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Jim Eichenhofer

It had been a multi-year wait, but the 2023-24 season finally gave the New Orleans Pelicans their long-held wish of being able to put all of their best players on the floor for extended stretches. The club’s primary starting five went 25-16 in 41 regular season games, while a handful of other first units that lacked just one starter (among CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas) combined to go 21-11. Adding those yields a 46-27 mark, good for a .630 winning percentage that translates to 52 wins over an 82-game schedule. When McCollum played, the Pelicans were a similar 42-24, but just 7-9 when he was sidelined.

“When we were whole as a roster, I thought we had a really good product, we won a lot of games,” McCollum said after Monday’s season-ending Game 4 playoff loss to Oklahoma City. “We went on a run down the stretch of the season.”

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CJ McCollum | Pelicans End of Season Media Availability 4/30/2024

Of course, at the most crucial juncture of the campaign, Ingram sustained a March 21 knee injury, followed by Williamson’s April 16 hamstring injury. That meant the Pelicans were without one of their starting forwards for 17 of their final 19 games overall, including an April 19 play-in against Sacramento and all four playoff contests vs. top-seeded Oklahoma City. New Orleans went 8-9 in those games, unable to overcome Williamson’s absence while averaging just 89.5 points vs. the Thunder. By comparison, the Pelicans tallied under 90 points in only two games (out of 82) during the regular season.

“With (Ingram) injured we won some must-win games against some tough teams,” McCollum said, alluding partly to a 4-0 April road trip highlighted by victories at Phoenix and Golden State. “But I think success is hard to sustain at a high level when you’re not whole. If you look at the rest of the league, if you take the top players off some of those teams, it’s hard to sustain a high level of success. Look at the Sixers with (Joel) Embiid and without him.”

What preceded the late-season fade was one of the best campaigns in New Orleans franchise history, tying its second-best record ever (49-33) and leading the NBA in road wins (28), which was also the most away victories in 22 years of Crescent City hoops.

“It’s tough,” McCollum said of the season’s conclusion, “because we had such a really good season. Obviously (there were) ebbs and flows, injuries, a lot of guys in and out of the lineup. And we get 49 wins… We have really good players and really good pieces, but in order to make a real playoff run, a lot of things have to go your way. You have to be healthy, have a good regular season, execute.”

The Pelicans’ final few weeks meant heading into the offseason with a bitter taste, after losing Game 82 of the regular season and five of their six postseason contests, with four of those defeats in the Smoothie King Center. An 11-year NBA veteran who’s made 10 trips to the playoffs, McCollum emphasized that moments like this can serve as a test of a team’s resolve.

“It’s about how you respond,” McCollum said. “How do you respond when things aren’t going your way? How do you respond when you’re not having the type of success you feel like you work for and deserve? For us collectively, it will be a good summer, figuring out ways to improve and be better for the upcoming year.”

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CJ McCollum: When whole, Pelicans produced good results, but must respond to difficult ending

Pelicans.com

On the latest New Orleans Pelicans Podcast from Wednesday, May 1, 2024, Jim Eichenhofer and Gus Kattengell welcome the voices of the Pelicans Radio Network Todd Graffagnini and John DeShazier to discuss a variety of topics from the 2023-24 NBA season.

The crew discusses the team's Round 1 playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, highlights of the season, and takeaways from the end of season interviews moving into the offseason.

LISTEN ABOVE OR CLICK HERE FOR FULL PODCAST >>

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Pelicans Season Recap, NBA Playoffs vs. OKC Thunder | Pelicans Podcast

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Pelicans must-win Game 4, adjustments vs. OKC Thunder | Pelicans Podcast

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Pelicans Radio Roundtable on Game 3 vs. OKC Thunder | Pelicans Podcast

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David Wesley on evolution of playoff basketball, Game 2 at Thunder | Pelicans Podcast

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Thunder vs. Pelicans Game 1 recap, look ahead to remaining games | Pelicans Podcast

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Pelicans vs. Kings preview, Zion Williamson's Play-In performance | Pelicans Podcast

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Pelicans vs. Lakers NBA Play-In Tournament preview | Pelicans Podcast

