The Pelicans can finally put the Anthony Davis saga behind them as the new GM David Griffin and his biggest task at hand was to handle the situation. Griffin did meet with AD at one point at which point Davis still informed the Pelicans front office he wanted to move on to decide the opportunity to play alongside Zion Williamson, Jaxson Hayes, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Anthony Davis was traded for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh hart the #4 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, two first-round picks (2021 and 20204) and the right to swap picks in 2023. After the draft, the Pelicans turned Davis into 3 First Round Picks and Six young players. Today I want to look at these players and analyze their game, impact and how they will fit with the Pelicans.
New Orleans Pelicans 2019-20 Roster
Name Pos. Height Weight
E’Twaun Moore G-F 6-4 191
Solomon Hill F 6-7 225
Brandon Ingram F 6-9 190
Lonzo Ball G 6-6 190
Josh Hart G 6-5 215
Jrue Holiday G 6-4 205
Frank Jackson G 6-3 205
Kenrich Williams G-F 6-7 210
Jahlil Okafor C-F 6-11 275
Dairis Bertāns G 6-4 200
Christian Wood F 6-10 214
Zion Williamson F 6-7 285
Jaxson Hayes F 6-11 220
Nickeil Alexander-Walker G 6-5 205
Lonzo Ball
The UCLA product has proven to be very injury prone but also a very good basketball player who has the potential to be a top 5-point guard if he can stay healthy. He can use his superior IQ and make everyone around him better on the court. Using his length on the defensive end he is one of the best two-way point guards in the league and can shut down his assignment if need be. Great footwork and shifting of his feet keep him in front of his defender and keeps the perimeter in check. Lonzo comes with Ingram and Hart so he will already have two players in the offense he has experience with. Ball has many shooters to spread the ball too and plenty of big men to throw lobs up to so Lonzo Ball and his career may begin to take some type of path similar to what his father laid out.
Brandon Ingram
Ingram has shown us flashes of his greatness but just as he seemed consistent with it until he got the blood clot injury that ended his season early. Ingram is a slashing phenom with great shooting ability and on his way to be an all-team defender. His ability to play ISO ball the Pelicans can defer to him as a great option for a closer. Using his length, he has turned into a top young scorer and with the Pelicans, he can take on a bigger role most probably the second option. Ingram is expected to flourish this season into the top 20 player potential he has. His shooting will give the Pelicans a better chance to play small ball.
Josh Hart
The 3 & D young gun give the Pelicans another Jrue Holiday type player who is going to give you great on-ball defense and perimeter defense. He can come in and give them the grit and grind minutes and play in crunch time to keep the other teams player in control. Hart will spend a big chunk of his time playing alongside the arc and the corners while being expected to knock down at least 40% or better because there will be many open shots in New Orleans.
Zion Williamson
The very hyped and long-awaited arrival of where Zion will be playing ended up being a team no one ever expected…… The New Orleans Pelicans. Using his extreme bounce, he is going to play great in the paint and in the transition to give the Pelicans and their fans an electrifying experience. Most probably he will play PF with a small ball line up and play a Ben Simmons like offense hanging around the paint or in the low post. Where Zion and his game will dominate is in transition where he will average about 10-12 points in transition using his big body with all that speed and strength, he will dominate the league early.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Another two-way guard the Pelicans can add to their list of defensive players and lockdown perimeter guys. In Summer league Walker showed a-lot of promise and was showing his excellent work on his offensive game over the summer. Being a great knockdown shooter and even having the ability to create his own shot he reminds me a-lot of Jrue Holiday. 3 and D to push and dominate the game in the half-court for the Pelicans.
Jaxson Hayes
Hayes is an Eiffel tower who will more than likely dominate the league early purely based off of his height and strength. A shot-blocking monster who will not fill the shoes of Anthony Davis but can be a Steven Adams type player. Great role dominating in the inside of the paint for the Pelicans and being a premiere lob target in transition and in half-court pick & rolls. Hayes will be a big surprise for many who did not watch his game at Texas and how different the game was when he was on and off of the floor.
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