New Orleans Pelicans: Pursuing Kyle Lowry would be a great misstep
The New Orleans Pelicans should avoid pursuing Kyle Lowry during the offseason.
When the New Orleans Pelicans landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, many assumed that this would be the start of something special for the franchise. And while that may still end up being the case, at least over the first two years since the selection of Zion Williamson, the Pelicans have been somewhat disappointing.
Because of that, it’s clear that there is some pressure on the Pelicans heading into the offseason. Heading into year 3 of Zion and Brandon Ingram, there have to be some tangible results. Or, in other words, a playoff appearance.
Falling in line with that narrative, longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein is now reporting that the Pelicans intend on pursuing free-agent all-star point guard Kyle Lowry as an attempt to help get the Pelicans over the top in the West.
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Why pursuing Kyle Lowry would be considered a mistake for the New Orleans Pelicans
For as good as Lowry is and can be for any team, he simply would be a giant band-aid for what the Pelicans really need. There’s no guarantee that the Pelicans are a playoff team if they replace Lowry and Lonzo Ball, who is expected to leave the team in restricted free agency, and without that guarantee, this would be viewed as another short-sighted miss by the organization.
As frustrating as it has been for the organization – they have no real success to show for their investments in both Ingram and Zion at this point – they have to continue down the rebuilding process. The quick fix rarely works in the NBA. Even less so when teams make rash moves.
The Pelicans throwing all their money at Lowry would qualify as just that. Lowry, at 35, isn’t a player that’s going to significantly change the culture of an organization. Not at this point in his career.
Even though he’s still a highly productive player, his best years in the league are likely behind him and the Pelicans should assume that he’s going to continue to take baby steps back in his overall game.
Would Lowry be a helpful addition for the Pelicans? Absolutely. But would it also be a premature signing that would likely end in another disappointment? Likely so.
Even though the Pelicans haven’t had the quick success that they thought they would have after selecting Zion in the 2019 NBA Draft and with Ingram’s recent development, they’re still on the right path. New Orleans needs to continue to be patient with its rebuilding process.
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Making too quick of a move forward could result in setting the franchise back even further. The Pelicans need to second think about pursuing Lowry this offseason.