For the second year running, the New Orleans Pelicans were voted as the team with the best young core in the NBA by general managers in the annual league-wide survey. The Pelicans’ lead over the rest of the field grew after last season as they received 41% of the vote after receiving 28% of the vote last season.
Memphis was second in voting at 22% while Atlanta, Boston and Denver all had 11% of the votes. The Mavericks were the only other team to receive votes, finishing at 6%.
The Pelicans’ jump in voting likely stems from a breakout season from Brandon Ingram that earned him an All-Star game bid and the Most Improved Player award. Zion Williamson also proved to be worth the hype that came along with him being the No. 1 pick despite playing just 24 games.
Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart had career-best seasons while Jaxson Hayes established himself as a regular in the rotation in his rookie season. The addition of Kira Lewis Jr., the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft, also adds to the Pelicans’ young core.
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