NBA Writer Makes Case for New Orleans Pelicans as Title Contenders

The New Orleans Pelicans have improved their win total every season since Coach Willie Green took over in 2021. Still, the team has not passed the first round of the playoffs despite making it to the postseason two of the last three seasons. Heading into the 2024-2025 season, the Pelicans have plenty of talent on paper, but there are lingering questions that need to be answered when the season starts.

Bleacher Report revealed their Wild Card NBA Title Contenders, and New Orleans made the list. The teams on this list are not contenders but under the right set of circumstances, could find themselves contending for a title this season. Greg Swartz thinks New Orleans has the talent on their roster.

“It’s fair to identify the center position as a major hole on this current New Orleans Pelicans roster, yet the guard and forward spots are absolutely loaded with talent following the trade for Dejounte Murray. If the Pelicans can flip Ingram into a starting center (or even if they don’t), this team is talented enough on both ends of the ball to make a run at the 2025 Finals.”

This summer New Orleans lost a ton of depth on the frontcourt after trading Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance, Jr., and Cody Zeller in various trade deals. The Pelicans couldn’t make a deal to bring a starting quality center in, striking out on conversations with the Cavs center Jarrett Allen.

New Orleans signed veteran center Daniel Theis and drafted rookie Yves Missi from the University of Baylor. Theis is undersized at 6-foot-8 and Missi doesn’t have enough experience to make an impact immediately in the league. He has only played three years of organized basketball. That will necessitate Zion Williamson to play more time at the center position.

Williamson played some at center last season and the Pelicans had a +6.2 net rating during those scenarios. That accounted for less than 300 minutes on the court, but New Orleans saw some success there. Health is a major concern for Williamson, who played a career-high 70 games last season but missed the playoffs again after injuring himself during the Play-In Tournament.

The former No. 1 overall pick is reportedly down to his Duke playing weight of 285 pounds. That should allow Williamson and the Pelicans to push the pace, especially with the acquisition of Dejounte Murray this summer. New Orleans needed another playmaker on the team, and Murray fits the bill.

He’s coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career, scoring a career-high 22.5 points and making over 200 three-pointers last season. He along, with Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones should be able to rack up wins in the regular season. The question is if health and chemistry can allow them to compete in the postseason.