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New Orleans Pelicans
Just Drafted
Insider Names ‘Team To Watch’ For Brandon Ingram
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-names-team-to-watch-for-brandon-ingram/
(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
After six seasons, Brandon Ingram’s time with the New Orleans Pelicans may be coming to an end.
Ingram has been the subject of many trade rumors for months, but it’s all coming to a head and he could be leaving the Pelicans by next week.
According to Brian Windhorst, the Atlanta Hawks are a “team to watch” for Ingram.
Ingram could fill the void that has been left in Atlanta because of Jalen Johnson’s injury, but only if he’s able to play often.
One of the problems with Ingram is that he has been injured a lot this season.
He has only played in 18 games, but during those games he has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.
Ingram and the Pelicans have had some difficulties over the last several months.
When the last offseason began, most people assumed he would be leaving the Pelicans, and there were stories of him sitting out of a team mini-camp, which was a clear sign that he wanted to cut ties and move on.
But he came back at the start of 2024-25, so there has been a lot of confusion about what’s next for Ingram.
With the current state of the Pelicans, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Ingram and multiple other stars leave the team.
The Pelicans were planning to move away from Ingram anyway, and the Hawks might give them an opportunity to do that.
The post Insider Names ‘Team To Watch’ For Brandon Ingram appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-names-team-to-watch-for-brandon-ingram/
New Orleans Pelicans
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Stephen A. Smith Says Pelicans Star Wants To Leave The Team
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/stephen-a-smith-says-pelicans-star-wants-to-leave-the-team/
(Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson continue to make the news for all the wrong reasons.
The former No. 1 pick was recently suspended for breaking the team’s rules before the game vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.
Considering how badly the team has fared and how much they needed him on the court for that game, that was an indictment of how much the team may have tolerated from him in the past.
Notably, that’s why Stephen A. Smith believes Williamson doesn’t want any part of the organization.
Talking on ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith argued that Williamson wanted to play for a big-market team because of the marketability (via NBA Central):
Of course, that makes plenty of sense, but he will never be marketable if he’s not actually on the floor.
Since he entered the league, there have been multiple worrisome reports about Williamson’s drive, work ethic, character, and eating habits.
We’ve seen him struggle with his weight year in and year out, seemingly falling out of shape after every injury.
He also struggles to get back on the court and usually needs way more time than the average player to return from minor ailments.
Williamson has been away from the team while nursing injuries multiple times.
That’s not going to do him many favors in the trade market, not even if his plan all along has been to force his way out of the Big Easy.
The post Stephen A. Smith Says Pelicans Star Wants To Leave The Team appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/stephen-a-smith-says-pelicans-star-wants-to-leave-the-team/
New Orleans Pelicans
Just Drafted
Shannon Sharpe Calls Out Zion Williamson
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/shannon-sharpe-calls-out-zion-williamson/
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
This year was supposed to be Zion Williamson’s big comeback season, and fans expected him to remain healthy and for the Pelicans to thrive.
Instead, Williamson has only played in eight games and the Pelicans are one of the worst teams in the league.
There are many reasons for New Orleans’ problems, but Shannon Sharpe pointed his criticism at Williamson and his physical state.
Speaking on “First Take,” per Legion Hoops, Sharpe said:
Shannon Sharpe calls out Zion Williamson
“Zion has spent a lot of time on the court – it just happen to be in the mall, it's the food court… He needs a change of eatery. Stop going and eating everything that you see, bro. That's embarrassing.”
(via @FirstTake, h/t… pic.twitter.com/aXBPiY74ZI
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 13, 2025
Sharpe isn’t the first person to make pointed remarks about Williamson’s body and weight.
Sadly, he probably won’t be the last.
While Williamson definitely looks better than he did in the past, he is still facing physical problems, and this season has been impacted by injuries yet again.
Some fans believe the injuries are caused by simple mishaps and bad luck, but others feel that Williamson doesn’t take good care of his body.
During his eight games, Williamson has averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
He has shown that he can still be a dynamic and explosive player, but it seems he can never be fully healthy.
This has a lot of people wondering if the Pelicans will let him go soon in a blockbuster trade.
The team is reportedly open to parting ways with him, but no one knows which teams could be in the mix to get him.
Will Williamson be able to start a fresh, new chapter if he is traded, or will people like Sharpe continue to comment on his weight and conditioning?
