Entering the 2021-22 season, the Pelicans are full of optimism throughout the team. Cairn Williamson just had an All-Star season, and Ingram was also named to the All-Star Team last season. The Pelicans have since brought in Derwent Graham and Yunus Valanciunas to give the former champion more support on the court.
However, offseason foot surgery kept Williamson out of the lineup at the start of the season. The Pelicans have a big hole in the Pelicans' rotation that has a 6-foot,6-inch, 284-pound hole, and the new players have struggled to make up for that shortcoming.
The Pelicans added Valanciunas and Derwent Graham in the offseason to better support Williamson
With Williamson's injury, so did other player roles, and the New Orleans team has struggled to find stability in the team.
The biggest of these changes was the use of Valanciunas and Graham. Valanciunas is the Pelicans' most consistent player this season, averaging 19.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game — a career-high score and just a little bit off his career-high 12.5 rebounds last season.
Green said: "They have a lot of opportunities now. They are gaining experience in the game. And once we're in the lineup, we're going to get better because these guys have more experience. "
However, these experiences did not translate into victories. New Orleans is second-to-last in the Western Conference and lacks a key point on the field.
This season, Valanciunas has averaged 31.6 minutes per game. His previous season record was last year, when he averaged 28.3 minutes per game for the Memphis Grizzlies. The 6-foot-11-inch center is better than Adams last year, leading the league from 58 three-pointers to 58 shots in 23 games. Last season, Adams had three three-point attempts, all on a final-second jumper.
Graham, who shot better than Lonzo Ball last season in terms of three-pointers he shot on the ball (42.3% vs. 40.2%), was seen as better suited to attack on Williamson's side. The point guard had to take on more scoring in the first lineup, which is one of the Few Pelicans' options right now.
"Obviously, the roster is changing all the time, players are coming in and out," Graham said, while acknowledging the lineup the Pelicans have been forced to use this season. "We'll have more balance and clearer roles. When you're missing two All-Stars on any team, especially a younger team, you're stuck. "
"They've taken on more responsibility," Ingram said. "Derwent has to be in charge of everything we do and make sure we run on the pitch. Jonas is on the defensive line and he has to show up on the defensive end. We are now demanding of his scoring. He played for many minutes. It is important to remain in a stable state. "
Another player whose role was changing was Alexander Walker. The third-year guard will be the team's sixth man this season, but the Pelicans chose to add Alexander Walker to the starting lineup to give them a scoring point in Williamson's absence.
Alexander Walker started in the first 18 games of the season but slipped back into the sixth man role against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 22.
When Graham missed three games in late November, Green was forced to make more changes to the starting line-up. One of them was to get Thomas Satoransky and Garrett Temple to start. However, the pair did not produce an effective chemical reaction, so it only lasted one night.
For a team that has already suffered a major injury blow, the burden is already cruel. In the 2020-21 season, even though the Pelicans had a large number of injuries at the end of the year, there were only 29 games in which players missed. However, Spottrac's team tracking data shows they are now sixth in the league in this category, with 62 games missed due to player injuries.
Williamson's rehabilitation was slow and planned. The Pelicans won't rush to get him back on the court, especially after a foot injury. He was allowed to attend all-team training on Friday but has yet to set a timeline for his season debut.
While the Pelicans have done their best in his absence, the outcome of the season will depend on Cain's return.
Alexander Volcker said: "Everyone gets the opportunity to exercise, the time, the number of games during this time," says Alexander Volcker. The so-called boat to the bridge is naturally straight, and the rainbow is seen after the wind and rain.
Cain was allowed to attend all-team training on Friday, but has yet to determine when he will return
The Pelicans accepted Williamson as the team's lead last season. As of Feb. 1, Williamson was 13th out of 95 players who had at least 500 dribbles — behind the likes of Demar DeRozan and Luka Doncic.
Williamson's return will not only improve the Pelicans' tactics, but will also allow the Pelicans' other players to re-enter the roles they have always played.
As the days of Williamson's return passed, the Pelicans began to find a rhythm. They've won three of their last four games – all with a new starting line-up.
Valanciunas, Ingram and Graham are now paired by Josh Hart and second-round show Herbert Jones. Over the past four games, the lineup has scored 105.6 offensively and 97.2 defensively in 70 minutes.
This allowed other players to adapt to new roles – such as Alexander Walker as the sixth man and Temple playing a smaller role on the bench.
"I think if we let the players play the role of the team, when you do that, it also takes time for us to get to know each other in these different roles, to play with BI and Zion again, but I think the players who are playing, will get that confidence so that when we play in any role, we can play at a high level.
Even with Williamson's return just around the corner, New Orleans is five games away from the tenth-place finish. While theoretically there are possibilities, it is a journey fraught with danger.
"We rely on each other because we know we can't rely on one person in the game to get 50 points and win the game for us," Green said. "We have to do it collectively as a group. I will continue to reiterate that I am proud of what this team has done so far.
Let's wish the Pelicans good luck!