On paper, the New Orleans Pelicans have a lot to be excited about, They’ve got two young stars in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, and a renowned front-office tactician in David Griffin who is running the show from behind the scenes.
Sadly, this season has been anything but high-flying for the Pelicans.
Both Williamson and Ingram have missed most of the season, and the supporting cast has had trouble staying afloat in their absence.
The team is now 2-12 through the first 14 games, on track to be one of the worst teams in NBA history.
But, according to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, that’s not the only reason NOLA basketball fans should be lamenting.
As he stated on the latest Hoop Collective podcast, the Pels find themselves in desperate need of the same players they let go not too long ago…
“The Pelicans had Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball. Now they’re out there looking for players like Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball. They had those 2 players, and now they don’t, and they don’t have replacements for them. If you’re a Pelicans fan right now, you gotta feel sick to your stomach.”
Granted, New Orleans has never been a destination known to attract free agents.
Often, the Pelicans have to resort to overpaying guys in order to get them to stay in town long-term.
But to think that the Pelicans lost Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball for virtually nothing is pretty wild.
Given how the Anthony Davis saga played out, there is extra pressure for the organization to get things right with Williamson, who has already shown signs of displeasure with the organization.
So far, the Pels have not gotten off to a good start. Let’s hope they can turn things around and give both Zion, and Pelicans fans, something to feel good about.
