NBA
Pelican Watch: Anthony Davis And Crew Fishing For Warriors
So what do you envision when you think of a Pelican? Most see the large beaked birds swooping down into the ocean to catch its prey. I believe that is precisely what New Orleans has in mind now as it recently smelled the Golden State Warriors’ blood in the playoffs. Nearly three months later, New Orleans is the only team with an MVP candidate that nobody has on its 2018-19 Championship radar. However, if they’re not careful, they will find themselves caught up as the stunned victims of what may be an onslaught of young talent.
Offseason Moves
Take a look at New Orleans’ offseason moves. The Pelicans added former lottery picks Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton to their roster. This roster was recently supplemented by Nikola Mirotic February.
Randle was signed shortly after asking out of Los Angeles Lakers contract. The Pelican views Julius as an ideal front court mate with Anthony Davis. He is coming off his best NBA season in which he average 16.1 points per game on 55.8% shooting. Randle also schematically fits the up-tempo Pelicans, who ranked third in the NBA in game pace. He played well in the Lakers system that played the fastest pace in the league last season. Randle’s versatility, blue collar mentality, and experience in a fast pace offense are prime reasons Alvin Gentry figures he will fit well in the Pelican culture.
Other Moves
Then you have Elfrid Payton, a New Orleans native, who has been given a chance to return home to prove he can be a dependable Point Guard in this league. After spending the first four seasons as the starting point guard for the Orlando Magic, Payton was shipped to Phoenix last season. Now the versatile yet enigmatic point guard talent finds himself with an opportunity to showcase how good he can be with a team who likes to push the pace. Payton has tons of potential and could realize it with this team.
Projected Lineup for the New Orleans Pelicans for 2018-19:
- PG: Elfrid Payton
- SG: Jrue Holiday
- SF: E’Twaun Moore
- PF: Julius Randle
- C: Anthony Davis
- 6th: Nikola Mirotic
- 7th: Chuck Diallo
This Lineup
This lineup is not filled with household names, but it does contain a perennial MVP candidate in Anthony Davis and a really underrated number two scorer in Jrue Holiday. Remember, this is the same team that challenged Golden State without DeMarcus Cousins in the playoffs, largely because they pushed the pace. Now they have possibly gotten faster and more athletic at two key positions, which would make them even faster as a team going forward. Davis is only 25 years old. Randle is 23 and Payton is 24. E’Twaun Moore is the wily vet at 29, while Holiday is right behind him at 28. This means this team may be pushing the pace for a long time if this pans out the way Dell Demps and Alvin Gentry plan it to.
One should note Gentry was an assistant with the Warriors when they won their first championship of this current dynastic run. He would love nothing more than to usurp them in the league’s hierarchy. This may be the year Anthony Davis finally wins and MVP. Maybe this is the year an unlikely team rises up in the West. Maybe this is the year the Pelicans catch their biggest fish, an NBA title? Unlikely, but it would make for a nice story.
