The New Orleans Pelicans will open their 2024 season on Wednesday night as they welcome the Chicago Bulls to the Smoothie King Center. You can watch the action (no pun intended) on the Action Channel- KXKW 32.1 free over the air.
After an early exit in the first round of the playoffs, can the Pels find health down the stretch and put themselves in a better position come March and April?
Here are five things to keep an eye on:
CAN THIS TEAM STAY HEALTHY?
I don’t think anyone can question the talent that the Pelicans’ roster possesses. Former All-Stars and top picks Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are the stars while CJ McCollum has acted like the glue that keeps it together. When you mix those stars with up-and-comers like Trey Murphy, Jose Alvarado, Herb Jones, and more, plus the addition of All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, there’s no doubt the amount of firepower that Willie Green and this roster are working with.
The question will be can the firepower stay on the court? Williamson, Ingram, McCollum, Murphy, and Alvarado have all missed significant time (more than three games) in recent years, so there’s certainly an issue surrounding the health of this team going into 2024.
WHAT WILL THE GUARD SPOT LOOK LIKE?
Murray joins a solid backcourt with McCollum leading the way in 2024, but McCollum is starting to battle with Father Time as he recently turned 33 years old. Behind them, Murphy and Jordan Hawkins look to have bigger roles in the offense along with Alvarado, who’s been a reliable defensive threat for New Orleans.
With CJ slowly moving towards retirement, what does the future look like at the guard spot and how does it shape up early on in the 2024 season?
WHAT WILL THEY DO AT CENTER?
New Orleans let Jonas Valaciunas walk in free agency this past offseason but added Daniel Theis in free agency as well as drafted Yves Missi. Theis has had a decent career as a role-playing center and Missi shows a ton of potential, but what will the Pelicans do at the center spot in 2024?
More times than that, they will likely go with a small ball lineup that features Williamson playing as a stretch-four, small five. With that group on the floor, there can be room to space the floor and use motion to keep defenders on the move to create openings. Theis is a great rotation piece, but I don’t see him being the starting center on a nightly basis.
AVOID THE PLAY-IN
Ever since the NBA’s Play-In Tournament started in 2022, the Pelicans have appeared in it each season. However, in 2023, they had a real possibility to avoid the tournament after being first place in the Western Conference in December. Will this team fold to injuries once again in the middle of the season or will they find their way back into a Top 4 spot in the West and advance to the Playoffs without the tournament?
IS WILLIE GREEN THE RIGHT COACH?
Willie Green is entering his fourth season as head coach of the Pelicans, carrying a 127-119 record in the three previous seasons while appearing in two first-round series. Injuries have certainly been a factor in the lack of further success, but fans and some media pundits are starting to question whether or not Green is the right guy to lead this Pelicans team.
Could 2024 be the year when Green and the Pelicans finally break through and show the NBA what they are capable of? You can start watching Wednesday night against the Bulls on KXKW 32.1- the home of the New Orleans Pelicans in Acadiana.
