2014-2015 in Review
The New Orleans Pelicans made the playoffs for the first time since taking on the name of the Louisiana state bird and the first time since the 2010-2011 season. Amazingly, they finished fifth in the Southwest Division, marking the first time a division has sent all five teams to the postseason.
The Pelicans were able to pull off an incredible upset of the San Antonio Spurs in the final regular season game to clinch the eighth seed in the Western Conference with an overall record of 45-37. Anthony Davis was in MVP form early in the 2014-2015 regular season and continued his dominance without injured point guard, Jrue Holiday. Even after making the postseason, the Pelicans made a surprising decision to fire head coach, Monty Williams.
New Additions
Alvin Gentry
An assistant coach on the team that swept the Pelicans out of the first round of the playoffs last season, Gentry was a big part of Steve Kerr's staff for the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. Gentry spent 12 years as a head coach in the NBA, dating back to 1995. He has compiled a 308-339 overall record with the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, and Miami Heat.
Only two of those years Gentry made the playoffs-one of which was a trip to the Western Conference Finals with the Suns in 2009-2010. If the offense that Gentry conducted with the Warriors is at all replicated with the Pelicans, it could be another playoff year in The Big Easy.
Key Losses
None
Biggest Strength
Anthony Davis
The first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft had a breakout season in 2014-2015. He set career highs in points (24.4ppg), rebounds (10.2rpg), field goal percentage (53%), and blocks. His 2.9 blocks-per-game led the league and his scoring average ranked him fourth behind only Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and LeBron James.
Entering his fourth season as a professional, Davis is poised for long-term success. His strengths as an elite rim protector and explosive offensive weapon have earned him the right to be called the best big man in the game. And The Brow is just 22 year-old. Without Davis, the Pelicans would be irrelevant but with him, they are a playoff contender itching to climb up the Western Conference standings.
Biggest Weakness
Defense
The Pelicans are not a horrendous defensive group, but failed to generate many turnovers last season. They ranked 28th in the league with 11.8 turnovers-per-game against, which was less than they, themselves, committed. Davis and Omer Asik are skillful rim protectors, but the Pelicans lack stout defense in the backcourt. They will need to improve their turnover differential in 2015-2016 to compete with elite offenses in the West.
Bottom Line
The Pelicans do not have a lot of weaknesses and are looking to build upon a successful 2014-2015 campaign. They are solid on both sides of the ball and having Gentry at head coach should drastically improve their offense. The Pelicans ranked in the top five fewest turnovers-per-game last season, indicating that immaturity is no longer an issue.
They are staring at a tough schedule against four very good Southwest Division foes, which will make it tough for them to avoid a low playoff seed. Still, the Pelicans have the talent to make a return trip to the postseason.
Fantasy Slant
Most overrated: Jrue Holiday
A promising point guard dating back to his days with the Philadelphia 76ers, Holiday is a shaky scorer. He was held under ten points on frequent occasions in 2014-2015, which typically resulted in a lackluster fantasy performance.
He is a solid facilitator and can grab a surprising amount of rebounds, but Holiday is prone to turnovers. He averaged 2.3 turnovers-per-game last season, which ranked second on the team. Exercise caution if you elect to insert Holiday into your lineup.
Most underrated: Tyreke Evans
Evans was the second-best scorer on the Pelicans in 2014-2015, averaging 16.6 points-per-game. The 26 year-old is capable of scoring in the high-twenties on any given night, but is most affective facilitating and defending. Among guards, he ranked ninth in assists and sixth in rebounding.
He also broke the top 20 in several other categories, including steals. Evans notched one triple-double last season and came close on a number of other occasions. He was the ninth-ranked fantasy guard on eDraft last season and somehow fails to get recognized.
Biggest surprise: Eric Gordon
Gordon was quietly a huge factor in the Pelicans' success in 2014-2015. With Holiday sidelined for much of the second half, Gordon's play elevated. In the team's four postseason games, Gordon averaged 18.5 points-per-game, behind only Davis for tops on the team. He is capable of dropping 30 and is also a solid guard in terms of distributing the ball. With Holiday healthy, Gordon's productivity should remain high and the 27 year-old could shine in 2015-2016.