New Orleans Pelicans: 2019-20 NBA season player grades

New Orleans Pelicans starters season grades:

Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball‘s third season in the NBA was definitely his best yet. He’s shown major improvements in his game since his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers and has shown why he was the second overall pick at various times.

We all already know how good of a playmaker he is, and he carried that on this season as he led the Pelicans in assists with 7.0 per game. However, the main areas where Lonzo improved were his defense and 3-point shooting. Lonzo shot 37.5 percent from beyond the arc on the season, which was a dramatic improvement from 32.9 percent the previous season. He also attempted 1.4 more 3-point shots per game this year than he did in 2018-19, showing that he can be a legitimate threat down the line.

In terms of his defensive improvements, playing alongside Jrue Holiday in that Pelicans backcourt has been fantastic for him. Those two have formed a very nice tandem and this is where the defense stems from for the Pelicans. He’s improved his on-ball defense, which has allowed him to lock down players on the perimeter.

The only real negatives from the season came from the NBA’s restart in Orlando. Ball shot just 33.0 percent in the bubble and just 28.0 percent from downtown, as the Pelicans’ season ended in disappointing fashion without them putting together a serious run at the play-in game.

Player Grade: B+

Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday remains the heart of this Pelicans team, and probably the most underrated player they have for what he does on the floor. He does just about everything for them, and his defensive quality is irreplaceable for this team. Without him in their backcourt, they wouldn’t have even got close to going down to Orlando’s bubble.

He averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 assists per game and also rebounded very reliably with 4.8 per game. These stats underline the fact that he’s everywhere on the court for the Pelicans. He’s going to be integral next year as they look to really make a change in fortune down in New Orleans.

A lot of people question Holiday’s contract numbers, but he’s the kind of player that is priceless when it comes down to crunch time, and that’s exactly where the Pelicans want to be and are trying to get to. Holiday is a player you need to have on your team when you get there, and he’s a player who’ll have a big impact in terms of leading the way there as well.

It wasn’t his best shooting year, as he shot 45.5 percent from the field, but his shots came down slightly from the previous year. There’re plenty of volume scorers available for New Orleans now, but Holiday’s importance remains evident like it did this year.

Player Grade: B

Brandon Ingram

After three seasons with the Lakers, Brandon Ingram’s involvement in the Anthony Davis trade presented him with a massive opportunity to establish himself as the star he should be

Ingram’s fourth season saw him earn his first of what will likely be many All-Star appearances and ended in him taking home the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. All of Ingram’s statistics took a dramatic leap this year, as he led the Pelicans with an incredible 23.8 points per game on the season. He was also fourth on the Pelicans in assists, with 4.2 per game, showing that he’s much more than a scorer.

There are still many things to be learned defensively, but Ingram’s offensive skill set is nearing the elite-level already. Ingram took 6.2 3-point shots per game and shot 39.1 percent doing so. The early comparisons to Kevin Durant have probably put a lot of pressure on Ingram, but his game this year certainly showed why these comparisons have been present throughout the years.

Player Grade: A

Zion Williamson

2019’s No. 1 pick had perhaps the most hype of any rookie ever coming into the NBA. Throughout the 24 games that he did play this year, we saw why. Injuries got in the way of a rookie season that could’ve been one for the ages, but Zion Williamson certainly made his mark on the league in the time that he did have on the floor.

Zion played 19 games before the league was postponed due to the ongoing pandemic, then five more in Orlando where he was on a minutes restriction for a significant amount of time. This would’ve been disappointing to Pelicans and NBA fans everywhere who were looking to tune in to see the rookie phenomenon. But, in the long run, this is was the play. Protecting Zion is the number one priority for the Pelicans here. He’s their number one pick, and the most sought after player in the draft since at least AD. He’ll be ready to go next year and so will the Pelicans.

Zion averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game through his rookie season, showing his dominance on every night he played. When healthy, he is going to be an absolute nightmare matchup for all 29 other teams in the league. He established a 61.6 true shooting percentage on the season, showing that he will develop into an option from downtown as well as in the paint.

Player Grade: A-

Derrick Favors

The Pelicans’ veteran center was an important piece of the team this season. Derrick Favors is their only current big-time rebounder, as he averaged 9.8 per game on the year. On a team with so many younger players and not so much size, Favors’ importance was clear to see.

He becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so Favors will likely move onto another team, but it was his best year on the boards, and he was extremely efficient going to the basket, shooting 61.7 percent on the season.

Having an experienced center would’ve been important for Jaxson Hayes and his development throughout his rookie season. Favors showed he still has plenty left in the tank and he’s a player who could easily still average a double-double.

Player Grade: B-