New Orleans Pelicans Preview 2021

PreviewsNBAWESTERN CONFERENCESouthwest DivisionNew Orleans Pelicans

Oct 17

Our New Orleans Pelicans preview 2021 notes that in their first 19 years this team has been to the postseason seven times. The deepest the Pelicans have gone is the Semifinals. They’ve done that twice. However, it’s been three years since New Orleans has made a playoff bid. We find that this season with their young talent they will have a shot at earning a postseason berth.

Pelicans Frontcourt

Center Jonas Valanciunas has been a consistent force in the NBA for nine seasons. Last year with Memphis he averaged 12.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 1.0 BPG. Last season, his field-goal rate was 59.2 percent. Additionally, he hit 36.8 percent of his threes. Jaxson Hayes is a sound second man in. Last season, he shot 62.5 percent from the floor.

Our New Orleans Pelicans preview 2021 observes that power forward Zion Williamson is a scoring machine, averaging 27.0 PPG. Also, he brought down 7.2 RPG and made 3.7 APG. Although Williamson hit 61.1 percent of his field goals, and he’s dynamite on offense, he needs to upgrade his defensive chops. In his first season last year, undrafted power forward Naji Marshall proved to be a fine two-way, which earned him a two-year deal. Small forward Brandon Ingram is a fine inside-out scorer, hitting 46.6 percent of his field goals and 38.1 percent of his three-pointers. Josh Hart, a fine rebounder, backs up Ingram. Fifth-year player Tomas Satoransky, a fine substitute and starter, fills out the point spot nicely.

New Orleans Pelicans Preview – Backcourt

At point guard, Devonte' Graham takes over for now Chicago Bull Lonzo Ball. Graham, who comes to New Orleans from Charlotte, hits 37-plus percent of his shots from anywhere on the floor. Last season, he averaged 14.8 PPG and 5.4 APG.

With the Pelicans, Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a fine second season, as he nearly doubled his playing time and scoring from his rookie year. Averaging 21.9 MPG, he scored 11.0 PPG while connecting on 41.9 percent of his shots from the field. Rookie Trey Murphy III shot 50/40/90 in his second season at Virginia. He’ll see time in the backcourt and in front.