New Orleans Pelicans Complete 2016-17 Preview

Nearly a month before the 2015-16 NBA season ended, New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry decided he’d seen enough. His big-league coaching career, which began in 1988, had twisted and turned more times than he could count. But it had never caused more headaches than his first 82-game marathon with the Pellies did.

“This is the most frustrating season I’ve ever been through,” Gentry said in March, per ESPN.com’s Justin Verrier. “When I left Golden State to come here, I thought it was the best job available.”

In one season, Gentry had gone from being the offensive mastermind of the world champion Warriors to the hamstrung skipper of the reeling Pelicans. New Orleans couldn’t build off its 2015 playoff breakthrough and instead limped to a 30-52 finish, lowlighted by a rash of injuries that limited all but two Pelicans to fewer than 70 games.

Health alone won’t right the ship, but New Orleans used the offseason for more than rest and recovery. A concerted effort was made to strengthen the ranks around franchise anchor Anthony Davis: The Pelicans kept their first-round pick for the first time since snagging Davis in 2012, then prioritized up-and-coming prospects over flashy signings in free agency.

This newfound patience may help eventually construct a contender, but does the Big Easy have reasons to hope for more immediate relief?

Biggest Offseason Move

Buddy Hield is by no means a risk-free addition. He’ll turn 23 in December, so his ceiling could sit lower than most lottery picks. Plus, he needs to prove he’s more than a three-point specialist by sharpening his offensive creativity and extending his influence to the defensive end.

But the sixth overall pick brings hope and quick-strike scoring potential to an organization in need of both. If he’s anything like the Buddy Buckets that Oklahoma Sooners fans saw last year—averaging 25 points on 50.1 percent shooting and 45.7 percent from three—New Orleans could have its key to unlocking Gentry’s offense and unleashing an even more dominant Davis.

“I’m a scorer. I can shoot the ball a lot—love to shoot,” Hield told reporters. “And I feel like when I go there, I can open up the floor for Anthony Davis and other guys to be able to penetrate.”

The Pelicans need Hield’s shooting to hold up. They only had a mediocre perimeter attack last season—15th in total makes, ninth in percentage—and lost their top two snipers to free agency (Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson).

But those subtractions were part of a calculated plan to improve a 28th-ranked defense. The free-agent money given to Solomon Hill, E’Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway and Terrence Jones was all directed at strengthening their stopping power. Ditto the draft-night deal to acquire Cheick Diallo.

Rotation Breakdown

New Orleans will start the 2016-17 season with a rotation in flux. The Pelicans are already missing three key pieces: Jrue Holiday, who’s on an indefinite leave to care for his wife; and Tyreke Evans and Quincy Pondexter, both of whom are recovering from knee injuries.

It’s not a stretch to think Davis is the only player penciled into the opening-night lineup, and even he could have some flexibility. Now standing 6’11” and 250 pounds, the single-browed superstar would give this offense more spacing and a modern feel by handling …

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