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Pelicans playoff push: road wins and NBA playoff scenarios | Pelicans Podcast

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Suns vs. Pelicans recap, NBA playoff picture, Zion Williamson | Pelicans Podcast

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Pelicans Podcast

Zion Williamson’s fourth NBA season was filled with jaw-dropping physical feats and the kind of highlight plays that previously established the power forward as one of the league’s most exciting performers, even when he was a 19-year-old rookie. But during Tuesday’s exit interviews, many of his New Orleans Pelicans teammates spoke more about the progress Williamson has made off the court, including a distinct improvement in his professionalism and preparation. The 23-year-old posted impressive statistics all season, but the one that mattered most was his career-high 70 regular season games played.

“That was definitely a step in the right direction,” said Williamson, who never missed consecutive games in the regular season due to injury. “(I’m) looking to build on that next season. Hopefully do what I need to do so I can participate in the playoffs next year.”

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Zion Williamson | Pelicans End of Season Media Availability 4/30/2024

Unfortunately for Williamson, his only notable injury of 2023-24 came at the worst possible time, a left hamstring strain that prevented him from making his career playoff debut. It kept him out of the lineup for two games apiece amid the raucous playoff atmospheres of Oklahoma City and New Orleans.

“It’s really bittersweet, because I’m looking around (those arenas) just like, ‘This is the playoffs. Everybody has the same shirt on (in the crowd), fans are into the game.’ It was bittersweet, but I was also so happy for my (teammates to get the opportunity).”

The arc of Williamson’s All-NBA-level campaign could be traced in semi-direct fashion to a few matchups vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. Williamson was subject to national ridicule after he played poorly in the Dec. 7 In-Season Tournament semifinals in Las Vegas, a game New Orleans lost by 44 points to the eventual IST champion Lakers. However, that low point served as motivation.

“That was definitely a big moment for me, because I didn’t look at anybody else,” Williamson said of taking responsibility. “I looked at myself. I’ll take full blame for that. I wasn’t where I needed to be. I didn’t perform the way I needed to perform. I think it was one of those things that I needed to experience, because it definitely changed a lot for me during the season.”

In an April 16 play-in game, Williamson came from behind to block a shot by James, a play Williamson said he made partly based on his improved feel for the game and understanding of NBA defense. Asked if he could’ve gotten that block 365 days ago, Williamson replied, “A year ago, athletically, yes. But that was more (basketball) IQ. I think (James) had Jose (Alvarado) guarding him on that play, and (I was) looking at where his eyes were – if he was going to pass it or attack the basket – so that was more IQ. So I’ve grown defensively with my IQ.”

His hamstring injury also occurred April 16 against the Lakers, after he poured in 40 points and seemed poised to make his presence felt in the postseason for the first time.

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Pelicans Stat Leader Highlights: Zion Williamson scores 40 points and grabs 11 boards in Play-In vs. Lakers 4/16/2024

“When it first happened it was super frustrating,” he said of the injury. “Really frustrating, because I felt like I was in that zone. When it happened, I kind of knew (how significant it was). That’s why I looked so frustrated.”

His playoff DNPs represented a cruel close to a season in which he made major strides in his defensive effectiveness and began to add a mid-range jumper that could open up the floor for his elite driving and paint-scoring ability. The southpaw said teammates helped motivate him to be a stingier defender.

“I’ve got to give my respect to Naji (Marshall), Dys (Daniels), Jose, and of course (Herb Jones),” Williamson said of defense-first teammates. “Watching them dudes do what they do, as a competitor, when I see something like that, it’s (like), ‘I’ve got to get my (stuff) together.’ Seriously. I’m watching Herb play free safety. I’m watching Naji, Jose and Dys pick up fullcourt (on defense) the whole time they’re in the game. I can’t be the weak link. I really locked in to it. My offense is going to come, but my defense needs to be there.”

Williamson’s improvement and significant increase in availability (he'd played in a total of 29 games over the previous two seasons) helped lead New Orleans to 49 wins, tied for the second-most in team history. It was a big step forward both individually and team-wise, but the South Carolina native wants more.

“I think we made a lot of growth, but we still have a lot of improvements we can make to be a special team,” he said Tuesday. “I still think we have a lot of room to grow.”

