The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves at a pivotal juncture as the season progresses. With playoff hopes fading fast, the team must now shift focus to building for the future while navigating some tricky roster decisions.
Let’s face the harsh reality: our chances of making even the play-in tournament are virtually non-existent. Basketball Reference and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index both give us a 0% chance of sneaking into the 10th seed. To reach a .500 record, we’d need to go on an unprecedented 31-9 run for the remainder of the season. That’s simply not in the cards for this squad, even at full strength.
So where do we go from here? It’s time to prioritize player development and future roster construction over chasing meaningless wins. This shift in mindset should inform our decisions, particularly when it comes to the starting lineup upon Brandon Ingram’s imminent return from injury.
The Ingram Dilemma
While conventional wisdom might suggest immediately reinserting Ingram into the starting five, that may not be the best move for the team’s long-term outlook. With Ingram likely not part of the Pelicans’ future plans due to salary cap constraints, it makes more sense to focus on developing chemistry among the core pieces expected to be here next season.
A starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, and Yves Missi would give us valuable insight into how that group functions together. This information is crucial as we plan for the 2024-25 campaign and beyond.
However, the reality is that Ingram will probably start upon his return. This creates a tough decision on who to bump from the lineup. Missi has shown promise but is hitting the rookie wall, while McCollum isn’t part of the long-term vision either. Ultimately, the most likely scenario is McCollum moving to the bench, though that’s not necessarily the ideal choice for the team’s future.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Pelicans’ roster decisions, tune into the Locked On Pelicans podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Pelicans Podcast:
• The impact of Zion Williamson’s return on team performance
• Analyzing small-ball lineups with Zion at center
• The potential effect of the King Cake Baby mascot on recent wins
