Last summer, the New Orleans Pelicans did what teams spend years upon years trying to do during a rebuild. In pivoting from the Anthony Davis era, a few lucky bounces of some ping pong balls and some expert trade negotiations landed the team two former No. 2 picks in Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball as well as incoming rookie Zion Williamson.
Though the trio was sparsely on the court together this season – just 360 minutes – each showed signs of why they were high draft picks and potential franchise cornerstones. Ingram and Williamson took plenty of plaudits this year but Ball was just as impressive. In the 360 minutes, the trio finished with a net rating of 11.3 in 24 games.
Recently, JJ Redick was interviewed by USA Today’s Mark Medina and was asked about what the future holds for the Pelicans.
“I would expect us to compete for a playoff spot next year. There’s room to grow. Even for a guy like Brandon Ingram, who won Most Improved Player and was an All-Star this year. He has such a strong desire to be great and to be one of the greats. I know he’s going to keep working and keep learning and keep getting better. I would expect Zion to be hungry and in shape. Lonzo had a three-month stretch where he was unbelievable with 15 points a game, seven or eight rebounds per game, seven or eight assists per game and shooting 40-something percent from 3. We get that consistency from him through the course of a season, he’s an All-Star level player and a huge difference maker for us.
“You have to build around those three guys and everybody else will continue to develop and get better. Those three guys are going to be the leaders and headliners for the team going forward. They have a lot of potential and excitement.”
Redick also stuck in a little blurb about Ball being a potential All-Star-level player, something he has stated in the past as well.
If Ball is able to play a full season as the level he did from December through March, then the ceiling of the Pelicans rises significantly. Having a trio of young players playing at a high level is both exciting for the future and the present.
It’s also encouraging, though not surprising, that Redick recognizes that the Pelicans should be focused on their future. While some veterans would be more concerned about winning now, Redick is more concerned about building something sustainable.
In this case, that’s not mutually exclusive as the trio of young Pelicans is good enough now to make the Pelicans a playoff contender. If the team can make the right moves to build around them this off-season, including a head coach, then the team very well might make a run at those playoffs next season.
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