Latest New Orleans Pelicans News

    New Orleans Pelicans Franchise Information

    Have a read on below at some quick stats and facts on the New Orleans Pelicans to get you started: 

    Established:2002
    Stadium:Smoothie King Center
    Colours:Navy blue, gold & red
    Hall of Famers:None
    Hall of Fame Coaches:None
    Rivals:Dallas Mavericks & San Antonio Spurs
    Legends:Chris Paul, David West, Baron Davis, James Posey, Peja Stojakovic, Chris Kaman & Emeka Okafor
    Retired Numbers:7
    Conference: Western Conference
    Division:Southwest Division
    NBA Championships0

    New Orleans Pelicans History

    After Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn was publicly despised in the city, he decided to move the franchise to New Orleans, creating the New Orleans Hornets. As Charlotte competed in the Eastern Conference, for the first two years in New Orleans the Hornets still were part of the East, making the playoffs but being eliminated in the first round in both years. 

    After Charlotte was awarded a team prior to the 2004-05 season, New Orleans moved to the Western Conference, and the move was not favourable as a tougher schedule and injuries to key players saw their record decline to 18-64. 

    This poor record allowed the Hornets to draft Wake Forest point guard, Chris Paul, with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. Before the 2005-06 season, Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and made New Orleans an unplayable location, so the Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, becoming the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets for two seasons. 

    During this time Chris Paul won Rookie of the Year and the team improved, but were unable to make the playoffs, before returning to New Orleans in the 2007 offseason. To celebrate their return to New Orleans, the NBA awarded the 2008 All Star Game to the city. 

    Paul along with Peja Stojakovic, David West and Tyson Chandler led the Hornets to their first division title and the second best record in the Western Conference, and all time franchise best record, 56-26. 

    Byron Scott was awarded 2008 Coach of the Year, whilst leading the Hornets to this record and their first ever playoff series victory, 4-1 over the Dallas Mavericks. Coming up against the defending champion, San Antonio Spurs, the Hornets pushed them to seven games but were unable to overcome their experience, losing 4-3.

    The Hornets made the playoffs the following season, but were eliminated in the first round by the Denver Nuggets and carried the defeat over to the next season, losing six of their first nine games, resulting in Scott being fired. The team went on to miss the playoffs in 2010 and hired Monty Williams as head coach. 

    Shinn was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and wanted to move on from the NBA, so the league bought the team off him in 2010 to have full control of who the new owner would be. The team rallied behind Williams and qualified for the playoffs in 2011, but were eliminated in the first round by the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

    Paul, being a fierce competitor and always wanting to win, requested a trade from the franchise, preferring either New York or Los Angeles. A trade to the Lakers was agreed upon, but ownership, the NBA, vetoed the trade, as they wanted to ensure the success of the Hornets. 

    A trade with the Los Angeles Clippers was eventually made, with the Hornets receiving Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and a first round pick in return for Paul. The loss of Paul saw the team fall to the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 21-45 record. 

    This poor record saw the Hornets awarded the first pick in the 2012 Draft, selecting Kentucky big man Anthony Davis and the team also traded for 2012 Most Improved Player and league leading three point shooter, Ryan Anderson. 

    New Orleans Saints’ owner Tom Benson bought the franchise from the NBA in the 2012 offseason. Benson wanted the team to better reflect Louisiana and New Orleans and in 2013 changed the name to the Pelicans, Louisiana’s state bird. 

    The last season under the Hornets name, 2012-13, saw the team only slightly improved to 27-55. The Pelicans selected Nerlens Noel with the 6th pick, but traded him and 2014’s first round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for All Star guard Jrue Holiday. 

    Holiday’s second season with the team saw him and Davis begin to gel, making the playoffs for the first time in four years, but were swept by the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors. Despite making the playoffs, the team fired Monty Williams and hired Alvin Gentry as head coach. 

    The Pelicans were unable to make the playoffs in 2015-16 and selected Buddy Hield with the sixth pick in the 2016 draft. The team wasn’t living up to expectations during the 2016-17 season, traded for disgruntled Sacramento Kings center, Demarcus Cousins, sending Hield and a selection of other players and picks. 

