Jake Madison here, the host of the daily Locked On Pelicans podcast, with your daily Locked On Pelicans newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Pelicans and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Pelicans’ Season: A Crossroads Amidst Injuries
Photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The New Orleans Pelicans are facing a challenging season, marred by a string of injuries that have left fans questioning the team’s future. With key players like Zion Williamson and C.J. McCollum sidelined, the Pelicans are on a six-game losing streak, sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference. Despite the bleak outlook, there’s a glimmer of hope that the season isn’t lost yet.
The Pelicans are just a few games away from a playoff spot, and history shows that a late-season surge is possible. In Willie Green’s first year, the team started poorly but still made the playoffs. This year, the Pelicans are more talented, and if they can get healthy, a run to the play-in tournament is within reach. However, the decision to tank or push forward is critical, as it could impact the future of the team’s leadership.
Brandon Ingram’s Role: A Key to Success
Brandon Ingram has been a standout performer, averaging nearly 23 points per game and showing impressive passing skills. However, the Pelicans need to utilize Ingram more creatively to maximize his impact. One strategy is to post him up more often, allowing him to use his size and vision to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
By positioning Ingram closer to the basket, the Pelicans can exploit his ability to draw defenders and open up the floor for others. This approach could reduce turnovers and increase scoring efficiency, especially with the team’s current lack of three-point shooting threats. Ingram’s court awareness and passing ability make him a valuable asset in this role, potentially leading to more wins.
The Pelicans’ strategy moving forward will be crucial in determining the outcome of their season. With tough games against the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers on the horizon, the team must find ways to compete despite their injury setbacks. The decision to tank or fight for a playoff spot will have long-term implications, not just for the current roster but for the future of the franchise.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Pelicans’ strategies and challenges, tune into the Locked On Pelicans podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Pelicans Podcast:
- Creative strategies to utilize Brandon Ingram effectively
- Analysis of the Pelicans’ new City Edition uniforms
- The impact of injuries on the Pelicans’ playoff hopes
- Potential consequences of tanking for the Pelicans’ management
- Historical comparisons to previous Pelicans’ seasons and playoff runs
I held off on writing about the apparent rash, or rise, of early-season athlete injuries because there’s always some recency bias involved when the subject comes up. Are there really more injuries this year than any other? Do we have the data to support it? Is there a new, underlying cause? Or are injuries due to the same compounding mix of bad luck and the NBA’s 82-game schedule running into a long postseason, running into the offseason, running back into a brand new long regular season and the erosion of bodies this eventually leads to?
A report early this week showed early-season injuries were up 35%, and indeed ESPN’s list of injuries, at a glance, looks like a ferocious Christmas tree, lit up in blazing reds and yellows. A handful of teams (the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Raptors) are cobbling together rosters game-to-game depending on who’s still healthy. TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott ran a draft of the injured list this week and each team reads like an All-Star squad on steroids, and when Abbott printed out the league’s official injury report it was 10 pages long.
Injuries are definitely up — but why?
The Paris Olympics proved extra playing time for a few top-tier stars, but most of them remain healthy. The early season schedule hasn’t served up any more back-to-backs to longer road game stretches, which tend to be more gruelling on athletes, than usual. However, when everything appears to be normal and the bodily price is anything but, perhaps it’s time to examine that “normal”.
The NBA’s current schedule of 82 games was adopted in 1967. Already, I’m sure your brain is picturing black and white basketball, that’s good. When you picture that grainy, glitchy footage, how fast is it going? The reality is that the game used to be a lot slower. Not just in its mechanics (think of an offensive passing sequence, the ball flipping from set of hands to hands at a speed that can be hard to follow), but the athleticism too. Bodies were moving slower. The game was still physical — the trope of players from the 80s and 90s complaining about the “softness” of current athletes is a trope for a reason — but full tilt sprinting, cutting, complex rotations, these weren’t the norm. Given that, the bodily mechanics were different. Guys weren’t stopping on a dime, pivoting hard, having to force their ligaments and muscles and bones into exacting motions with all sorts of volatile force behind them.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Preview The Pelicans host the Nuggets in the group stage of the NBA Cup. Read the preview. (NBA.com)
Biz Dejounte Murray’s new contract might offer the Pelicans a saving grace if they play their cards right and leverage this opportunity. (Pelican Debrief)
Analysis The NBA’s new CBA and its second apron could have a devastating effect on the Pelicans, potentially complicating their financial and roster decisions. (Pelican Debrief)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Replay: Navigating the injury bug
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) holds his leg after a hard following a play against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Paycom Center.|Photo by Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
This week in the fantasy basketball world has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. A major talking point has been Chet Holmgren’s unfortunate injury, which has fantasy managers scrambling for replacements as the Oklahoma City Thunder adjust with potential lineup changes. Keep an eye on players like Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace — who might see increased minutes — and consider them as temporary pickups in deeper leagues.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Pelicans podcasts.
New Orleans Pelicans’ offensive rebounding strategy: Key to getting wins? The New Orleans Pelicans showcased a relentless offensive rebounding effort against the Oklahoma City Thunder, grabbing 21 offensive boards and scoring 26 second-chance points. Yet, their 23 turnovers led to 34 fast-break points for OKC, highlighting a critical area for improvement.
Can New Orleans Pelicans rely on Zion Williamson despite recurring injuries? Zion Williamson’s indefinite absence due to a left hamstring strain marks his fourth significant injury, sparking concerns for the New Orleans Pelicans’ strategy. With injuries plaguing the team, is it time to reconsider building around Zion?
Why Willie Green’s coaching is under fire for New Orleans Pelicans crunch time loss to Brooklyn Nets Can the New Orleans Pelicans Overcome Their Crunch Time Struggles? The New Orleans Pelicans faced a tough loss to the Brooklyn Nets, falling 107-105 after failing to score in the final 3 and a half minutes. This game highlighted ongoing issues with their offensive execution and shot selection during critical moments.
