Key Storylines to Watch in the New Orleans Pelicans Four Preseason Games

The New Orleans Pelicans have more things to work on in their four preseason games ahead of the 2024-25 season.

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The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to build on the success that they had in the 2023-24 season, which saw the team record 49 wins, by crossing that 50-win threshold and making it out of the first round of the playoffs.

With the new addition of Dejounte Murray in the offseason, their chances at doing just that have improved as they now have a more balanced roster capable of success on both ends of the court.

But what will the Pelicans be working on in their four upcoming preseason games?

I'm glad you asked.

Brandon Ingram Shooting More Threes

Something that the team has emphasized this offseason is their need for more long-distance shooting.

Not long ago, Brandon Ingram was a big part of their success from beyond the arc, shooting at a 38.6 percent clip on 6.2 attempts per game from the beginning of 2019 through the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

His attempts have since fallen, pulling up only 3.9 times per game, and it has seen his value fall with it.

When Ingram was shooting threes consistently, he was a big part of the offensive success, carrying 7.2 offensive win shares in that time.

Since then, he has been worth only 7.0 offensive win shares, in one more full season.

Ingram needs to get back to his earlier levels of three-point attempts, to help not only his stock ahead of potentially being traded or a free agent but also his current team's success on the court.

Was CJ McCollum's Career-High Three-Point Success Rate A Fluke?

CJ McCollum has been one of the leaders on this New Orleans team since being acquired in the 2021-22 year's trade deadline.

While more of a scoring point than a true facilitator for the offense, McCollum saw a career-high success rate from beyond the arc last season at 42.9 percent.

It's not like the guard was more selective; he ended the year with the second-most three-point attempts per game in his career (8.4).

Was that success a fluke?

The Pelicans sure hope not, especially with Trey Murphy III out for an undisclosed amount of time, and now having a true point guard in Murray.

If McCollum can repeat his success from beyond the arc that he had last year, he could be a big part of this team making it past the 50-win threshold for the first time in over a decade.

Will Having A True Point Guard Lead to More Success?

As mentioned above, New Orleans now has a true point guard in Murray, something that they did not have in their starting five last year.

Ingram led the team in assists per game in the 2023-24 campaign with 5.7, and Zion Williamson was right on his heels at 5.0.

Murray had 6.4, and was listed as a shooting guard for the Atlanta Hawks.

While Murray will be doing some scoring of his own, he will still be looked to as the facilitator for the offense, leaving Ingram to focus more on shooting and Zion to focus more on posterizing opponents on a nightly basis.

Murray will have his fair share of scoring opportunities, with his bread and butter coming from inside the restricted area and mid-range jumpers, but leaving the superstars more scoring opportunities could go a long way to making this team more successful.

Can Zion Play 70 Games Again?

While this can not be discovered in the preseason, keeping him healthy through these four upcoming games is a must.

Zion played 70 games last year, a career-high, and the big man being on the court regularly was a big part of the team's success.

It was clear to see that he was missed in the playoffs, with the Pelicans being swept in the first round after Zion injured his left hamstring in their play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Zion led the team in win shares last year with 7.5 and will prove to be a big part of the team's success, literally and figuratively, once again this season.