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Every team in the NBA is going to have some struggles when their feature player is sidelined. That's especially if they are simultaneously adjusting to a new coach like we've seen with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Zion Williamson had quiet surgery done on his foot this offseason, which is significant for someone his size. Zion has not played so far in the 2021-22 NBA season. Replacing his sky-high usage rate with a team-leading 27.0 points per game last year is a challenge.
Their main offseason moves revolved around losing swapping Lonzo Ball, Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe. They brought in Devonte' Graham, Jonas Valancuinas, Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoranksy to fill those vacancies. The Pelicans' 2021 draft picks of Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones are also being given notable playing time this season.
Aside from those roster changes, there was also a swap of head coaches with Stan Van-Gundy being replaced by first-timer Willie Green. With five games on the books, the New Orleans Pelicans only have one tally in the win column that came against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Their four losses were against the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, and most recently the Atlanta Hawks. The New Orleans Pelicans' two most recent games have been notable improvements from their horrendous start, but have not improved enough.
Having said that, let's take a look at why the Pelicans have been struggling since the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Three reasons for the New Orleans Pelicans' early-season struggles
#3 Adjusting to Willie Green
Stan Van Gundy only lasted one season as the New Orleans Pelicans, leading the team to a 31-41 record that was not enough for a play-in opportunity. Many believe that the roster was simply more talented with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball than their final record.
Before diving into the on-court stylistic differences between Green and Van Gundy, the age gap between them is important to note. Stan Van Gundy is 62-years-old with over two decades of NBA coaching experience, and while that history is obviously valuable, his motivational methods have been seen as outdated by some.
The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the younger teams in the NBA with playoff aspirations. Willie Green is likely more relatable to a majority of the roster at 40-years-old than Van Gundy was. Green also comes with 12-years playing in the NBA himself, as recently as 2014-15, which offers a varying perspective to the New Orleans Pelicans players.
As for their on-court differences, it's still too early to truly say what Green's gameplan is for this New Orleans Pelicans team. We have heard him mention an emphasis on pace, meaning transition opportunities, while ball movements and quick decisions are often highlighted regarding their half-court offense.
The point is, adjusting to a new lead voice from the coaching staff that is also implementing a new playstyle takes time in the NBA. Willie Green replacing Stan Van Gundy has surely led the New Orleans Pelicans to a bumpy start in 2021-22.
#2 Reliance on young talent
The New Orleans Pelicans will judge the success of their season based on a postseason appearance. This is specifically the case when looking at their subpar wing depth comprising of Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall. Some of their guard rotations are subpar too, with players like Kira Lewis Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Devonte' Graham.
With Josh Hart temporarily sidelined with a quad issue after a mere ten-minute appearance in the season opener, the New Orleans Pelicans' reliance on youth increased.
The New Orleans Pelicans have given significant rotation minutes to seven players under the age of 25. Brandon Ingram, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Naji Marshall, Kira Lewis Jr. and Jaxson Hayes make the list with Ingram as the clear outlier.
The issue with most NBA rookies is their inconsistency on a night-to-night basis. That is what makes Brandon Ingram the outlier in that grouping as the New Orleans Pelicans' clear best player with Zion unavailable. Jones and Alexander-Walker have been starting games for this New Orleans Pelicans team with mixed results.
Variance from players with big responsibilities makes for tough nights and Alexander-Walker is the primary example. Take a look at his inconsistent outcomes, with emphasis on his percentages, throughout the New Orleans Pelicans' first five games.
Josh Hart's absence has caused trouble early in the season, but he should be back in the near future, while Zion Williamson's timeline remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Willie Green will have to continue to rely heavily on young players who have been inconsistent early in the New Orleans Pelicans' 2021-22 season.
#1 The absence of Zion Williamson
Zion Willamson's foot surgery over this past offseason was weirdly underreported and seemingly downplayed by many members of the New Orleans Pelicans organization. Until just about a week before the season began, most people were expecting the franchise superstar to be ready to suit up on opening night.
Obviously, that did not happen and the New Orleans Pelicans have been without the former number one overall pick for each of their five games played. Williamson has been listed as "out (foot)" for every showdown so far this season and his timeline is seemingly unknown to the public.
Moving past the concerning lack of information, this New Orleans Pelicans roster was built to compliment Zion's strengths in attacking the basket. That would have allowed him to often be the one initiating the offense himself. We saw glimpses of "Point Zion" at the end of last season.
Throughout 61 games played in 2020-21, Williamson averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while converting a ridiculous 61.1 percent of his field goal attempts and 29.4 percent from three on limited volume. His brute strength and force led to him tallying the most points in the paint for all NBA players last season, and the New Orleans Pelicans' improved spacing this year would have aided him in that aspect.
Now, with Williamson on the sidelines and no return date in sight, Ingram is overworked as the sole primary initiator. Graham is more of a spot-up scorer than playmaker, and Valancuinas is playing more minutes than he ever has in his career.
The New Orleans Pelicans are desperately missing the presence of Zion Williamson and that is the primary reason they have gotten off to a slow start in their first five games played.
