The New Orleans Pelicans appear set to enter the 2024-25 season with a big hole at a key position. After letting their previous center Jonas Valanciunas leave in free agency, they failed to replace him and now don't have a starting-caliber center on their roster.
Centers aren't necessarily as valuable as they once were. Even so, not having a big man to protect the rim and crash the glass could make it hard for the Pelicans to compete in a difficult Western Conference. Especially with plenty of talented centers such as Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, and Domantas Sabonis.
The New Orleans Pelicans' biggest flaw might be their secret weapon.
Without a starting center on the roster, the Pelicans will likely play small ball for large stretches of games. That means more of All-Star forward Zion Williamson playing center, with Pelicans coach Willie Green confirming as much.
"Let me correct you, Zion is not a 5. Let's make sure we take that out of our terminology... There are going to be times we will go positonless... We're going to play more of that than we have in the past"
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) October 5, 2024
-- Willie Green on lineups without a traditional big pic.twitter.com/U2UZsi1MGy
Playing Zion at center does come with advantages, such as him being able to play with the ball in his hands with more spacing and attack bigger and slower players.
Many teams already play their center on Zion defensively so it may not take teams by surprise but considering his effectiveness playing with the ball in his hands, it may not matter. Zion is a terrific passer and is explosive, which allows him to attack centers in space and get to the rim, where he is an elite finisher.
Better still, with a traditional point guard in Dejounte Murray, the Pelicans can run more 1-5 pick and rolls, with Zion making for the ideal roll man, given his athleticism. They can also surround that pairing with CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones, giving them both offense with McCollum and defense with Murphy III and Jones.
Zion Williamson at center may be a double-edged sword for the Pelicans.
That line-up could work well on offense but on defense, with Zion anchoring the paint, could be a problem. They will likely play drop coverage in the pick-and-roll, with Zion taking several steps back when defending screens. Teams who have point guards who can shoot off the dribble could exploit that, as well as teams with a vertical threat such as an athletic big man who can catch lobs.
Coach Green could put one of his two wings on the other team's best offensive player. Nevertheless, they won't have much rim protection to speak of with Zion at the five or with other players on the roster aside from rookie Yves Missi, who may not be ready to play big minutes.
Without a traditional center on the roster, the Pelicans can make do with Zion at the five. Even so, they will probably keep an eye on the trade market, with several trade options potentially available for them.