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Dell Demps is still the Pelican's General Manager. Mickey Loomis is still the Pelican's Vice President of Basketball Operations. The perfect Pelican's offseason *roll credits* is already unobtainable.
If the name Mickey Loomis sounds familiar, it's because he's a pretty well-known guy in New Orlean's sports. Loomis is the Saint's General Manager and, as previously stated, the Pelican's VP. One man running two professional teams, he must be talented. No, not really. Sean Payton carries most of the load for the Saints, and in Loomis' own words he "doesn't have a lot to do with" the Pelicans. Loomis lets Demps run the Pelicans, and based on the past few seasons Loomis doesn't care what Demps does. Under Demps, the Pelicans have only made the playoffs two of his seven tenured years, and neither of those appearances went past the first round. Terrible contract signings, letting players walk for nothing , and questionable firings and hirings(cough firing Monty Williams for Alvin Gentry) all have Dell Demps on a Mia Khalifa-level hot seat that only the perfect offseason can save.
The Dream Scenario
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Anthony Davis. DeMarcus Cousins. Paul George. Basketball Orgasm.
Disclaimer: The likelihood of this happening is less than 1.1%. 1.1% is the Pelican's chances of winning the 2017 NBA Draft lottery. The Pelicans could take Markelle Fultz and be set for the next 10 years, but the Pelicans have been in win-now mode since Anthony Davis emerged as the future of the NBA. So it's not out of the way to imagine a thrilled Pelicans throwing a #1 pick, Solomon Hill, and E'Twaun Moore in return for a player like Paul George. The same trade is sensible if you replace George with the Bull's Jimmy Butler. Both the Bulls and Pacers seem ready to press the rebuild button, so they'd be more than willing to start over with a #1 pick, a solid role player, and the 6'7" trash can that is Solomon Hill. In this scenario, the Pelicans could either re-sign Jrue Holiday or let him walk and still survive off a cheaper point guard. But resigning Jrue would give the Pelicans one of the NBA's scariest starting 5's– regardless of the other wing. Once that core is solidified, the bench will be filled with ring-thirsty veterans.
Great young core + interchangeable veteran talents= Pelican's Dynasty. Just imagine the Pelican's parades. A smiling Boogie. Anthony Davis becoming the Tim Duncan to this generation's Spurs.
Alright, back to reality.
The Realistic Perfect Scenario
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Step 1: Fire Dell Demps and Mickey Loomis. That didn't happen, so new step one.
New Step 1: Re-sign Jrue Holiday. Jrue hasn't played more than 67 games in his four years of being a Pelican. He has a tendency to choke games, and even gets outplayed by Tim Frazier every now-and-then. With all that being said, the Pelicans should offer Holiday as close to max money as possible. Holiday is the perfect point guard for the AD-Boogie frontcourt. Jrue averaged over 15 points per game and 7 assists per game, while only taking more than 20 shots three times all season.
Step 2: Choose a playing style. Alvin Gentry wants to run, launch threes, and play knockoff Warrior basketball. Here's a list as to why that doesn't work for the Pelicans:
1. The Pelicans best 3-point shooter last season was D-league point guard Quinn Cook.
2. The Pelicans let Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, the perfect role players for this system, leave for nothing in last year's free agency.
3. The two best players on the roster, Anthony Davis and Boogie Cousins, are best inside the three point line.
4. The Pelicans don't have the defense to constantly get stops and run.
The Pelican's played their best basketball letting AD and Boogie work the pick-and-roll with Jrue Holiday, or simply feeding one of the two and getting out of the way. Whether Gentry chooses his own fast pace style or the style best fitted to the team, the Pelicans will need shooters and defense for either.
Step 3: Create cap room for aforementioned shooters or defense. I wish I could've said shooters and defense, but the Pelicans can't afford both or a player with both, after the Holiday signing. The Pelicans can let Dante Cunningham walk and stretch out Omer Asik's terrible contract to create up to $8.1 million in cap room. This would allow the Pelicans to pick up their choice of at least three of the following: Donatas Motiejunas, Omri Casspi, Troy Williams, Justin Holiday, Ian Clark, Anthony Morrow, and Brandon Rush. The Pelicans could also take a swing at stealing Jonathan Simmons or Shabazz Muhammad. Any of these role players would help boost the Pelicans into playoff contention.
Let's just pray the Pelicans don't Pelican(see dictionary) this offseason.
Pelican- a term used to describe trading all first round draft picks and then building a roster of D-league and overpaid talent.