The 2021-22 New Orleans Pelicans in Review
May 31st, 2022
By Alan Lu
The Pelicans took a long, circuitous road to the playoffs this year. They started the year off in turmoil, as rumors about their prodigious, star forward Zion Williamson being overweight and unable to play had surfaced long before the season began, and he then missed time and games well into the season opener. It turned out that he actually was injured, and he ended up missing the entire season due to a foot injury.
As for the Pelicans’ season, they got off to a really rough start, but they recovered nicely after starting out 1-12 on the year. The Pelicans were able to pick up steam midway due to the steady, reliable play of small forward Brandon Ingram and strong coaching of Willie Green, and they then made the playoff push to acquire Blazers’ star guard, C.J. McCollum in a midseason trade.
The Pelicans then were able to rattle off a series of wins late in the year to get into the play-in tournament, and they won both of their games to get into the playoffs. They were surprisingly competitive against the first-seeded Phoenix Suns, and they were able to take them to 6 games before losing the series and bowing out of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Key Players:
(Photo: Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)
Brandon Ingram
2021-22 (NOP): 22.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.6 APG, 46 FG%, 33 3PT%, 83 FT%, 55 TS%, 18.7 PER, 3.9 WS
Brandon Ingram showed off some versatility by excelling as a scorer, rebounder, and facilitator on the court. He struggled with his three-point shot this season, but he played well late in the year, and he turned in some dominant performances to help his team win play-in tournament games and a couple of games in the playoffs this year.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 3 stars (3.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Starting small forward on the New Orleans Pelicans
Jonas Valančiūnas
2021-22 (NOP): 17.8 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 54 FG%, 36 3PT%, 82 FT%, 62 TS%, 21.2 PER, 7.3 WS
Jonas Valančiūnas turned in a very good season this year, and he also added a much needed, reliable three-point shot to his arsenal. He really has expanded upon his game offensively, and it really helped the Pelicans late in the season.
2022 Season Grade: A-
Projected 2023 Rating: 3 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starting center on the New Orleans Pelicans
(Photo: Rick Scuteri/USA Today Sports/Reuters, via ABS-CBN News)
CJ McCollum
2021-22 (POR/NOP): 22.1 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 46 FG%, 39 3PT%, 68 FT%, 55 TS%, 18.3 PER, 3.6 WS
McCollum is a skilled, agile combo guard whose sharpshooting and scoring prowess was a key reason for the Pelicans to make a trade for him, and he helped turn them into a playoff team with his strong play for them.
2022 Season Grade: A-
Projected 2023 Rating: 3 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the New Orleans Pelicans
(Photo: David Zalubowski/Associated Press, via KOKH)
Zion Williamson
2021-22 (NOP): N/A
He is a superstar forward that missed the entire season due to a lingering foot injury. Despite being a versatile player that has explosive athleticism and point forward skills, he’s played just 85 NBA games in three years, and has played at most 61 games in a full NBA season. With questions regarding his health, conditioning, and durability, and desire to play for New Orleans, some are probably wondering if the Pelicans should keep him or trade him in the near future.
2022 Season Grade: N/A
Projected 2023 Rating: 3 stars (4 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Starting power forward on the New Orleans Pelicans
(Photo: Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Herb Jones
2021-22 (NOP): 9.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 48 FG%, 34 3PT%, 84 FT%, 57 TS%, 12.3 PER, 4.6 WS
Jones is a very athletic, energetic forward that proved to be one of the steals of the 2021 draft due to his tremendous defensive play, and solid offensive production this year. He stepped right in and played well for the Pelicans, and he showed off a very good three-point shot, as he looks to be a considerably better shooter than he ever was in college.
(Source: Twitter/@LouisPrejean, and Bally Sports)
He played really well in his role as a 3 and D hustle player for the Pelicans this season, and he could be a very good role player for them for years to come.
2022 Season Grade: A
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars (3 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Starter on the New Orleans Pelicans
Larry Nance Jr.
2021-22 (POR/NOP): 7.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 52 FG%, 33 3PT%, 70 FT%, 59 TS%, 14.4 PER, 2.3 WS
He is an athletic, energetic combo forward that thrived as an inside scorer and defender this past season. He was acquired in a midseason trade. He struggled with his three-point shot, but he generally excelled in his role this year.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
Jaxson Hayes
2021-22 (NOP): 9.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 62 FG%, 35 3PT%, 77 FT%, 68 TS%, 18.5 PER, 5.1 WS
Hayes did a good job of shooting, scoring, and defending this past season. He also showed a fairly reliable outside shot this year, and he seems to have really worked on his three-point shooting this year.
