Nine brand-new additions to the roster, including three rookies chosen during the June draft – two of them still teenagers. Just five NBA veterans with playoff experience. Only two players who’ve advanced past the postseason’s second round.
On paper, the 2019-20 New Orleans Pelicans appear to be the quintessential “rebuilding” team, a squad built largely around youngsters and relatively untested pros. Yet they don’t sound like a group thinking more about say, 2022, than the present. While others may have a much longer-term view of New Orleans’ timetable for success, Pelicans players believe they can add to the group’s collective postseason resume immediately.
“I feel like we can be a playoff team, in a very tough Western Conference,” said Jrue Holiday, ranked third on the Pelicans with 30 career postseason games. “I don’t want to say or do too much, because anything can happen. I’ve been through seasons where we had injuries or different situations like that. But I think we can be a very good playoff team and compete.”
“I only have one goal and that’s to make the playoffs,” said guard Lonzo Ball, when asked about his individual objectives for ’19-20. “I really don’t put too many personal goals up for myself. I feel like if we make the playoffs, then I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Most NBA analysts project the Pelicans (33-49 in ’18-19) to be one of the league’s most improved teams, but not necessarily enough to finish in the top eight of a deep conference with few pushovers. NBA.com’s late-July power rankings placed New Orleans 10th in the West, while ESPN.com lists the Pelicans ninth. The West was already very formidable, but several teams projected near the top of the standings made splashy summer moves.
“I think it’s more competitive,” Holiday said of the West, before listing several teams that added big names this offseason. “You saw what the Clippers did. You know what the Lakers did. You saw Utah has Mike Conley now, and got some good offseason pickups. In Houston, Russ (Westbrook) and James (Harden) are back together again. Portland’s always been a steady 1 through 8 (playoff team).
“It’s going to be tough, but it’s going to be fun. I feel like this is why we play the game. I really wouldn’t want to be in any other place, to be able to compete with the best of the best. It’s going to be a fun, fun conference.”
New Orleans more than tripled the amount of career playoff experience on its roster via free agency and the trade market, landing guard JJ Redick (110 games) and center Derrick Favors (31) in July. Other than those veteran pickups, only Holiday, E’Twaun Moore (21) and Darius Miller (9, sidelined by ACL injury) have ever appeared in the postseason pressure-cooker. Excluding that quintet and 28-year-old international free-agent signee Nicolo Melli, every other Pelican is under age 25. Redick actually holds the longest active streak of any NBA player in reaching the playoffs, having qualified all 13 years of his career (LeBron James’ own 13-year streak ended last spring).
“We’ve got guys like Jrue, E’Twaun, Derrick, JJ, who’ve been in this league for seven to 10-plus years, who can be vocal leaders for us and help us get better,” said third-year guard Josh Hart. “We want to make the playoffs. That’s the biggest goal for us, to get in the top eight in the West. Besides that, we just want to keep getting better. We’ve got a lot of young guys like Zion (Williamson), Nickeil (Alexander-Walker), Jaxson (Hayes), (Brandon Ingram), Zo (Ball), myself. We want to focus on getting better every day.”
“Our goal is of course to make the playoffs,” said Moore, who started all nine postseason games for New Orleans in ‘18. “Being a playoff team, there is nothing like it. Playing in that atmosphere, getting that experience is huge, especially if we can do it now with a young team. It would be exciting.”
