NBA: Ranking the teams in the Southwest Division for 2017-18
3. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are one of the most difficult teams to predict going into the season.
In their frontcourt, they have two of the best players in the entire league, Cousins and Davis. Those two players should thrive together and set the basis for success. How the rest of this questionably constructed roster responds though, is a different question entirely.
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Stuck without a first round pick after trading for Cousins, the Pelicans were forced to find other creative ways to add cheap talent in the offseason.
One of those ways was to trade the 40th pick and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Frank Jackson, the 31st overall pick. Hopefully, Jackson can produce in his rookie season and provide a spark off the bench.
Otherwise, the Pels will rely on starter Jrue Holiday and the newly signed Rajon Rondo, who will start alongside Holiday in the backcourt. They appear to be a funky fit and only time will tell if the experiment is successful.
Free agent acquisitions Ian Clark and Tony Allen also appear to be line for some minutes on the wing. Each player brings a diverse skill-set to the table and can contribute in a positive way.
No matter which way you look at it, New Orleans’ backcourt is going to be vertically challenged. Major contributors such as Holiday, Rondo, Allen, Clark, Jackson, E’Twaun Moore and Jordan Crawford are all under 6’4″. Solomon Hill, at 6’7″, is the only wing with any real height, and he’s out for the foreseeable future.
It’s all adds up to be a risky gamble for the Pelicans. However, if it turns out well, they will cash in big-time.