Pelicans offseason questions, Part I: Zion Williamson’s future, outside shooting issues and more
Pelicans fans may not be ready to say goodbye to this season after the team’s magical run to the playoffs, but summer’s almost here, and the countdown to the draft and free agency has already begun.
All eyes will be on New Orleans as the front office works to fortify the roster around its young stars in preparation for a 2022-23 season with big expectations. Nothing will garner more attention than the negotiations that’ll take place once star forward Zion Williamson is eligible to sign his rookie extension. The Pelicans hope Williamson’s commitment to a long-term contract this summer will quiet the speculation about his future and lay the foundation for this team to take the next step.
But that’s not the only big decision David Griffin and his front office will have to make over the next few months.
Here are five of the biggest questions the Pelicans will have to tackle as they prepare for the offseason. And for five more crucial questions facing the Pelicans — everything from CJ McCollum’s potential extension to what the cap might look like down the line — click here.
Will Williamson sign his rookie extension?
After Williamson’s comments at the Pelicans’ end-of-season presser last week, the question should no longer be if he’ll sign an extension but when. Asked about his interest in inking a new deal with New Orleans this summer, the 21-year-old responded: “Of course. I wouldn’t be able to sign it fast enough.”
The sound bite was everything fans in the Crescent City could’ve hoped to hear from the face of the franchise after his tumultuous year. But as I wrote Friday, I don’t think the negotiations will be as simple as that comment might make them seem.
The Pelicans almost certainly would like to include some provisions in Williamson’s next contract that would help protect them against another long-term injury. Williamson’s willingness to compromise on that kind of deal is still unclear. We’ll ultimately find out how he feels when (or if) his next contract becomes official.
More than anything else, Williamson’s talk with the media Friday showed his relationship with the franchise might be as good as it’s been since his rookie season. Avoiding any unnecessary new tension brought on by these negotiations may be just as important as what the terms of the final deal look like.
There will be a ton of drama and media attention until the day Williamson finally signs his name on the paper. But once he does make that commitment, most of it will go away … for now.
How will Williamson’s game evolve?
It’s been a long time since we’ve talked much about what Williamson can do on the court.
Even though it feels as if his absence has been even longer due to all the off-court controversy, Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the last time he played in an NBA game. One consequence of Williamson’s injury that sometimes gets overlooked is that this is the point of his career when he’s supposed to be settling into who he is as a player — and he hasn’t yet.
Williamson was one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league during the 2020-21 season. At 20, he put up historic numbers despite playing on a team that didn’t necessarily fit his style. He was still learning how to read the game and be the most effective version of himself.
Coming off the team’s success this season, there’s been a lot of talk about how Williamson will fit into an offense that’s operated so well while Brandon Ingram and McCollum have run it. How will Williamson change that dynamic?
The obvious answer is that a guy who can score 30 points a game on 60 percent shooting will find a way to fit in any offense.
But we still don’t know what Williamson will look like once he’s ready to suit up again. How has his game evolved over all this time? Will he shoot more jumpers? Will he make a bigger commitment to the defensive end? Even though he hasn’t been on the court, there’s been plenty of time for him to think about how he wants his game to evolve. It’ll be fascinating to see what it looks like the next time we see him.
Where are the shooters?
The Pelicans’ lack of outside shooting was an issue without Williamson in the lineup this season, so the urgency to find more floor spacers for an offense that desperately needs them should be at an all-time high.
New Orleans finished 28th in 3-pointers made this season and 27th in 3-point percentage. This comes one year after it finished 27th and 28th in those categories, respectively, in 2020-21.
Williamson, Ingram and McCollum do most of their damage below the 3-point line, so this team probably won’t have elite outside shooting numbers anytime soon. But it has to have other options in the lineup who can keep defenses honest and open up those driving lanes. Adding at least one or two knockdown shooters to this group has to be a major priority.
Will Herb Jones’ shooting be an issue in the starting lineup?
Jones’ emergence was one of the most incredible stories in the NBA this season. He went from being a second-round pick whom very few people knew about to one of the best all-around defenders in the league in less than a year.
His presence helped the Pelicans establish an identity on the defensive end of the court, and he’s the exact kind of player any team would want to pair with high-volume scorers like Williamson and Ingram.
But this team needs players who will give the stars enough room to operate. Jones does other stuff to contribute on offense, like cutting to the basket and scoring in transition. But he’ll be the guy opposing defenses leave open consistently to send help elsewhere.
The rookie shot a respectable 33.7 percent from deep this year. But if he can continue his work with shooting guru Fred Vinson and increase that number in Year 2, this offense will become even more dangerous.
What should the Pelicans do with the Lakers’ pick?
Thanks to the Lakers’ disastrous season, the Pelicans most likely will get to add a top-10 pick in this year’s draft to one of the league’s most talented young rosters. The Lakers’ 2022 first-round pick — which the Pelicans own as part of the Anthony Davis trade in 2019 — has the eighth-best odds to land at No. 1 in the draft lottery and a 26.3 percent chance of landing in the top four.
If that pick does move up into the top four, I suspect the Pelicans will jump at the opportunity to add a player as talented as Jabari Smith or Jaden Ivey to the group they already have. But if it sticks at No. 8 or drops to No. 9, it could become a really interesting trade chip for Griffin and the front office if they’re interested in adding some playoff-proven talent.
The pick is a luxury for New Orleans, no matter what direction it ends up going.
Pelicans offseason questions, Part I: Zion Williamson’s future, outside shooting issues and more
Pelicans fans may not be ready to say goodbye to this season after the team’s magical run to the playoffs, but summer’s almost here, and the countdown to the draft and free agency has already begun.
All eyes will be on New Orleans as the front office works to fortify the roster around its young stars in preparation for a 2022-23 season with big expectations. Nothing will garner more attention than the negotiations that’ll take place once star forward Zion Williamson is eligible to sign his rookie extension. The Pelicans hope Williamson’s commitment to a long-term contract this summer will quiet the speculation about his future and lay the foundation for this team to take the next step.
But that’s not the only big decision David Griffin and his front office will have to make over the next few months.
Here are five of the biggest questions the Pelicans will have to tackle as they prepare for the offseason. And for five more crucial questions facing the Pelicans — everything from CJ McCollum’s potential extension to what the cap might look like down the line — click here.
Will Williamson sign his rookie extension?
After Williamson’s comments at the Pelicans’ end-of-season presser last week, the question should no longer be if he’ll sign an extension but when. Asked about his interest in inking a new deal with New Orleans this summer, the 21-year-old responded: “Of course. I wouldn’t be able to sign it fast enough.”
The sound bite was everything fans in the Crescent City could’ve hoped to hear from the face of the franchise after his tumultuous year. But as I wrote Friday, I don’t think the negotiations will be as simple as that comment might make them seem.
The Pelicans almost certainly would like to include some provisions in Williamson’s next contract that would help protect them against another long-term injury. Williamson’s willingness to compromise on that kind of deal is still unclear. We’ll ultimately find out how he feels when (or if) his next contract becomes official.
More than anything else, Williamson’s talk with the media Friday showed his relationship with the franchise might be as good as it’s been since his rookie season. Avoiding any unnecessary new tension brought on by these negotiations may be just as important as what the terms of the final deal look like.
There will be a ton of drama and media attention until the day Williamson finally signs his name on the paper. But once he does make that commitment, most of it will go away … for now.
How will Williamson’s game evolve?
It’s been a long time since we’ve talked much about what Williamson can do on the court.
Even though it feels as if his absence has been even longer due to all the off-court controversy, Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the last time he played in an NBA game. One consequence of Williamson’s injury that sometimes gets overlooked is that this is the point of his career when he’s supposed to be settling into who he is as a player — and he hasn’t yet.
Williamson was one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league during the 2020-21 season. At 20, he put up historic numbers despite playing on a team that didn’t necessarily fit his style. He was still learning how to read the game and be the most effective version of himself.
Coming off the team’s success this season, there’s been a lot of talk about how Williamson will fit into an offense that’s operated so well while Brandon Ingram and McCollum have run it. How will Williamson change that dynamic?
The obvious answer is that a guy who can score 30 points a game on 60 percent shooting will find a way to fit in any offense.
But we still don’t know what Williamson will look like once he’s ready to suit up again. How has his game evolved over all this time? Will he shoot more jumpers? Will he make a bigger commitment to the defensive end? Even though he hasn’t been on the court, there’s been plenty of time for him to think about how he wants his game to evolve. It’ll be fascinating to see what it looks like the next time we see him.
Where are the shooters?
The Pelicans’ lack of outside shooting was an issue without Williamson in the lineup this season, so the urgency to find more floor spacers for an offense that desperately needs them should be at an all-time high.
New Orleans finished 28th in 3-pointers made this season and 27th in 3-point percentage. This comes one year after it finished 27th and 28th in those categories, respectively, in 2020-21.
Williamson, Ingram and McCollum do most of their damage below the 3-point line, so this team probably won’t have elite outside shooting numbers anytime soon. But it has to have other options in the lineup who can keep defenses honest and open up those driving lanes. Adding at least one or two knockdown shooters to this group has to be a major priority.
Will Herb Jones’ shooting be an issue in the starting lineup?
Jones’ emergence was one of the most incredible stories in the NBA this season. He went from being a second-round pick whom very few people knew about to one of the best all-around defenders in the league in less than a year.
His presence helped the Pelicans establish an identity on the defensive end of the court, and he’s the exact kind of player any team would want to pair with high-volume scorers like Williamson and Ingram.
But this team needs players who will give the stars enough room to operate. Jones does other stuff to contribute on offense, like cutting to the basket and scoring in transition. But he’ll be the guy opposing defenses leave open consistently to send help elsewhere.
The rookie shot a respectable 33.7 percent from deep this year. But if he can continue his work with shooting guru Fred Vinson and increase that number in Year 2, this offense will become even more dangerous.
What should the Pelicans do with the Lakers’ pick?
Thanks to the Lakers’ disastrous season, the Pelicans most likely will get to add a top-10 pick in this year’s draft to one of the league’s most talented young rosters. The Lakers’ 2022 first-round pick — which the Pelicans own as part of the Anthony Davis trade in 2019 — has the eighth-best odds to land at No. 1 in the draft lottery and a 26.3 percent chance of landing in the top four.
If that pick does move up into the top four, I suspect the Pelicans will jump at the opportunity to add a player as talented as Jabari Smith or Jaden Ivey to the group they already have. But if it sticks at No. 8 or drops to No. 9, it could become a really interesting trade chip for Griffin and the front office if they’re interested in adding some playoff-proven talent.
The pick is a luxury for New Orleans, no matter what direction it ends up going.
