New Orleans Pelicans: Is it time to consider tanking?

The New Orleans Pelicans aren’t looking like a playoff contender. Should the franchise make a controversial decision to speed up the process of returning to success?

The New Orleans Pelicans were dealt an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week. At 17-22, the second-worst record in the Western Conference, is it time for New Orleans to consider tanking?

The NBA Draft lottery isn’t as simple for teams to finesse as it used to be. For the first time in history, this year’s lottery provides the teams with the four worst records with the same opportunity to obtain the No. 1 pick.

That’s good news for the Pelicans if they are considering tanking. They aren’t far removed in the standings from the pack of struggling young squads.

That’s what makes New Orleans’ slump so surprising. They have veteran talent on the roster, but find themselves in the same position as teams like the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns, who are all depending on the success of rookies this season.

Should the Pelicans go with the tanking tactic, it would speak volumes for the team’s immediate future. There’s no indication that Anthony Davis has any desire to sit around and watch his team take an intentional pounding on a regular basis.

The look on his face when the Pelicans allowed the Nets to score 73 points in the first half made that evident. New Orleans will have a rough time convincing him that losing is the way to improve.

That being said, the tanking method of improving works if Anthony Davis isn’t playing. You’d hate to see anyone suffer an injury, but this becomes easier if Anthony Davis is somehow sidelined for any long stretch of the season.

That’s far-fetched, seeing as though Davis has played in all but 14 games over the previous two seasons.

The more likely option has to do with trading AD. If LeBron James thinks as highly of Anthony Davis as he’s previously mentioned, the Pelicans would be wise to orchestrate a trade that sends the five-time All-Star to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Pelicans would need to acquire Brandon Ingram in return to avoid such a deal being a complete failure. Ingram is a young wing player who has shown flashes of brilliance in L.A.

He’s not the generational talent that is Anthony Davis, but Ingram does fit nicely into the Pelicans starting lineup. He would start at the small forward position, allowing E’Twaun Moore to bolster the second unit.

There’s also the theory that Danny Ainge isn’t finished tinkering with the Boston Celtics’ lineup. According to Real GM, the Celtics are projected to have four first-round draft picks. 

Packaging those picks with a few expendable players could bring the Celtics closer to reaching the level of dominance that the Boston has been searching for.

With either scenario, the Pelicans would obviously be losing a rim protector and opponent scoring in the paint will surely increase. Deficiency in that area alone will allow the losses to add up quickly.

That’s a huge risk that could backfire, however. While the Pelicans may not be the most talented roster, Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle are competitors. The idea of tanking works with really young teams that tend to collapse down the stretch of close games thanks to inexperience.

The same can’t be said for the key components of this New Orleans squad.

The Pelicans are in a really rough spot. They aren’t good enough to guarantee a playoff appearance in the Western Conference. At the same time, they’ve invested so much in veteran players that intentional failure just doesn’t feel right.

If the Pelicans are going to consider tanking, Anthony Davis isn’t the only piece that needs to go. New Orleans literally needs to start from scratch.

The Philadelphia 76ers have created the blueprint for tanking. But as we look at how The Process has unfolded, five years after its inception, Philadelphia has made the playoffs just once. In that lone appearance the 76ers were bounced by the Boston Celtics in the second round.

If the Pelicans are to look at the 76ers as a glimpse into their own future, New Orleans should understand that even with the years of losing, the current trio of Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are fourth in the Eastern Conference.

They aren’t a NBA championship favorite. Most importantly, there’s no telling that Philadelphia won’t be in the same spot with its young stars that the Pelicans are facing with Anthony Davis.

Tanking is certainly an option for New Orleans. It will certainly put an end to the uncertainty around the team and Anthony Davis. But before truly considering it as a direction for the franchise, the front office needs to ask themselves if tanking is worth it in the end.