Another year, another team stuck in the mud, trying to figure out how to climb out of the shadow of a fading dynasty. We’re talking the New Orleans Pelicans, who crashed to a brutal 26-56 record last season. The Golden State Warriors still owned them, taking two of three games. You’d think a team that bad would make some noise in the offseason, right? Think again.
Pelicans’ Offseason: Crickets and Confusion
Coming off a season where they only won 26 games, the Pelicans finally fired their coach. They went out and snatched Jamahl Mosley away from Orlando, bringing him in to try and rebuild the culture. Sounds like a start, right? Then they just… stopped. For a whole month! No first-round picks. No major free agency splashes. Definitely no significant trades. And get this: they LOST Kevon Looney?! What in the world are they thinking? Even Sports Illustrated called them out, saying they “needed to make swift changes” after another sub-30-win season. Yet, this team acted like they just made the conference finals, not finished 26-56. At least they managed to re-sign DeAndre Jordan, I guess? It was deep into the offseason before New Orleans finally did something substantial.
Is Mathurin the Answer, or Just More of the Same?
Finally, late in the game, the Pelicans made a move. They brought in Bennedict Mathurin from the Clippers for two years and $16 million. So, how does he fit with the new projected rotation? The starters look like Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, and Derik Queen. The second unit: Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole, Mathurin, Saddiq Bey, and Yves Missi. Now here’s the curious part: New Orleans already has Zion Williamson barreling toward the rim. Derik Queen wants to live down there too. Don’t forget Dejounte Murray and Saddiq Bey, who love to get busy around the rim and aren’t exactly snipers from three-point land. Trey Murphy III can shoot the hell out of it, but someone’s got to help that man! Herbert Jones, who made an All-Defensive team two years ago, has seen his three-point shot crater to 31 percent over the last two seasons. So, what did the Pelicans do? They went out and got *another* dude who wants to attack the basket! Pelicans Debrief said it best: “The one thing that always seems to elude the Pelicans is three-point shooting.” Mathurin, despite shooting 37% from three in his sophomore season and the first half of last season, shot an abysmal 20% from three when he was with the Clippers. Twenty percent!
This upcoming season, it feels like the Pelicans are going to be a mess around the rim. With Zion, Queen, Murray, and Bey all wanting to live around the basket, and Mathurin adding to that crew, it feels like they’re just asking for traffic jams. Trey Murphy III can’t do it all himself. If this team wants to climb out of the Bayou basement, they’ve got to figure out how to actually stretch the floor. Until then, it’s gonna be another long season of trying to win without raining down some threes. Good luck with that.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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