2022 Season Grade: B+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
Other Notable Players:
(Photo: Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images, via Bleacher Report)
He is an undrafted rookie point guard that thrived in his role with the Pelicans. He was able to get a substantial amount of minutes, and he excelled as a playmaker and defender for them off the bench.
2022 Season Grade: A
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
The rookie forward had an up and down season with the Pelicans this year. He really struggled to make shots early on, and he then shot the ball very well towards the end of the season. He proved himself to be a reliable outside shooter in the play-in tournament and in the playoffs, and he is a likely bet to be a regular rotation player for them next season.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
He is a scoring point guard for the Pelicans, and he provided them with a scoring punch, but he didn’t shoot the ball nearly as well this past season.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
He is a low post scorer that thrived in a fairly limited role off the bench, as he provided energy, inside scoring, and rebounding.
2022 Season Grade: B-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
Other Notable Players:
Naji Marshall
He thrived as a rookie last year, and showed point forward skills, but he didn’t shoot as well or play as much this season.
2022 Season Grade: D
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
He is an athletic, speedy point guard that didn’t shoot well, and he got hurt early in the season, which caused him to miss a lot of games.
2022 Season Grade: D-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
He played very well in the G-League, and the young point guard also thrived in very limited minutes in the NBA this year.
2022 Season Grade: A
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on the New Orleans Pelicans
He is a tall spot-up shooter that didn’t quite shoot as well as he did last year.
2022 Season Grade: D+
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on an NBA team
He is a veteran defensive specialist that was an end of the rotation player in the NBA this year that provided leadership to the team.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on an NBA team
He is a fringe, 3 and D guy that provides energy and motor.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe rotation player on an NBA team
Head Coach:
(Photo: Adam Pantozzi/Getty Images, via Barstool Sports)
Willie Green
2021-22 (NOP): 36-46, 2-4 in the playoffs
After they really struggled early on, Green was able to get his team to play competitive basketball, and they really were able to make a playoff push after trading to get C.J. McCollum during the middle of the season.
He was able to help his team win both of the play-in tournament games to get into the playoffs, and they won 2 games against the 1st seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round before losing their playoff series in 6 games.
2022 Season Grade: A-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars (3.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Head Coach of the New Orleans Pelicans
(Source: @Twitter/NBAonTNT)
The New Orleans Pelicans’ Projected 2022-23 Rotation:
C Jonas Valanciunas
F Zion Williamson
F Brandon Ingram
G Herb Jones
G C.J. McCollum
_________
F Larry Nance Jr.
G Devonte’ Graham
C Jaxson Hayes
G Jose Alvarado
F Trey Murphy III
The New Orleans Pelicans’ Picks in the 2022 NBA Draft:
#8, #41, #52
The New Orleans Pelicans’ Projected 2023 Win-Loss Record:
43-39, 9th in the Western Conference
Their Projected Offseason Plan:
The Pelicans are projected to be all capped out, and they likely have their starting five set for next season, unless if they decide to trade Zion Williamson or someone else. They could look to go with the best player available, or they could look to swing for an upside pick, as they made the playoffs, and they may not need a player to step into the lineup right away. They do need playmakers and defenders, but they have a solid rotation that could enable the eighth overall pick to develop slowly, which could afford the Pelicans to be more patient in taking their time to develop the next batch of rookies next season.
As for next season, a lot may hinge on whether or not if Zion Williamson is willing to play for them in the long haul, but they could explore the idea of trading him in case if he isn’t, or if management and Zion are unable to agree on an extension. They should look to make a decision about what to do with Zion Williamson quickly to see if they will keep or trade him in the future. The core of Zion, Brandon Ingram, and C.J. McCollum could enable them to make a deep playoff run next year, that is if they can keep everyone healthy. The Pelicans played much better than expected to close the year, and for the time being, it seems that they are in good hands, as they have a solid group of stars, veterans, and young players, and with head coach Willie Green returning to coach them at the helm.
I went to No Trade Clause and Basketball-Reference for research purposes. Thanks for reading.
