on December 5th, the Puerto Rican point guard finished with 38 points on 8 for 11 shooting from the three-point line. Alvarado is leading New Orleans in steals (1.3 steals per game).
As a team, New Orleans is a top-five team in scoring (117 points), and a top ten both in field goal percentage (48.5%) and three-point shooting (36.9%). They’re also the second-best team in the NBA in steals (8.8).
As eye-popping as the success of the Pelicans is right now, health remains the primary obstacle the team would need to overcome if they want to continue to compete against the elite teams.
As of right now, the Pels have two players listed as out due to injuries: Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones. With a three-game road trip underway, Head Coach Willie Green is “extremely hopeful” both Ingram and Jones will be able to suit up over the next few games.
With the 3rd highest points differential in the league, New Orleans is getting it done on both ends of the floor, and it’s time for the league to start taking notice.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.