The 2019 NBA draft was a turning point for the Pelicans, with it being the last year of Anthony Davis’s tenure with the team and the year they got the #1 pick in the draft. The feelings at the time were that of excitement for the future, as the team had been stuck with low seeds and early playoff exits for years before they were finally able to start with a clean slate by trading Anthony Davis for Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, and three first round picks. With this, as well the #1 pick used on Zion WIlliamson, it seemed like a surefire bet that the Pelicans would be able to rise in the standing, and likely compete for the championship, within the next few years.
However, it’s not hard to say that any Pelicans fan from that year would be disappointed with the team’s state now. Over the five full seasons since 2019, all the Pelicans have to show for it are a paltry two playoff appearances, both being first round exits, and an “star” who can’t seem to find his place in the league. If this hypothetical 2019 Pelicans fan could ask one question after peeking into the future, it would likely be “How did we get here?” I believe it can be summed up by two major points, the inability to capitalize on the spoils of the Anthony Davis trade, and Zion’s issues with staying healthy
Of the players from the Davis trade, Branding Ingram is definitely the biggest stand out, providing consistent scoring for six years since the trade. Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball were both good enough for the Pelicans, but didn’t spend as long with the team as many would have liked. Lonzo spent only two years with the Pelicans before walking in free agency, and Hart was included in the trade for CJ McCollum, who was great for the Pelicans initially, but has slowly declined in old age. The three first round picks yielded nothing of note, that being Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Didi Louzada. Ultimately, the only piece left from the Anthony Davis trade five years later is Brandon Ingram, which would be cold comfort for our hypothetical Pelicans fan, as they probably would have hoped for more long term value in return for an, at the time, MVP level player.
If Pelicans fans could have asked for anybody to replace Anthony Davis, it might as well have been Zion. The hype around him pre-draft is often compared to Lebron, and while Zion could never surpass Lebron, the most hopeful of fans wouldn’t have seen it as an impossibility based on his first two seasons of play. He showed immense paint scoring ability, but injury issues quickly reared their head. Some of the fault for Zions injury issues surely lies in his discipline when it comes to staying a healthy weight; however, this issue can never be properly resolved. Even at his healthiest, Zion sat around 285 lbs, which, even if mostly muscle, is much higher than the average 6 ‘6 player. This combined with his high flying play-style doesn’t lend well to staying healthy long term. However, Zion did manage to play 70 games last year, so there might still be hope for him to contribute to a truly winning team.
In all, the Pelicans have not lived up to the expectations that most set for them in 2019. Despite that, there is still hope for the Pelicans, as even if they continue to sit at the bottom of the standings, that just gives better odds for a high draft pick. As seen with both Herb Jones and Dyson Daniels, the Pelicans have been able to develop their young talent well, so I believe that they could be trusted with another young star. One that could replace or play alongside Zion.
