Post-Mortem: 2021-22 New Orleans Pelicans

[ElectricMayhem]

We shall now cut them open and see what's inside...

Here is the data from last year's Post-Mortems:
Post-Mortem Results I: GM Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results II: Coaching Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results III: Performance Compared to Expectations
Post-Mortem Results IV: Rising/Treadmill/Waning

Team Name: New Orleans Pelicans
Record at Time of Death: 36-46 (.439)
GM: Trajan Langdon (2019-) (POBO: David Griffin)
Coach: Willie Green (2021-)

Offensive Rating: 19th
Defensive Rating: 18th
Rebound %: 3rd
Turnover %: 21st

GM: Change or keep?
Coach: Change or keep?
Relative to expectations, how did they fare this year?
Rising, falling, or treadmill?
If you were in charge, what would you do this offseason?

Notes:
Players under contract next year:
CJ McCollum ($33m)
Brandon Ingram ($32m)
Jonas Valanciunas ($15m)
Zion Williamson ($14m)
Devonte Graham ($12m)
Larry Nance Jr. ($10m)
Jaxson Hayes ($7m)
Garrett Temple ($5m)
Kira Lewis Jr. ($4m)
Trey Murphy III ($3m)
Willy Hernangomez ($2m)
Herbert Jones ($2m)
Naji Marshall ($2m) (Partially Guaranteed)
Jose Alvarado ($2m)

Team Options:

Player Options:

Free Agents:
Tony Snell
Gary Clark
Jared Harper

Dead Money:

Previous Post-Mortems:
30. Orlando Magic
29. Detroit Pistons
28. Houston Rockets
27. Indiana Pacers
26. Oklahoma City Thunder
25. Washington Wizards
24. New York Knicks
23. Portland Trailblazers
22. Sacramento Kings
21. Los Angeles Lakers
20. Charlotte Hornets
19. San Antonio Spurs
18. Cleveland Cavaliers
17. Los Angeles Clippers
16. Brooklyn Nets
15. Atlanta Hawks
14. Chicago Bulls
13. Denver Nuggets
12. Toronto Raptors
11. New Orleans Pelicans

[moss_is_1]

If they can get Zion right they will be very scary. Got a lot to look forward to. Have a potential great big 3 with Zion, BI, McCollum. Great defenders in Herb Jones, Alvarado. Solid big in Jonas V. Just keep working.

[twozeroMM]

They should flip that Lakers lottery pick for another solid role player.

[Bobbcats]

This one should be unanimous

[Alonzo_Morning]

They should flip that Lakers lottery pick for another solid role player.

I've been an advocate for getting Hart back with it and dump Graham at the same time

[laronprofit9]

Can’t have a more successful season than the Pelicans for young squad getting their first look at the playoffs. 3 rookies getting more playing time than another team by far, not even close. BI is for real and had a great playoff debut.

If there is another comparable team from the past it’s the 2010 Thunder. The 2010 Thunder took the Eventual NBA champion Lakers to 6 games. Game 6 of that series was really close, and the Thunder really gave the Lakers all they could handle. Arguably the hardest challenge the lakers had in the western conference playoffs.

Pelicans can rise to contention status if Zion comes back healthy along with the continued experience / development of the rookies. Like the 2011 Thunder


Also they have the Lakers lottery pick. Can trade for a good role player that can provide 3 point shooting or if it lands top 4. They can get an impact rookie

[baldur]

They should flip that Lakers lottery pick for another solid role player.

What if they get a top 4 pick?
They should just draft well and get zion back and they are making the playoffs next year with ease.

I would draft a shooter/scorer with their lakers pick.

[Chuck Everett]

Willie Green has lived up to the hype so far. Considering the circumstances, hell of a first year.

[Duke4life831]

First thing im doing is asking CJ if he's cool with being the 6th man. If not I'm looking to move him.

With the Lakers pick, either trade it for a guard that can shoot and defend, or draft Mathurin or Griffin with it.

I'd also look to move Hayes, try and move him before his value is completely lost.

[Harry Garris]

It's definitely a successful season for them considering they didn't have Zion. This offseason is going to be interesting. I could see any outcome from them giving Zion a max extension to trading him.

As dumb as it usually is to trade a guy that talented early in his career, he is a really poor fit alongside Ingram and if the injuries continue it could submarine the franchise for a few years. I don't know what I would do if I was David Griffin.

[flranger]

N.O. will be coming out to support this group of kids. They are fun to watch!

[ElectricMayhem]

They have a star in Zion if he ever gets back on the court. They have high level supporting players in Ingram and McCollum. They have some great young role players with guys like Herbert Jones and Alvarado. They were 36-46, but the CJ McCollum deal really changed the tenor of the season. They became a team that Zion should really want to come back to.

[AussieRules]

They have 2 stars in Zion and Ingram. 3 excellent sophomore players that will improve. A fantastic core and an excellent coach. This team is on the rise and will be a top 6 seeded team next year with or without Zion. This is a great young team.

[walk with me]

Hottest up & coming team in the nba imo
The lakers unprotected lotto pick and zion should make this team a lock for the 3rd-5th seed next year

[laronprofit9]

Herb Jones I see taking a huge leap next season.

Any little bit of improvement on his 3 point shot. He’ll be probably the perfect role player and potentially deserves an all star nod

[TheLand13]

It's definitely a successful season for them considering they didn't have Zion. This offseason is going to be interesting. I could see any outcome from them giving Zion a max extension to trading him.

As dumb as it usually is to trade a guy that talented early in his career, he is a really poor fit alongside Ingram and if the injuries continue it could submarine the franchise for a few years. I don't know what I would do if I was David Griffin.

Trading Zion is a really tough sell right now. The potential is insane but being out all season with that foot injury and the weight issue, as well as the question about his work ethic… I would want nothing to do with him unless I’m not having to give up anything too major in return.

[giberish]

Herb Jones was a huge get for the Pells. After years of Griffen chasing after tons of extra (generally small) guards and playing Ingram as a SF/PF, which guaranteed a non-competitive defense they finally got a perimeter rotation that makes sense. Hopefully he's smart enough to at least realize what he's stumbled into and not break it.

McCollum is very good now but I wouldn't be rushing to sign an extension, especially if it's full money. While you'd like to keep him on a reasonable contract going forward, he's probably going to be declining soon and you want the contract going forward to match that.
Given the Pells other assets it's not franchise-crippling if he ends up walking so you can take the risk of not extending him and not trading him.

Zion is the big issue. The post rotation is also a bit uncertain, in large part because I have no idea about how they'll play with Zion.

[BuddyBuckets]

Keep rolling with what you've built. I'm unsure what the future holds between Zion and the Pels but I am sure we can outscore teams most nights even if we're not the best defensive team. At least we have 2 reasonable stoppers, and Nance is pretty smart defensively.

I see the same potential fit issues as others have mentioned. But if Zion's healthy and wants to stay.... Well, you keep him, right?

[MrGoat]

This season has been nothing but a success for the Pelicans. If Zion doesn't have himself ready to play by the start of the next season it's time to consider putting him on the block to try to land the pieces they need to go further with this core

[God Squad]

So Devonte Graham career so far is wild
1. Starter in Charlotte
2. Starter in New Orleans
3. getting quality minutes off the bench

4. Can't even get minutes on a playoff team. Losing minutes by the game to Alverado.