Making the Case: New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans were able to turn their 2021-22 season around by trading for long-time Portland Trail Blazers star shooting guard CJ McCollum along with small-ball center Larry Nance Jr.
With those two on board, the Pelicans were able to notch two victories in the Play-In Tournament to earn themselves a playoff spot. There, they battled the Chris Paul and Devin Booker led Phoenix Suns to six games despite opening as massive underdogs.
They were able to accomplish all of this with superstar forward Zion Williamson sidelined due to injury, Now, they’re slated to add his dominance to a lineup that at times played like title contenders even without him. Couple that with the internal development of rookies Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado and the Pelicans are in store for a legitimate title run next year.
While CJ was able to flourish as a lead ballhandler, he’s still not a traditional point guard by any means. His offensive skillset helped lead the Pelicans’ midseason resurgence, but he only averaged a shade under six assists per game as their floor general.
Malcolm Brogdon could be the perfect backcourt partner for CJ. He’s big, quick, and disciplined enough to match up against either guard position and could tag the opponent’s most lethal ballhandler, taking pressure off an infamously defense-averse McCollum.
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Brogdon is also a skilled playmaker that could orchestrate the Pelicans attack and turn it into a fine-tuned machine. He’s also a capable enough shooter to threaten defenses as an off-ball weapon whenever CJ, Brandon Ingram, or Zion are cooking.
This trade makes perfect sense for a New Orleans Pelicans team suddenly thrust into the title conversation, wanting to capitalize on Zion Williamson’s possibly short-lived prime.
