The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off a fairly busy offseason. Their revamped front office of Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver opted to keep Zion Williamson. The Pelicans added two lottery picks next to Williamson and are hoping to get back into the playoffs after a down season.
Do they have enough to compete for a playoff spot in a loaded Western Conference, though? Let's take a look at their depth chart and questions around the rotation that head coach Willie Green will have to answer this season.
Pelicans traditional depth chart
Position | Player | Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PG | Jordan Poole | Jeremiah Fears | Trey Alexander (TW) | Dejounte Murray *(INJ)* |
SG | Trey Murphy III | Jordan Hawkins | Jaden Springer | Bryce McGowens (TW) |
SF | Herb Jones | Saddiq Bey | Micah Peavy | |
PF | Zion Williamson | Derik Queen | ||
C | Yves Missi | Kevon Looney | Karlo Matković | Hunter Dickinson (TW) |
Pelicans modern depth chart
- Guards: Jordan Poole, Jeremiah Fears, Jaden Springer, Trey Alexander (TW), Dejounte Murray (INJ)
- Wings: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, Bryce McGowens (TW)
- Bigs: Yves Missi, Derik Queen, Kevon Looney, Karlo Matković, Hunter Dickinson (TW)
Point guard Zion Williamson?
The Pelicans drafted Jeremiah Fears and traded for Jordan Poole this offseason. However, Fears is extremely raw, and Poole is best used as an off-guard. Jose Alvarado is best used as a sparkplug in limited minutes, and Jaden Springer hasn't proven to be a rotational-level player yet. Dejounte Murray will miss a good portion of the season with an Achilles injury.
It is likely that Pels start one of Poole or Fears at point guard. Regardless, the Pelicans roster is set up in a way that could give Williamson significant ball-handling duties in a point guard role. Undoubtedly, this is one of the more exciting elements of the Pelicans' season. Williamson's versatility is undeniable; he has bruising strength, which could allow him to play a center role, but he also has high-level ball-handling and passing chops. Notably for his career, Williamson has averaged 4.3 assists.
Playing Williamson in a point guard role would allow the Pels to maximize the size around him. They would likely play him alongside Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, giving the Pelicans a high level of size and versatility. Williamson would be empowered as both a playmaker and scorer in this lineup. Of course, he would only be playing a point guard role on offense while Jones would defend the opposing team's best perimeter player.
The Pelicans are hoping to field a competitive team after shockingly trading their 2026 first-round pick. Perhaps this adjustment would help them do so. Still, as always, much of this depends on Williamson's health.
What role will the rookies play for the Pelicans?
As mentioned earlier, the Pelicans traded their 2026 first-round pick to draft Maryland's Derik Queen with the 13th overall pick. The need to remain competitive and develop two lottery picks in a loaded Western Conference makes things complicated for the Pelicans. Additionally, both Queen and Fears are two high upside yet somewhat raw players. Queen will be sidelined to miss the season, which adds yet another element of complexity.
Green will likely give Queen and Fears some solid minutes, especially given their need for more big man and guard play. Still, how much of a role is unclear. Both players are gifted offensively but have defensive drawbacks, which makes their outlook murky. Even though they are talented offensively, it's worth wondering how their unique offensive skill sets will translate to the next level in year one.
For the Pelicans to avoid disaster, they'll need both Queen and Fears to produce at a high level. While both players are talented, that's a lot of pressure to put on two rookies.
What contributions will the Pelicans get from their bench?
The Pelicans' bench feels fairly thin at first glance. Sure, Queen and Fears could provide a nice scoring and playmaking punch, but again, their rookies. Beyond that, Alvarado and Kevon Looney can provide some solid energy but aren't exactly stellar bench players.
Jordan Hawkins has shown some solid flashes in his first two seasons, but he is coming off a down shooting year, which was considered his main strength entering the league. Saddiq Bey is a nice do-it-all wing, but he's coming off a torn ACL, and it's uncertain what role he's capable of. Karlo Matković showed some solid flashes as a rookie, but it's unclear how big of role he'll play this season.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans don't have many proven contributors off the bench. For the Pelicans to have a successful season, some bench players will have to step up, but it's unclear who that will be.