    Cousins joining Holiday and Davis made a force to be reckoned with, as Davis and Cousins were both named to the 2017 All Star game, however Cousins was unable to play due to injury. 

    Davis went on to be named All Star Game MVP, and helped the team make the playoffs where they swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round before falling to the Warriors again, this time in the second round. 

    Cousins left the team for the Warriors in a heavily criticised move and injury to Davis saw the Pelicans fall to 13th in the West. After the season, Davis requested a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was eventually traded to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first round picks. 

    The New Orleans Pelicans won the 2019 lottery, being given the first pick in the 2019 draft, along with the Lakers’ fourth pick, which they then sent to Atlanta for the eighth, 17th and 35th picks. The Pelicans selected Zion Williamson with the first pick, along with Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker with the eighth and 17th picks. 

    Zion would unfortunately miss the first portion of the season due to surgery on his knee, allowing Brandon Ingram to emerge as a star in the league, becoming an All Star for the first time and winning Most Improved Player. Zion would return in January and make immediate impact, helping push the team towards a potential playoff berth before COVID-19 suspended the season. 

    Despite only being 3.5 games behind Memphis, who was eighth in the West, New Orleans went 2-6 in their eight seeding games and were eliminated from playoff contention, finishing 13th in the West. After the Pelicans were eliminated, Alvin Gentry was fired as head coach, with Stan Van Gundy named to replace him. 

    Things didn’t get any better for the Pelicans under Van Gundy, with reports of a disconnect between the playing group and his coaching style. With plenty of expectation surrounding the team, due to the high profile play and names of Ingram, Williamson and Ball, it was a disappointment that New Orleans didn’t even qualify for the Play-In Tournament, finishing 11th in the West.

    Van Gundy lasted just one season in New Orleans, getting fired following the season with the team likely to hire Willie Green, current Phoenix assistant, as their new head coach.

    It was a rough year for the New Orleans Pelicans until midway through the year when they traded for CJ McCollum. Then they managed to get themselves into the play-in game. However, they would go on to lose in the first round.

    Expert 2022-23 Picks & Preview on New Orleans Pelicans

    If you are a fan of the New Orleans Pelicans, then you know that the only thing that matters right now is how they are expected to perform in the 2022-23 season. Do the New Orleans Pelicans have the star power to make it all the way to the playoffs and win The Finals in 2023?

    Have a read on below at SportsTips expert picks & preview on the New Orleans Pelicans:

    Front Office

    Willie Green is the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, and this upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his second season in charge of the franchise. He has previously spent time coaching with the Warriors and Suns as an assistant. He has been coaching in the league for two years overall and over the course of his short coaching career he has already made the playoffs. His overall record in the regular season currently sits at 36-46. While his overall playoff record is currently sitting at 2-4. He is a former NBA player and he had a career that lasted over a decade. 

    Trajan Langdon is the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans and he has held that position within the franchise since 2019. This upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his fourth season as the decision maker for the franchise. He is a former college basketball player from Duke University and spent a few years in the league, but played most of his pro career overseas. 

    Key Players

    Brandon Ingram is the best player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. This upcoming season will be his seventh season in the National Basketball Association and his fourth year in New Orleans. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 23 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around six assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around six rebounds per game. 

    The second key player on this roster is CJ McCollum and this upcoming season will be his tenth season in the National Basketball Association and his first full season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 24 points per game after coming over from Portland. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around six assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around five rebounds per game.

    Breakout Player

    Zion Williamson will be the breakout player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. He is a former first overall pick in the 2019 National Basketball Association Draft. This upcoming season will be his fourth season in the National Basketball Association after attending Duke. However, he has rarely played due to injuries and he missed his entire rookie season and the 2021-22 season as well. In his most recent season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 27 points per game. 

    He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around three assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around seven rebounds per game. He put in some work on the defensive end of the court as well. This finally seems like the season that he will break out and stay healthy, as well as live up to his full potential in the league.

    New Orleans Pelicans Betting & Odds Preview 2022-23

    The New Orleans Pelicans campaign during the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season went about as you would’ve expected. They finished the year with a record of 36-46 and in third place of the Southwest Division.  

