New Orleans Pelicans: 2024-2025 Media Day

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Heading into the 2024 media day, the New Orleans Pelicans faced uncertainty regarding the team and their goals for the upcoming season. Despite having a lineup of All-Star caliber players like Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and newcomer Dejounte Murray, the team is determined to compete for a championship.

Complementing these stars are key players Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado, providing the Pelicans with a versatile roster capable of challenging any NBA opponent. However, the team is not considered a top contender for the title due to some evident weaknesses in their lineup.

Although boasting six potential starters in Zion, BI, CJ, DJM, Herb, and TMIII, the Pelicans lack a true center and face challenges with overlapping strengths and weaknesses among their players. Consequently, there is uncertainty surrounding the team's starting lineup for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.

Media Day offers an excellent opportunity for journalists and experts to seek answers to any remaining questions about a team before the start of training camp and preseason. However, these answers may not always provide a definitive resolution.

During an inquiry, Head Coach Willie Green disclosed that he has not yet finalized the starting lineup for the upcoming season. He also mentioned that he is open to the idea of not necessarily playing with a traditional center. Currently, the center position in New Orleans is occupied by a mix of players including experienced German Daniel Theis, rookie Yves Missi from Baylor, and former second-round pick now free agent Karlo Matkovic.

There is a possibility of utilizing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl as a full-time center as well. Nevertheless, Coach Green has indicated that it is possible that none of these big men will be selected as starters.

Although Coach Green did not provide a set starting lineup, he informed the media of his intention to establish a preferred group and maintain consistency with it for the duration of the season. He is convinced that maintaining consistency will play a crucial role in optimizing the lineup's success and the team's performance as a whole.

The sooner Coach Green can pinpoint his top five players, the more opportunity they will have to develop a strong rapport. As training camp commences next month, it is likely that the Pelicans will experiment with various lineups before finalizing their starting lineup choices.