The post Shannon Sharpe Calls Out Zion Williamson appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/shannon-sharpe-calls-out-zion-williamson/
New Orleans Pelicans
Just Drafted
Pelicans GM Says 1 Veteran Will Likely Be Shut Down For The Rest Of Season
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/pelican...l-likely-be-shut-down-for-the-rest-of-season/
(Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)
It is hard to sum up just how bad the season has been for the New Orleans Pelicans.
It’s not lack of talent that is holding them back, but lack of good luck because they have had many injuries that have completely destroyed their roster.
On Tuesday morning, executive vice president David Griffin announced that Herb Jones will likely miss the remainder of the season because of a shoulder injury, according to Will Guillory.
The hits just keep on coming for New Orleans, and at this point, many fans are eager for the season to be over.
When he was first hurt in January, Jones was listed as out “indefinitely,” but people already suspected that it could have been the end of 2024-25 for him.
He has played in 20 games this year and has averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists during them.
The Pelicans now have only two starters still in the lineup from the beginning of the season.
Injury after injury has brought the Pelicans down since the very first game.
When the season tipped off in October, Dejounte Murray wasn’t even able to play an entire game before injuring his hand.
He eventually came back but ended up tearing his Achilles and is now gone for the remainder of the year as well.
From Zion Williamson to CJ McCollum, Jose Alvardo, and more, it seems that just about everyone on the roster has been knocked down by injuries.
The Pelicans are currently the worst team in their conference with a 12-41 record.
This latest news about Jones is obviously very disappointing.
But at this point, it’s not even surprising for this decimated team.
The post Pelicans GM Says 1 Veteran Will Likely Be Shut Down For The Rest Of Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/pelican...l-likely-be-shut-down-for-the-rest-of-season/
New Orleans Pelicans
Just Drafted
Pelicans Veteran Will Miss The Rest Of The Season
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/pelicans-veteran-will-miss-the-rest-of-the-season/
(Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)
Many people expected the New Orleans Pelicans to take a step forward and possibly win 50 games this season, but instead, they have suffered through a nightmare season.
Virtually all of their key players have dealt with injuries this season, including guard Dejounte Murray, who recently tore his Achilles, and the oft-hurt Zion Williamson, who has played in just 17 games.
Now, more bad news on the injury front has arrived, as Herb Jones, a fourth-year forward, will miss the rest of this season because of a torn rotator cuff that he recently had surgery on, per NBA on TNT.
Jones has struggled with his shooting this season, but he is a strong defender, and at 6-foot-7, he can play both forward positions.
The Pelicans’ injury problems have completely ruined their plans to be a competitive team, not to mention their chances of at least reaching the play-in tournament.
They currently hold a 12-41 record, which is the worst record in the Western Conference and the second-worst mark in the entire NBA.
Perhaps the one piece of good news for them is that they have a real shot to land the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft, which would allow them to draft Duke University sensation Cooper Flagg.
At 6-foot-9, Flagg can seemingly do it all whom scouts have compared to Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, and he could greatly change New Orleans’ fortunes should they end up with him.
Even beyond possibly drafting Flagg, big changes could be in store for the Pelicans this summer, and they already made a big change prior to the trade deadline by dealing Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors.
The post Pelicans Veteran Will Miss The Rest Of The Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/pelicans-veteran-will-miss-the-rest-of-the-season/
New Orleans Pelicans
Just Drafted
Zion Williamson Has Made A Big Physique Change
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/zion-williamson-has-made-a-big-physique-change/
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is listed as weighing 284 pounds by the NBA, but apparently, he has been cutting calories and shedding weight lately.
According to Michael C. Wright, per Legion Hoops, Williamson is now just 264 pounds, which is his lightest weight since being drafted by the Pelicans back in 2019.
Hearing that he has lost weight is a great thing, but his future in New Orleans is still very much in doubt.
After more injuries, Williamson has been back with the Pelicans lately and currently has a season average of 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
He is looking more slim and seems to be healthy again, but the Pelicans remain in bad shape.
They are the worst team in the West with a 14-43 record and have gone 2-8 during their last 10 games.
The Pelicans will not be making the playoffs this year, and there are many questions about what they will do in the summer.
They have already created a few trades over the last several years, but will they commit to more in the offseason?
Is there a chance that they will actually cut ties with Williamson and move away from him after years of injuries and false starts?
If that ends up happening, Williamson’s thinner frame will help him even more because it will raise his trade value, especially if he can remain healthy for the rest of the year.
We don’t know where Williamson will be next year, and we don’t know how the Pelicans will rebound, but we do know that he is looking better and taking care of his body, which is always important.
The post Zion Williamson Has Made A Big Physique Change appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/zion-williamson-has-made-a-big-physique-change/