After being swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the future of the New Orleans Pelicans is now in question. Vice president, David Griffin, did not mince words while speaking to the press on Tuesday.
“Whereas in the past we’ve always erred on the side of continuity, and our takeaway has been, ‘Let’s see this group healthy,’ I think we’ve seen it enough,” Griffin said at his season-ending news conference Tuesday. “We’ve had some really, really good opportunity to see Zion [Williamson] play a career high in games. I think we saw it for segments of time well enough to understand we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
This could signal an end of an era in New Orleans. However, they will have a lot of work to do if they do intend to make a significant move or two this coming summer.
New Orleans Pelicans Looking to Make Significant Changes This Offseason
The State of the New Orleans Pelicans
The team has consistently had a terrific makeup the last few seasons, but injuries and terrible luck have always derailed their chances. Zion Williamson has been beset with nagging injuries all throughout his career. Not to mention, Brandon Ingram succumbed to a late-season knee injury this season. An injury that heavily factored into New Orleans’ late-season fall into the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The Pelicans have been considered a “dark horse,” in the Western Conference for many seasons now. It appears as if David Griffin has noticed this along with the team underachieving despite the talent on the roster. While it may be unfair to judge the core three of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and C.J. McCollum due to injuries, at the end of the day, the NBA is a business, and the organization will have some difficult decisions to make for the future.
Could Brandon Ingram or C.J. McCollum be on the Move?
This summer could be difficult for the Pelicans to trade Ingram or McCollum if that is the direction they decide to take for their future. Beat reporter, William Guillory, addressed this idea.
“Do I think this means Ingram or CJ McCollum will be on the move this summer? I don’t necessarily buy that. Frankly, I’m not sure there are a ton of trade options involving either player that would turn New Orleans into a championship contender. And considering Williamson’s injury history, assuming that the team can hand the keys over to him would be quite the risk. But improvement is necessary for the Pelicans and there’s no doubt there will be new pieces in the rotation.”
The New Orleans Pelicans are certainly at a crossroads. This offseason will tell everyone a lot about what the Pelicans’ future will be going forward.
