#pellies

The New Orleans Pelicans did the exact opposite of what many teams in their situation did in preparation for the stacked 2014 draft.   On draft night, instead of keeping Nerlens Noel and ushering in the New Orleans “Block Party”, they traded Noel to the 76ers for Jrue Holiday and it’s top 5 protected 2014 first round pick.  With the Holiday trade they got his 4 year, $41 million guaranteed contract.  They also acquired free agent Tyreke Evans for 4 years, $44 million guaranteed.  

I really like Jrue Holiday, he is a young athletic point guard that is the perfect player to run the pick and roll with Anthony Davis.  Holiday is a decent 3-point shooter with a career average of 37.4%.  Last season he averaged a career high in assists with 7.7 per game but saw his Turnover Percentage increase to 17.3% and averaged 3.6 turnovers per game.  I attribute this turnover increase to the lack of weapons around him in Philly last season.  He was asked to do so much with a team that lost Andre Iguodala and saw Andrew Bynum sit out the whole season.  

Tyreke Evans got a huge free agent contract and was overpaid.  Even though he is coming into a much better situation than he was last year with the Sacramento Kings I am interested to see how Monty Williams will be able to have Evans and Eric Gordon share time.  Both have almost untradeable contracts, Evans has $41 million guaranteed and Gordon gets $14.2 million in 2013, $14.9 million in 2014, and a $15.5 million player option in 2015.  If Eric Gordon can be what he was three years ago with the Clippers they might be able to trade him if they think he is going to leave, but I don’t see that happening.  He hasn’t even been a shell of what he once was since he joined the Pelicans.  

Their two lottery picks from a year had polar opposite seasons.  Anthony Davis had a quietly good rookie season averaging 13.5 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, and 1.8 blocks per game.  No one is questioning his defensive ability but he will need to work on this post game and free throws, 75% not bad but not great either, if he wants to be a force inside.  Austin Rivers on the other hand had one of the worst statistical seasons for a rookie EVER.  He was the 10th overall pick in a bad draft.  Rivers shot a measly 37.4% from the field.  Everyone said he needed to stay at Duke for another year and they were right.  

The Pelicans probably should have tanked to get one of the superstars in this years draft but ownership made it clear that is not what they plan to do.  Unfortunately they are in the loaded Western Conference.  They might be able to get an eight seed in the East but ultimately will miss the playoffs in the West.  If they continue down this path without another star player to go with Davis and Holiday they will end up like the T-Wolves and the Bucks.  Sometimes making the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed but losing in the first round every year.   But there is one-thing Pelicans fans have to look forward to and that is the evolution of Anthony Davis and his unibrow.  

and we can only hope for this: