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The first game in the 2021-22 NBA regular season for the New Orleans Pelicans will be held on Oct. 21st against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Smoothie King Center. They are poised to start their season campaign on a good note but will be without their key player, Zion Williamson.
The New Orleans Pelicans featured in four preseason games and were only able to claim a victory against the Orlando Magic as they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. The Pelicans finished the previous season with a 31-41 record, which saw them placed 11th in the NBA Western Conference. Coach Stan Van Gundy is expected to build a formidable team that could go all the way and win a championship title. This will be his second season and should bear fruit for the franchise and the residents of The Big Easy.
Three players of the New Orleans Pelicans who would make a good impact in the 2021-22 NBA season
#1 Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram was drafted into the NBA in 2016 as the No. 2 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers and went on to represent the Lakers for three seasons before he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. In his time with the Lakers, he averaged 13.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
With the New Orleans Pelicans thus far, he has recorded a career-high 23.8 points in both seasons, averaging 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He was selected to the All-Star team in his debut season with the Pelicans and was named the 2020 Most Improved Player of the Year.
While the Pelicans' small forward is recovering from a knee injury and might miss a few games at the start of the season, he remains one of the three players who will be key for the franchise.
#2 Jonas Valančiūnas
The New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valančiūnas was the Toronto Raptors' fifth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. After spending seven seasons with the Raptors, and three seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Valančiūnas was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a three-team trade involving the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies. JV has a career average of 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 621 appearances.
He finished the previous season with an average of 17.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Grizzlies. Valančiūnas led the team in rebounds and placed third in the league in rebounds per game and 6th in total rebounds.
He made appearances in three of the four preseason games and led the New Orleans Pelicans in rebounds in game 2 against the Orlando Magic. The 2021-22 NBA season will be his debut season with the Pelicans and he is expected to play a key role in getting the team to where it ought to be.
#3 Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson will miss the start of the new season due to a right foot injury he underwent surgery for and is currently recovering from. While the timeline for his return is not defined, he is said to be healing just fine as the New Orleans Pelicans anticipate his return to the court.
Williamson finished the previous season with an average of 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, leading the team in points, free throws and field goals. Zanos is a handful for any defense, his strength, speed and athleticism sets him apart and makes him difficult to stop in the paint. He will be critical to the success of the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2021-22 NBA season, and as long as opponents have no answers on how to stop Williamson, he will go off and take apart their defenses.
