When it comes to the New Orleans Pelicans, it all naturally revolves around Zion Williamson, and how far they can go this season depends largely on his broad shoulders. But no good player can be a championship team on its own, and James and Jordan learned that early in their careers because of other factors that make the extraordinary.
Now that the Pelicans are better positioned to provide Zion Williamson with everything he needs to become a real contender in 2022-23, here are 3 reasons other than Zion Williamson that make the Pelicans a powerhouse to be reckoned with this year.
The winning culture is accumulating
If it's too early to say that a team that has only won two playoff games in total in the last 4 seasons is a team with a winning culture, it might have to be felt differently. Since Willie Green took over as head coach last season, the Pelicans lounge has become one of the best places in the NBA.
They stepped out of potential Zion Williamson trade rumors and completed contract extensions while pushing top-seeded Phoenix Suns to Game 6 in the playoffs. We've seen from teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers that talent doesn't equal winning, and now more than ever, it's important to build team chemistry to match team superstars.
The Pelicans sprinkled a unity prescription on the team, the owner fully supported the current roster, and when your best players can focus solely on basketball, management has done their job.
The perfect blend of experienced players
When the Pelicans completed the trade last season, no one had too special expectations for the CJ McCollum trade, believing it was just a risky trade for a young team on a veteran. But CJ McCollum proved himself as he shrugged off Damian Lillard's shadow to become the primary ball handler and scorer the Pelicans needed to average 24 points per game.
But beyond his on-field results, CJ McCollum is one of the league's most trusted players on and off the field, bringing a level of professionalism and maturity that resonates with young players.
He is one of several veterans brought in for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance Jr., Derwent Graham and Garrett Temple are several other solid puzzle pieces whose names haven't made a splash on their past teams, but are all well-respected players in NBA circles.
A combination of young talent and veteran players, the Pelicans have a bright future over time.
Have enough capital to trade
To say how rich the Pelicans are now is clearly unfair to other teams.
They get a large number of draft picks from the Bucks and Lakers, in addition to several strong young players such as Dyson Daniels, Kayla Lewis Jr., Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado, Trey Murphy III and Nagy Marshall.
With young talent and plenty of draft picks, they can easily scour the next disgruntled star who wants to leave, and don't worry too much about the finances, with packages like Derwent Graham and Larry Nance Jr. totaling more than $22 million to match.
The three cores of Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum are all locked into at least 2025, and even without adding a fourth star through a trade, they are not too far from competing for the title. But thanks to the shrewd manoeuvres of the top in recent years, they are capable of making any decision without fear of hollowing out the team's talent.
The NBA title race is as open as ever, and no team looks like a clear winner. But few teams like the Pelicans have both draft picks, young talent, team culture, trade assets, and competitiveness. The Pelicans have everything, the only thing they need is for Zion Williamson to stay healthy, then they will be the worst enemy of all teams for the next 10 years.