(Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)
Last year, the New Orleans Pelicans, formerly known as the New Orleans Hornets, finished the season with a record of 27-55. That’s pretty terrible. They did get a new team name and new jerseys, and with those came a new plan. The Pelicans made some moves over the offseason that made it seem like they’re going for the playoffs this season. They were involved in a blockbuster trade on draft night, in which they sent Nerlens Noel and a 2014 first round draft pick to Philadelphia, in exchange for star point guard Jrue Holiday. This was a huge trade! This trade made the Pelicans a lot better, in my opinion. Jrue Holiday is a tremendous point guard. They also traded point guard Greivis Vasquez to the Kings in exchange for Tyreke Evans! Evans is also a tremendous player, and this Pelicans team is very young and talented.
2013-14 Pelicans MVP Prediction: Jrue Holiday: Jrue Holiday was acquired by the Pelicans on the night of the 2013 NBA Draft. Last year, he averaged 17.7 points, 8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game with the Philadelphia 76ers. That is great. Not many point guards in this league can average eight assists per game, and this was really special for Jrue, because the 76ers were not filled with people to assists to last season. They had Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, and that’s basically it. It’s remarkable that he could put up those numbers with a team that bad. This year, he is surrounded by great players, like Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, and Anthony Davis. This makes me think that his numbers are going to increase, and that is why I think he will be the most valuable player on the Pelicans this season.
A Player That Pelicans Fans Need To Look Out For This Season: Greg Stiemsma: Greg Stiemsma is a six foot eleven center out of Wisconsin. This season will be his third in the NBA, although he is 28 years old. He is the starting center for the Pelicans this season, and center is an important position in this league. Most teams need their center to be effective, and I think the Pelicans qualify as one of those teams here. This will be his first season starting in the NBA, will he step up and do well for the Pelicans? We’ll see!
Pelicans 2013-14 Season Prediction: 41-41: When I look at this Pelicans team, I see young players. They’re an incredibly young team, but they are still loaded with talent. That’s why this team is so unpredictable. You never know what you’re going to get out of young players, but I think that these players are good enough to carry this team to a .500 record. I still don’t see them as a playoff team, because they’re so young and they just seem like they’re rebuilding still. I do think that they’re only a piece away from being a great team in this league though.
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