The New Orleans Pelicans are in a rut. Most teams have their rosters ready six weeks before training camp, but the Pels still have work to do. They’re trying to trade Brandon Ingram and need to replace a couple of key players who left as free agents. David Griffin and the front office have a roster that’s not quite right when it comes to Zion Williamson, but they may not be able to get it sorted until closer to the February 6 trade deadline.
With Dejounte Murray, New Orleans has another ball handler and playmaker. They have lacked a true point guard for the past few years, but bringing him in creates new problems. Murray, Zion, BI and CJ McCollum only have one ball. All four need it to maximize their performance, and those four core players face massive problems on defense.
The Pelicans claim they are building around Zion, but they have put the 24-year-old All-Star in a position where it is impossible to succeed this offseason. Williamson will have to play a lot of minutes away from his best position and the added workload is not ideal given his injury history.
Zion is one of a kind. He’s 6’6″ and 280 pounds, but few can match his athleticism. Williamson is a nightmare opponent for big men, but guards are easy to overpower. Zion has proven he’s truly unstoppable, and the Pelicans could undo that.
New Orleans released Jonas Valanciunas as a free agent and did not sign a replacement. Daniel Theis is currently a backup and Yves Missi is a rookie who is not yet ready for a starting position. Those are the Pelicans’ only two centers on their roster.
In addition, the franchise’s top six players are 6’0″ or shorter. The heaviest player besides Zion is Herb Jones at 215 lbs. There is no other option than to play small ball five. Zion needs to play as a center over 30 for the Pelicans to compete with the top teams in the Western Conference in their current configuration.
Williamson can’t protect the basket and is a below-average rebounder. He doesn’t have the skills of a traditional big man, and using him at the five poses major problems for New Orleans. The Pelicans don’t have a better option, but they might regret drafting Zion for an even more important reason.
Zion has played in just 184 games in his first five NBA seasons due to injuries. He played in a career-high 70 games last season before suffering a season-ending injury in the play-in tournament against the Lakers. Williamson has played in fewer than 30 games in three different seasons.
Facing the biggest and strongest players in the league only adds to his injury concerns. Taking out Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and every other big center in the NBA in an 82-game regular season is a burden. Zion can’t afford the additional stress on his body. It would make him more susceptible to further injuries and put his franchise in a worse position.
The New Orleans Pelicans need a center addition before training camp begins. This is a must-have for the franchise. Zion Williamson showed his superstar potential last season, but it can only be realized if the Pels put him in positions where he can succeed. So far this offseason, they have failed at that task.
