3 Questions For The Pelicans Heading Into Next NBA Season

Health is by far and away the most prevalent issue on this team. There are definitely ways to prevent injuries, but at the same time, there are certain ones that just can't be prevented. Last season, Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray played 30 and 31 games, respectively, with Herb Jones playing 20.

When healthy, Williamson and Murray are both All-Star caliber players, and Jones is one of the best defenders in the NBA. With a deep team and a long season ahead, Willie Green will need to be strategic about how and when he plays his stars to keep them healthy throughout the season.

Can Jordan Poole Play Winning Basketball Again?

New Orleans' most polarizing offseason move was acquiring Jordan Poole, the ex-Washington Wizards guard who was a major part of the Golden State Warriors' 2022 NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics. However, it's been a few seasons since that, as playing in Washington hasn't had Poole playing "winning basketball".

There's no doubt that he's a talented offensive player, but the question remains whether he can bring more than scoring to this New Orleans team. Especially if Murray or even Jeremiah Fears misses time, Poole could be inserted into that primary initiator role. If Poole is able to set his teammates up while scoring efficiently for the Pelicans, he could start to switch the narrative of himself as a player.

Who's Not Cracking The Rotation?

Even though the Pelicans were one of the worst teams in the NBA last season, they head into the 2025-26 season with plenty of players who deserve minutes on this roster. Assuming everyone is healthy, there are some guarantees of players that will see minutes, but what about those on the cusp?

Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, and Saddiq Bey are three players who could be the ones fighting for minutes in this rotation, assuming Willie Green doesn't run a rotation with more than 10 players. Alvarado has a case due to his defensive abilities, while Hawkins and Bey bring value as shooters.

Picking today, Bey is probably out of the rotation at this moment, given he missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL. As for Hawkins, his case for the rotation will be determined by how efficient he is as a three-point shooter, especially after his percentage dropped to 33.1% this last year.