Which players on the Pelicans roster will be a part of their regular rotation, and what will their roles be?
STARTERS
PG CJ McCollum
SG Herb Jones
SF Brandon Ingram
PF Zion Williamson
C Jonas Valanciunas
BENCH ROTATION
Devonte Graham
Jaxson Hayes
Trey Murphy
Larry Nance Jr.
DEEP BENCH – VETERANS
Jose Alvarado
Willy Hernangomez
Naji Marshall
Garrett Temple
DEEP BENCH – DEVELOPING YOUTH
John Butler
Dyson Daniels
Kira Lewis
Derean Seabron
LIKELY TO BE WAIVED
Zylan Cheatham
John Petty
Daeqwon Plowdon
POSITION BATTLES
The biggest priority for the Pelicans is to integrate Zion Williamson back into the starting lineup and then figure out which players fit best around him. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum have their spots guaranteed. The question in the backcourt is whether to start Herb Jones, who can lock down opposing shooting guards and would shift McCollum over to point guard, or Devonte Graham, who could run the point and allow McCollum to play more off the ball. The answer may depend on how much the team plans to initiate the offense through Williamson. Long-term, the best answer will likely be 6’8″ Dyson Daniels, whose size and skill set should perfectly complement McCollum. But it’s difficult to imagine that Daniels will be ready for such a huge role as a rookie.
The other question to resolve is whether Williamson will play center or power forward. Putting him at the 4 would allow the team to go big with Jonas Valanciunas at center and reduce the amount of time that Williamson would have to mix it up down low. But playing Zion at center could provide the team with a significant mismatch at center most nights; if the team went that route they could play either Jaxson Hayes, Larry Nance Jr. or Trey Murphy at the 4 and have a smaller more versatile lineup.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kira Lewis returns from his ACL injury to find several players now in front of him; in addition to McCollum, Graham, and Daniels, there’s pesky little defender Jose Alvarado. It’s difficult to imagine that there will be many minutes for Lewis, but he still obviously has potential. The Pelicans still have a move to make with the extra draft picks they’ve accumulated and Lewis is the type of player that could be thrown into such a deal.
Hayes is another quality young player that may find his minutes crunched by the return of Williamson and the development of Murphy. Hayes has quietly developed a dependable jump shot and is still only 22 years old. He would also be an attractive asset to include in a trade package. Having players as talented as Lewis and Hayes in reserve shows how deep the Pelicans roster is and how good their team can be if everyone can stay healthy.