The opening of the year 2023 in nba Seen a few days after the end of this season, it offers a very different picture from the current one. In those early January the Brooklyn Nets and New Orleans Pelicans were the proper names of each side of the square, second and third respectively in them Conference. A little more than two months later, the situation could not be more opposite in both cases, although the sensations also differ. New Yorkers have sanitized their act while NOLA has seen how a fall without brakes before the injury to his best player, Zion Williamson.
From January 3rdby the time the franchise announced the loss of its star, the Pelicans were barely making it winning 11 of her 34 matches. Pyrrhic profit rate of 32.4%. for a team that has more than enough pieces to stay alive, something they proved last season by going no further, qualifying Playoffs.
19 days before the end of the regular season, Willie Green’s men are out of the zone play-in. yes in one western conference where anything is possible, in which the top 10 is one game away. However, the Pelicans’ trend and level of play relative to the rest puts them at a disadvantage.
How did such a stark and unanswerable collapse come from a team with so much potential, a priori?
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An ineffective offense without Zion Williamson
His return sion Williamson on the courts last October had an immediate impact for the Pelicans. With the star on the field, New Orleans’ offense was among the best, ranked at 87th percentile according Cleaning the glass. Although it depends heavily on the production of in transitionin statics the work of the young man and the rest of the team exceeded the average, which is why they reached the top of the West.
In short, NOLA was on a positive trend and with Zion as its pivot, the sky was the limit.
The moment his injury happened, everything fell apart. From Attack 114.7 (7th best) in the first 37 games he has played 111.7 (5th worst) in the following 34 engagements.
One of the reasons behind this lies in its performance on arrival, ranking in the 51st percentile in that sense across the board. But none more important than the sharp decline in foreign production. Averaging 34.3% without Williamson, New Orleans has been unable to compete for wins in a league that averages 36.1%.
Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, insufficient
The loss of Zion occurred practically at the same moment in the time scale as the return to his courts Brandon Ingram. The forward, one of the bets of the competition, had injured his left leg and his return was received like rain in May by the team.
The thing is, neither does his 25.2 points, 5.3 assists and 47.2% shooting in field goals have served to avoid another setback for the Pelicans. In fact, the continuous contribution of CJ McCollum, averaging 22.3 goals in 2023 and 37.4% from long range.
The entry and exit of additional figures such as Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr. or Josh Richardson’s disastrous business go a long way in explaining New Orleans’ underperforming and inconsistent performance.
A project, sold out?
If 2022 was the year of hope for the New Orleans Pelicans, 2023 was a return to the beginning. The two sides of the team they have seen this season are the best evidence of their limited potential. It is not limited by who makes up the team, but by the availability of its greatest asset: Zion Williamson.
With him healthy, the Pelicans could easily reach the playoff zone, more so given the level of the West in this campaign. Without him they are back to being the scrappy team of yesteryear, only without the momentum and excitement they experienced last year thanks to signings and rookies.
Louisiana’s may have bottomed out in 2022-2023. Maybe not athletically, since his options to step into the postseason are still there, rather because of the confirmation of an investment that expects dividends.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
