It’s time to get the NBA’s 2024-25 regular season rolling.
After an offseason full of shocking transactions and unending drama, the actual games are almost here. While the regular season officially kicks off on Tuesday, the New Orleans Pelicans play their first game on Wednesday at home against the Chicago Bulls. With this new-look roster and uncertainty surrounding a few prominent figures in the organization, what should Pelicans fans expect to see from this team?
Here are my bold Pelicans-related predictions for the 2024-25 season.
Zion makes his first All-NBA team
This one shouldn’t be shocking for anyone following our NBA coverage in recent weeks. I made this prediction in a story we published earlier this month, and I feel more confident about it now than I did then.
Zion Williamson is coming off what may have been his best offseason as a pro, and he’s in a better place mentally and physically than he’s been at the beginning of his previous five seasons. His performances during training camp and preseason practices have only emboldened those within the organization who were confident in what Williamson could do this year.
For the first time, the Pelicans are leaning all the way into building an offense that maximizes the spacing around the face of the franchise by removing the bulky big men who have taken up space in the paint his entire time in New Orleans. He’ll also get a chance to play next to a true point guard, Dejounte Murray, who’s capable of running the offense for most of the game and taking some of the shot-creation burden away from Williamson.
Last season, after the All-Star break, Williamson averaged 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. That followed Williamson working himself in better shape during the season. I think his production improves in all three of those categories, especially in an offense that’ll make it easier for him to get to the paint.
While his offensive production was fairly impressive down the stretch last season, his defensive progress was even more noteworthy. He was the only player in the NBA to account for more than 35 steals and 25 blocks after the All-Star break. He was causing more havoc than some of the best defenders in the game.
If he gets back to bringing that level of energy on both ends of the court, folks around the league will take notice.
McCollum breaks Pelicans’ single-season 3-point record … again
Last season, CJ McCollum needed only 65 games to break the Pelicans’ previous single-season 3-pointer mark, which was held by Peja Stojaković.
McCollum finished 2023-24 with 239 3-pointers, the seventh-most in the NBA, despite playing only 66 games. He was the only player in the league to reach 200-plus 3-pointers while playing fewer than 70 games. The drastic change in McCollum’s shot profile, from midrange ace to 3-point bomber, not only made him a much better fit next to Williamson and Brandon Ingram, but it immediately turned him into one of the NBA’s most productive high-volume 3-point specialists.
Murray’s arrival should strip more on-ball responsibilities from McCollum and allow him to focus even more on doing damage from distance. McCollum needs just 108 3-pointers this season to pass Jrue Holiday for No. 1 on the Pelicans’ all-time list. It would be quite an achievement, considering that he’s played in only 167 games as a member of the Pelicans.
As long as he stays healthy, McCollum should cruise past that number. I’d expect him to end the year somewhere north of the 250 3-pointer mark.
In fact, let’s make another mini-prediction related to this …
McCollum, Ingram and Murphy finish top three in career 3s
I’ve already made the case for McCollum passing Holiday before the end of the season. Ingram and Murphy can do it, too.
Ingram enters the season fifth on the Pelicans’ all-time list with 517 career 3-pointers, while Murphy sits at No. 6 with 442. To move into second place, they’ll need to pass Stojaković‘s mark of 553 3-pointers. That should be easy for Ingram, who has spent much of the offseason putting a bigger emphasis on taking shots from distance from deep. If he stays healthy, Ingram can pass Stojaković before December.
Trey Murphy III, on the other hand, is 111 3-pointers behind Stojaković. Murphy is coming into the season dealing with a hamstring injury, but he should be back on the court soon. Even after being held to 57 games last season due to a nagging ankle injury, he still made 169 3-pointers.
If he stays healthy, he’ll pass Stojaković and give Ingram a good run by the end of the year to see who finishes the season No. 2 on the franchise’s 3-pointer list.
Murray records seven or more triple-doubles
While we’re focusing on the record books, let’s add one more historic feat to the list.
Even though Murray had just two triple-doubles in his two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, his new role with the Pelicans should allow him to utilize his skills as a versatile guard who can impact the game anywhere on the floor.
The Pelicans’ all-time leader in triple-doubles is Chris Paul with 11. Right behind him is Elfrid Payton, who had six in his only season with his hometown team back in 2018-19. During Murray’s final season with the Spurs in 2021-22, he collected a whopping 13.
I’m not bold enough to predict he’ll break Paul’s record in one season, but considering how much this team will need Murray’s rebounding and playmaking, I’d expect him to be on Paul’s heels by the end of the season.
Ingram won’t get dealt before trade deadline
The ongoing Ingram saga will be something both he and the Pelicans will have to deal with until both sides find a resolution. It hasn’t been a distraction to this point, and knowing how Ingram operates, I wouldn’t expect him to get in the way of a team with such a good chance of getting back to the playoffs.
As much as Ingram would like to find some level of security regarding who his future looks like — whether it’s in New Orleans or elsewhere — I don’t expect that to happen before the end of the season.
Even if he has an outstanding season, the Pelicans are unlikely to come to terms with him on a new deal before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer. There may be a few teams motivated to chase Ingram based on his play and how their respective seasons go this year, but anyone who really wanted Ingram in their building that badly would’ve found a way to acquire him over the summer.
I think other teams will revisit an Ingram pursuit in the summer instead of giving up assets to acquire him. Not to mention, Ingram could end up playing a crucial role on a Pelicans team fighting for their playoff lives once again down the stretch. Would they really ship him away if it means their team has a worse chance of getting back to the postseason?
Missi finishes the season with more starts than Theis
This might be the craziest of all my predictions, but I was fascinated by Yves Missi’s fit with the starters during last week’s preseason finale against the Houston Rockets. In that game, the rookie center scored on three lob passes — two from Murray and one from Ingram — and he had a massive block on Alperen Şengün.
Yves Missi blocks Sengun the gets a layup on the other end pic.twitter.com/5svCsKLz2A
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) October 16, 2024
Missi finished the preseason with three steals and six blocks in 51 preseason minutes. The 20-year-old big man still has a lot of room to grow when it comes to the nuances of the game, particularly defending without fouling. But it’s hard to ignore how special his physical gifts are and how much having a lob threat with the starters could spread the floor. His vertical spacing could also create some natural ball movement and body movement for a unit that will be heavy on isolation scorers. Veteran Daniel Theis, while solid, doesn’t present that upside.
Hawkins has a 40-point game
Jordan Hawkins was the biggest winner of any Pelican during the preseason. He did enough for Pelicans coach Willie Green to say he’ll “absolutely” be in the rotation once the season starts, and he showed maturity on the offensive end that was much different from the player who struggled to get minutes during the latter half of last season.
In three preseason games, Hawkins averaged 16.3 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 42.8 percent from 3. What stood out even more were his 14 free-throw attempts in those three games. The Pelicans’ new emphasis on small ball and shooting 40-plus 3s every game will make it very difficult to keep him off the floor this year.
The second-year guard has a much better feel of where his shots are coming from and how to take advantage of the ways defenses are trying to limit him. This is the same guy who scored 31 points on the road against the Denver Nuggets in his seventh game as a pro last season.
When Hawkins heats up, it’s a problem for opposing defenses. And as his game has matured, he’s learned how to pile up points without relying solely on the 3-point line. There will be a few times this year when he catches fire, and his teammates will do everything they can to make sure his confidence keeps rising.
(Top photo: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
