It’s hard to know what to do with our next franchise. They’ve only been in existence for 13 seasons, and it’s hard to define who they really are. What do I mean by that? Well, the Charlotte Hornets were established in 1989. They moved to New Orleans in 2003, becoming the New Orleans Hornets. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Bobcats were established in 2005, two years after the Hornets left town. In 2014, New Orleans decided to change their name to the Pelicans, seemingly for comedic purposes. Since the ‘Hornets’ name was now up for grabs, the Bobcats decided to change their name to the Hornets, starting in 2015. Somehow the former Bobcats seem to have magically adopted the history of the Hornets franchise, while the first year of the New Orleans franchise is considered to be 2003, even though they really have been in existence since 1989. Confused yet? You should be. The All-Time New Orleans Pelicans team considers only those players who have been a part of the franchise since that original 2003 date, even though that doesn’t make any logical sense.
Since this is technically our newest franchise, they don’t have the longevity to field a team that complies with our rules (namely, each player having played at least four seasons and 200 games with the franchise). So we’ll make a team with the best players in franchise history, regardless of longevity, and, to be fair, they’ll forfeit the opportunity to advance in our tournament. With that out of the way, this team is anchored by two players who have a chance to be among the greatest to ever play their respective positions. Chris Paul played his first six years with the franchise, and garnered some of the most impressive statistics ever seen at the point guard position. He led the league in assists twice in New Orleans, and in steals three times. He also finished second in MVP voting in the 2007-08 season, when he led the team to 56 wins and an improbable Southwest Division title. Anthony Davis is just beginning his reign of excellence, but is already one of the best players in the league at 22 years of age. In 2014-15, Davis accumulated the 11th greatest player efficiency rating in NBA history, and if he continues on this path, he has a great chance to join the list of all-time great power forwards.
The other starters are David West, along with the oft-injured Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn. West was an excellent complement to Paul, and earned two all-star appearances with the franchise. Davis was a dynamic play-maker when healthy and motivated; however, he was also a woefully inefficient shooter who wasn’t known for his work ethic. Jamal Mashburn made the All-NBA third team in 2002-03, when he played all 82 games for the only time in his career. He only played 19 more games with the franchise before retiring, but he remains the leading scorer on a points per game basis in New Orleans’ history.
Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans are the backup guards. The Eric Gordon signing hasn’t worked out well for New Orleans, but he’s re-discovered his three-point stroke in his last two seasons, and will open up the floor when he’s on the court. Tyreke Evans has switched to primarily playing small forward, and his ballhandling has helped the team adjust to the constant absence of Jrue Holiday (due to injuries). Peja Stojakovic and Ryan Anderson can stretch the floor from both forward positions. The three-headed big man combo of P.J. Brown, Tyson Chandler, and Emeka Okafor can protect the paint and make New Orleans competitive on the glass. Expect big minutes from this trio, especially since the starting lineup lacks a true center.
Down the road, this team will be intriguing, since they’re anchored by two Hall-of-Famers in the making. In the meantime, their forfeit allows the All-Time Bulls to advance to the second round of our tournament, where they’ll face the winner of the All-Time Hawks vs. the All-Time Mavericks.
Coach: Byron Scott
All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .474
