New Orleans Pelicans: How good can the Pelicans’ new big 3 be next season?

There should be high hopes for the New Orleans Pelicans next season as they have assembled a new big three, no matter how their season ends in the play-in tournament. 

The New Orleans Pelicans started this season off to a rocky start, losing 13 of their first 15 games, but they would find a way to turn the season around. They will finish in the ninth seed in the Western Conference and a play-in game against the San Antonio Spurs.

With the slow start, Pelicans fans can only be happy with their situation right now in the standing, with a chance to make the playoffs. When this season does end for the Pelicans, fans can look to the future, with three stars already under contract, that could have them be in a completely different situation by this time next season.

Zion Williamson is the clear cornerstone of the franchise. The 2019 NBA Draft first overall selection has already solidified himself as one of the top players in the league when healthy. Health has defiantly been one of the biggest questions, with his absence this season being a big part of the early-season struggles.

Last year, Williamson would be an All-Star in his second season in the league, averaging 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Sadly, in his first three years in the NBA, he has only played 85 games while missing an entire season this year.

CJ McCollum has quickly flourished in New Orleans, and trading for him at this year’s NBA trade deadline is more about next season than this. While with the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard was the clear leader in the backcourt. McCollum will be allowed to be the lead man of the team’s backcourt with the Pelicans.

Even though McCollum has no accolades or awards to his name, he has quietly been one of the steadiest scorers in the NBA. In the last seven seasons of his nine-year career, he has ended each season, averaging over 20 points.

In the 25 games playing with the Pelicans, he has averaged 25.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and six assists, which would be a career-high in points and assists. From a record standpoint, in those 25 games, the Pelicans have gone 13-12, which would be a 0.520-win rate, to the team’s regular-season .444.

The final member of the Pelicans’ big three next season is Brandon Ingram. In his first season with the Pelicans, he was an All-Star after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Pelicans. Since that 2019-20 season, Ingram has not received that honor again, despite getting better as an overall player.

Ingram averaged 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a career-high of 5.6 assists this season. The offense ran through Ingram for most of the season until they traded for McCollum. Ingram would come in second in shots and assists per game. Despite a poor shooting year from three, at 33%, Ingram would stay at his career average from the field at 46%.

The biggest question would be how all three of these players would co-exist together. Together, Williamson and Ingram have played 81 games, in which they have combined for 48.7 points, 12 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, as well as a combined +258 plus-minus.

The biggest question would be how McCollum fits in. For many of those 81 games between Williamson and Ingram, they played with Lonzo Ball, but McCollum is a step above offensively than Ball right now. However, his constant outside shooting, 40% from three in his career, should be an easy fit, along with his ability to play make.

In theory, the Pelicans’ new big three should mesh very well. They all have complementary skills for each other. On top of that, a big reason for the Pelicans’ making it into the play-in this season has been the depth of the roster that would still be their next season.

If the team can stay together and healthy next season, the Pelicans could be in for a very successful season next year.