The Core: Zion Williamson (23), Trey Murphy III (23), Herb Jones (25), Dyson Daniels (20), Naji Marshall (25)
The Case: Even with Zion out most of final season resulting from well being, weight and web thots, the Pelicans remained aggressive. With Zion, they will beat nearly anybody on paper. The primary core, together with CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, have but to get sufficient reps collectively. As soon as they do, and Zion totally commits to conditioning and taking part in onerous each recreation, they’ll fulfill their future. In any other case, like Chris Paul and Anthony Davis, Zion might be the subsequent nice Pelicans participant who asks out of city.
The Ceiling: Western Convention semifinals. This season seems like a make-or-break for the Pels. Zion has to decide on to remain or go. And the franchise has to decide to him because the face of the franchise, accepting his Bourbon Road-sized warts. If Zion is wholesome and decides New Orleans is the place he needs to make his legacy, this staff may attain a brand new stage. That could be a huge “if.”
What’s Lacking: Capturing. McCollum and Murphy are revered shooters, however they want constant capturing from the purpose guard place, which can be in flux. They will discover this in the course of the draft, the place they’ve been choosing just lately. The staff’s depth round Zion and Ingram was constructed primarily via the draft, with Jones, Daniels, and Murphy’s important items for the current and future.
