3rd season with the Pelicans

1st season: 36-46, won play-in for 8 seed, lost 2-4 to Suns. Zion missed the entire season.

2nd season: 42-40, missed playoffs. Zion played 29 games.

3rd season: 49-33, won play-in for 8 seed, lost 0-4 against OKC. Zion played 70 games.

I’m no Willie apologist and I get he has made some bone-headed moves at times. But at the same time he has experienced some success here, increasing his win total each year.

A lot of the shortcomings of this team are with personnel and execution.Willie can’t make BI play physical basketball against Dort. Willie can’t control Trey and CJ shooting like absolute dog shite for the series. Willie made adjustments to get JV more looks, but if you’re having to rely on JV to carry this team offensively against OKC you’re gong to lose.

Willie is going to get another crack at it next year like it or not and it’s probably the right call. The real question is can Griff get a workable roster that fits Willie’s/Borrego’s vision for this team.

The center position doesn’t really need upgraded because JV is damn good in his role, we just need a more modern NBA center that can stretch the floor and be an outside threat to create spacing.

We need a true PG that can orchestrate an offense. A Haliburton/CP3 ca 2010’s type. CJ is serviceable but much better off ball. He was top 8 in both 3PA and 3P% so he should stay as is.

Sadly I think BI is the odd man out. His midrange can be great but it’s inefficient, and does little to space the floor for Z. It’s time for Trey to step up and be the man at the wing.

It was an extremely frustrating year. Zion playing all NBA level at the end of the season only to get sidelined with yet another injury, CJ and BI completely evaporating in the OKC series, JV dominating at times but then getting benched. But I’ll be back next season.