Pelicans Must End DeAndre Jordan Experiment

The New Orleans Pelicans dusted off DeAndre Jordan after the All-Star break, integrating him into the rotation after he only played in two out of the first 57 games of the season. The 37-year-old center was expected to provide veteran competence, rebounding, and interior presence to a team that desperately needed them. While Jordan has not been the main issue in the Pelicans' back-to-back losses against the Clippers and the Lakers, it's time head coach James Borrego ended the experiment.

It's important to note that this has little to do with how Jordan is playing and more to do with where the Pelicans are as an organization. Putting DJ in the starting lineup when Yves Missi was sidelined with an injury made some sense. Borrego wanted to see if Derik Queen would perform better off the bench. Now that Missi is back and we are entering the final 19 games of the season, there is no reason why Jordan should be playing over Missi or Queen.

DeAndre Jordan Shouldn't Be Playing Over Yves Missi or Derik Queen

In Tuesday's loss against the Lakers, Jordan played 16 minutes while Missi played six and Queen saw 19 minutes of action. The Pelicans were -7 in Jordan's minutes after they were -10 in his 11 minutes against the Clippers on Sunday. This isn't to say that he is the reason why the Pelicans are losing those minutes, but Jordan is clearly not making a big enough difference to justify getting minutes for a 19-44 team.

When the Pels signed Jordan in the offseason, it was to provide a positive locker room presence and valuable mentorship. He is an experienced, respected veteran, and if he wanted to stay in New Orleans for another season, the Pels could do worse with their 15th spot on the roster. Yet, Jordan's days as an on-court contributor are over, especially for a team that has Queen and Missi.

Missi has shown intriguing flashes in his two years in the NBA. He didn't take a big step forward offensively in his second season, but he has a ton of defensive upside. He is mobile, versatile, and can protect the rim. The fact that he is only averaging less than 13 minutes per game over the last week, so that Jordan can play, is unacceptable.

Queen has had his ups and downs this season, but that is to be expected for any rookie. Borrego's desire to keep him accountable by benching him is understandable, but he still needs to see more consistent minutes. Playing the lottery pick that you gave up an unprocted 2026 first-rounder for only 19 minutes just to give more minutes to a 37-year-old center is a bad look. Even if the coaching staff thinks Jordan gives them a better chance to win, he is not going to be a part of this team's future, so there is no reason for him to be in the rotation for much longer.