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Zion Williamson 'looking to build on' major strides he made during 2023-24 season

Rarely do NBA teams retain a similar roster even in back-to-back seasons, but the New Orleans Pelicans have been an outlier, relying on nearly the exact same primary cast over each of the past three campaigns. The result has been a steady progression in the Western Conference standings, going from 36 to 42 to 49 victories since Willie Green took over as head coach in 2021-22.

While Crescent City basketball fans have become exceptionally familiar with the nine or 10 faces in Green’s nightly rotation, it’s possible that could change a bit this summer. Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said during Tuesday’s exit interviews that the franchise needed to get a deeper assessment of what the roster was capable of amid a longer stretch of health before moving forward. Improved availability of key players allowed the front office to make more significant evaluations – Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum logged 737 minutes together, for example – compared to previous seasons.

“I think in the past we’ve always erred on the side of continuity,” Griffin said, “and our takeaway has always been ‘Let’s see this group healthy.’ (Now) I think we’ve seen this group enough. We had a really good opportunity to see Zion play a career high in games (with 70). We saw it for segments of time well enough to understand that we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

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David Griffin | Pelicans End of Season Media Availability 4/30/2024

Griffin cited the challenge of competing in the tough Western Conference, which increases the demands on what it will take to be successful. For instance, the Pelicans’ 49-33 record would’ve been good enough for a No. 3 seed in the East, but in the West, they had to beat Sacramento in a play-in elimination game just to qualify for the playoffs as a No. 8 seed.

“Because it is a historically good Western Conference, there are teams that didn’t make the playoffs that are going to get radically better this offseason,” Griffin said, alluding to squads like Sacramento and Golden State finishing 10 games over .500. “We need to do the same. I think you’ll see a real sense of urgency from all of us to do that.”

Looking back at the regular season, New Orleans finished tied for the second-most wins in franchise history. However, that was followed by a 4-0 sweep to Oklahoma City that sent the Pelicans into the offseason on a sour note. Griffin noted the two divergent ways to examine the just-completed season.

“I think the 49 wins are something that would’ve led you to believe we’d be playing deep into the (playoffs) at times,” Griffin said. “For very large chunks of the season, we had the second-best net rating in the league and if not for Boston, we would’ve looked like the best team in the league. I also think we had stretches where you could see we had a lot of room for growth and improvement we needed to make.

“Unfortunately we continued to have injury issues, and certainly had a big one at the wrong time (Williamson’s left hamstring strain, causing him to sit out the playoffs). But there are so many positives we take out of the season. It’s really unfortunate the season ended in the way it did. You’d like the season to crescendo into a moment that lets everybody know how good your season really was. We had the No. 1 road record in the NBA. We were sixth in defensive rating, sixth in net rating. We had moments where we really showed what we could be, but we did it often in fits and starts, which is disappointing.”

Part of the Pelicans’ recent roster continuity has stemmed from savvy drafting of contributors such as Trey Murphy and Herb Jones with the No. 17 and No. 35 overall picks, respectively, in 2022. Those kinds of players should put New Orleans in better position to be successful long term, but Griffin indicated that the time is now for the Pelicans to make another jump in the West.

“Our foundation and our nucleus is really good,” Griffin said. “You come out of a (playoff) series where a really, really good (Oklahoma City) team sort of waylays you, and makes you think you won nine games, and not 49 games. The reality is we won 49 games and did a lot of good things.

“We’ll take a lot of time to go through (evaluations) as a group… but I want to be really, really clear: This is not going to be a summer of complacency. It’s time to get better.”

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David Griffin says Pelicans will show urgency to improve this offseason

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Photos: Pelicans End of Season Interviews 2023‑24

New Orleans Pelicans President of Basketball Operations David Griffin's end of season media availability interview at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center at the conclusion of the Pelicans' 2023-24 NBA season.

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green's end of season media availability interview at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center at the conclusion of the Pelicans' 2023-24 NBA season.

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Willie Green | Pelicans End of Season Media Availability 4/30/2024

New Orleans Pelicans forward ZIon Williamson's end of season media availability interview at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center at the conclusion of the Pelicans' 2023-24 NBA season.

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