    There is a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. If they want to improve or keep up their current level of play they will certainly need a ton of production from their stars over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. The most important thing in any season is how a team starts out of the gate, and then how they look when the all-star break approaches. 

    In the National Basketball Association, a lot can change over a single off-season. It will be interesting to see how their offseason moves translate onto the basketball court over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. Based on their odds to win some hardware headed into the season it is clear how the oddsmakers in Las Vegas feel about them heading into the year. 

    Their odds to bring home the Southwest Division championship this season currently sit at +350 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them third in the Southwest Division out of five teams. 

    While their odds to win the Western Conference currently sit at +2000 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them ninth in the Western Conference out of 15 teams. Their overall odds to bring home the championship are currently sitting at +4000 heading into the 2022-23 season, as they rank 16th out of all 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.

    New Orleans Pelicans FAQs

    Still got some burning questions about the New Orleans Pelicans? Well, we have answered some of the most common questions people have, hopefully you will find the answer you are looking for below! 

    Where do the New Orleans Pelicans play?

    The New Orleans Pelicans play their home games at the Smoothie King Center. 

    Who owns the New Orleans Pelicans?

    Gayle Benson is the owner of the New Orleans Pelicans. She became owner after her husband and owner of the team, Tom Benson, passed away in 2018. 

    Have the New Orleans Pelicans won an NBA Championship?

    The New Orleans Pelicans have not won a NBA Championship.

    Who is the New Orleans Pelicans coach?

    Willie Green is the New Orleans Pelicans Head Coach.  

    Do the New Orleans Pelicans play tonight?

    Are you wondering if the New Orleans Pelicans are playing tonight? Well, SportsTips has all the details you need about upcoming New Orleans Pelicans games! Make sure you check this page at the top for all the details you are looking for.

    Why did New Orleans change from the Hornets to the Pelicans?

    The original Hornets name came when the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans. After new ownership purchased the franchise in 2012, they wanted the name to better represent the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. 

    Given the franchise was originally from New Orleans and how big jazz music was in the city, the new ownership requested the Utah Jazz change their name, but Utah denied their request, resulting in the Pelicans being chosen, as Louisiana’s state bird is the brown pelican. 

    What is the New Orleans Pelicans record?

    The New Orleans Pelicans had a 36-46 win-loss record for the 2021-22 NBA season. 

    Did the New Orleans Pelicans win last night?

    Fans of the New Orleans Pelicans are all wanting to know if they won the game last night. You can find more information in relation to the team’s recent form in games on the page at the top.

    How much are the New Orleans Pelicans worth?

    According to Forbes Magazine, the New Orleans Pelicans are worth $1.5 billion. 

    Who do the New Orleans Pelicans play tonight?

    Like a lot of things in the NBA, things change pretty quickly. So, if you are looking for more information about who the New Orleans Pelicans play tonight, you have come to the right place. We have all this information for you in detail, you can find these details for upcoming games at the top of the page.

    How to watch the New Orleans Pelicans?

    You can watch the New Orleans Pelicans on TV channels like ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV or Fox Sports New Orleans, or subscribe to NBA League Pass. 

    Will the New Orleans Pelicans make the playoffs this year?

    The New Orleans Pelicans did make the playoffs in the 2021-22 season after finishing 8th in the West with a 36-46 record. 

    Will the New Orleans Pelicans get the 1st pick in the NBA Draft?

    The New Orleans Pelicans did not receive the 1st pick in the 2022 NBA draft. 

    When do the New Orleans Pelicans play?

    New Orleans Pelicans fans are always looking for more information about when their team plays the next game. For all the information you have been craving and more, be sure to check the top of this page. Here at SportsTips, we list all the information you need like the tip off time, location of the game and the all important NBA odds.

    Where did the New Orleans Pelicans finish the season?

    The New Orleans Pelicans finished the 2021-22 NBA season in 8th in the Western Conference. 

    How many games did the New Orleans Pelicans win?

    The New Orleans Pelicans won 36 games during the 2021-22 NBA season.