Biggest Question the Pelicans Still Haven't Answered This Offseason

With each passing day as the regular season approaches, the New Orleans Pelicans' stagnant offseason puts a spotlight on a glaring need they didn’t address this summer. Last season, the team struggled to defend and rebound in the paint, and up to this point, this remains a question mark heading into the year.

Last year, New Orleans ranked 25th in the league in opponent points per game, surrendering 53.1 points in the restricted area. The defensive rebounding numbers were awful, with the Pelicans finishing 27th in defensive rebounding percentage, only grabbing 71% of the rebounds while on defense. That means opponents get offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities almost 30% of the time against New Orleans.

Many felt a strong interior presence would be a top priority this summer, but the Pelicans instead remained quiet on that front. They declined a team option to bring back veteran center Kevon Looney, who had a disappointing first year in New Orleans. The three-time NBA champion only appeared in 21 games, averaging 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

New Orleans re-signed veteran DeAndre Jordan to a surprising guaranteed two-year deal this summer.

The 37-year-old center was a much-needed locker room presence for one of the youngest teams in the league. Jordan’s impact, especially on the rookies, was evident all season and culminated in him winning the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Winning is more than just locker room impact, but at the back end of his career, the Pelicans shouldn’t expect much in the way of consistent production from the veteran.

That leaves major expectations for Zion Williamson and Derik Queen to drastically improve their defensive production next year.

They were not a good fit last season when paired together on the floor. According to Databallr, when the pair were on the court together, the team had a -12.9 net rating, the worst for any pairing with Queen, who played more than 325 minutes with Williamson.