New Orleans Pelicans: Ranking their projected starting five

No.3 starter: Steven Adams

The big man from New Zealand joins the New Orleans Pelicans after seven seasons with the OKC Thunder, and he’s exactly what New Orleans needs. An old school center, Adams will fill in the void left by Favors and will bring plenty more to the table.

With Adams, the Pelicans are getting a beast inside who can get at the boards and also score on the other end. His leadership and abilities will impact the Pelicans positively on the defensive end too – which is the main area for concern when you’re looking at how the team was playing last year, especially in Orlando.

Adams averaged 10+ points and 9+ rebounds in each of the last three seasons and will likely have more minutes to play in the upcoming season in New Orleans. With Jaxson Hayes continuing his development in what will be his second year in the league, having a player of Adams’ caliber in front of him will only be a good thing for the former Longhorn.

The Kiwi will definitely improve the Pelicans overall. Having the center spot sorted will allow for a more sturdy team overall. Adams is the type of big player like Ball and Ingram can play off of. He’ll have a big impact in New Orleans. It should be a good move for both himself and the organization.

No.4 starter: Lonzo Ball

Now one of three Ball brothers in the NBA, the upcoming season is going to be an important one for Lonzo. 2019-20 was definitely the best season he’s put together in his young career, but the way he performed in the bubble left a lot to be desired.

After averaging 12.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 38.4 percent shooting prior to the season’s restart, Lonzo shot just 30.5 percent from the field in Orlando and finished his bubble stretch with a -54 +/-. It wasn’t a good period for Lonzo or any Pelican for that matter. It was a disappointment, but something they’ll all learn from and get stronger.

The upcoming season will be a big one for Lonzo and his teammates. There were definitely moments of brilliance last season for him, and there’ll be plenty more of them over the coming years. Lonzo developed into an excellent facilitator alongside Jrue Holiday in New Orleans’ backcourt. With the veteran guard departing for Milwaukee, it will be time for Lonzo to take the next step as a leader, although he will have Bledsoe, another floor general besides him to ease the burden.

All-in-all, there’s no doubt whatsoever over Ball’s talents as a ball-handler, playmaker, and now 3-point shooter. His efficiency with the shot will continue to develop, but he is a pass-first guard who’ll always make the players around him better. When you have players like Zion and Ingram as your franchise cornerstones, Lonzo is the perfect player to complement the process.

No.5 starter: Eric Bledsoe

It’s fair to say that the Pelicans have a solid starting five. Despite losing Holiday, an elite defender and a plus offensive guard, this five seems stronger on paper than it was last time out. Bledsoe himself has made All-Defensive teams in the last two seasons with Milwaukee and now joins the Pelicans after being included in that Holiday deal.

Bledsoe’s been solid ever since coming into the league out of Kentucky. He had his best statistical years in Phoenix, but what he’s done over the last few years as a veteran leader on a contending Bucks team more than matches those seasons.

He’ll take the reigns from Holiday as the experienced leader in the Pelicans backcourt, and will be a good mentor for Ball too. Bledsoe has started for the vast majority of his career, he’ll continue to do this in New Orleans next to Lonzo, and will be an important player for them in their playoff hunt.

Bledsoe will score efficiently, mostly inside, but his real value comes in other areas. He’ll probably serve as the secondary facilitator behind Ball. He always has an effect on the rebounding game, with 4.6 per game last season, and defensively there aren’t many better replacements you could pick for Holiday than Bledsoe. The New Orleans Pelicans have the perfect mix of future stars and current talent to keep them in the mix down the stretch.