2019–20 New Orleans Pelicans season
The 2019–20 New Orleans Pelicans season was the 18th season of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On April 17, 2019, the Pelicans named David Griffin the executive vice president of basketball operations.[1] On May 14, the Pelicans won the top draft choice, making it the second time in franchise history they won the lottery. Five days later, the Pelicans named former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon their newest general manager, replacing interim general manager Danny Ferry.[2]
| 2019–20 New Orleans Pelicans season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Alvin Gentry |
| General manager | Trajan Langdon |
| Owner(s) | Gayle Benson |
| Arena | Smoothie King Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 30–42 (.417) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Southwest) Conference: 13th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports New Orleans |
| Radio | WWL-FM |
This was the first season since 2011-12 that long-time power forward Anthony Davis was not on the roster, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, 3 future first round draft picks, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Lakers in 2023, on June 15, 2019. With the Lakers, Davis, along with LeBron James would go on to lead the Lakers to their 17th championship title and the franchise's first in the post-Kobe Bryant era. Five days trading Davis, on June 20, the Pelicans selected Duke phenom Zion Williamson first overall in the 2019 NBA draft, and due to an injury, he wouldn't play his first professional game until January 23, 2020, where in a game vs the San Antonio Spurs, he had dropped 22 points in just 18 minutes during the 4th quarter.[3][4]
The season was suspended by the league officials following the games of March 11[5] after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. On June 4, the Pelicans were named as one of the 22 teams heading to the NBA Bubble at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the continuation of the NBA season.[6][7] The Pelicans failed to qualify for the postseason for the second consecutive season following a loss to the San Antonio Spurs along with a win by the Trail Blazers over the Philadelphia 76ers on the same day. It was also the first time in his career that shooting guard JJ Redick missed the playoffs.[8]
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College / Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Zion Williamson | PF |  United States |
Duke |
| 2 | 57 | Jordan Bone | PG | United States |
Tennessee |
The Pelicans will hold the first pick in the draft this year due to them winning the NBA draft lottery, along with two second-round draft picks.[9] On June 15, the Pelicans agreed to a trade involving star forward/center Anthony Davis where, in exchange for a few of the Los Angeles Lakers' young, promising players, they also acquired a multitude of first-round draft picks, one of which includes the fourth selection of this year's draft. However, the trade was not be finalized until July 6.[10] On the night of the draft, the Pelicans agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Hawks, where they would give up the Lakers' fourth pick of the draft (which became De'Andre Hunter from the University of Virginia), their 57th pick, a future second-round pick, and Solomon Hill in exchange for Picks 8, 17, and 35. Just like their trade with the Lakers, however, this trade wasn't finalized until July 6.[11]
With the #1 of the draft, New Orleans selected star power forward Zion Williamson from Duke University. In his only season in Duke, Williamson earned many honors and awards for his play, including the consensus National College Player of the Year. With the 39th pick, the Pelicans acquired Serbian power forward Alen Smailagić from the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for two future second-round picks and cash considerations.[12] With the 57th pick, the Pelicans selected point guard Jordan Bone from the University of Tennessee. He would end up being traded to the Detroit Pistons after multiple trades.
Roster
| 2019–20 New Orleans Pelicans roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Standings
Division
| Southwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Houston Rockets | 44 | 28 | .611 | – | 24–12 | 20–16 | 8–5 | 72 |
| x – Dallas Mavericks | 43 | 32 | .573 | 2.5 | 20–18 | 23–14 | 10–4 | 75 |
| pi – Memphis Grizzlies | 34 | 39 | .466 | 10.5 | 20–17 | 14–22 | 4–9 | 73 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 32 | 39 | .451 | 11.5 | 19–15 | 13–24 | 7–6 | 71 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 30 | 42 | .417 | 14.0 | 15–21 | 15–21 | 4–9 | 72 |
Conference
| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Los Angeles Lakers * | 52 | 19 | .732 | – | 71 |
| 2 | x – Los Angeles Clippers | 49 | 23 | .681 | 3.5 | 72 |
| 3 | y – Denver Nuggets * | 46 | 27 | .630 | 7.0 | 73 |
| 4 | y – Houston Rockets * | 44 | 28 | .611 | 8.5 | 72 |
| 5 | x – Oklahoma City Thunder | 44 | 28 | .611 | 8.5 | 72 |
| 6 | x – Utah Jazz | 44 | 28 | .611 | 8.5 | 72 |
| 7 | x – Dallas Mavericks | 43 | 32 | .573 | 11.0 | 75 |
| 8 | x – Portland Trail Blazers | 35 | 39 | .473 | 18.5 | 74 |
| 9 | pi – Memphis Grizzlies | 34 | 39 | .466 | 19.0 | 73 |
| 10 | Phoenix Suns | 34 | 39 | .466 | 19.0 | 73 |
| 11 | San Antonio Spurs | 32 | 39 | .451 | 20.0 | 71 |
| 12 | Sacramento Kings | 31 | 41 | .431 | 21.5 | 72 |
| 13 | New Orleans Pelicans | 30 | 42 | .417 | 22.5 | 72 |
| 14 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 19 | 45 | .297 | 29.5 | 64 |
| 15 | Golden State Warriors | 15 | 50 | .231 | 34.0 | 65 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2019 preseason game log Total: 5–0 (Home: 1–0; Road: 4–0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 5–0 (home: 1–0; road: 4–0)
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| 2019–20 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
Transactions
References
- "Pelicans name David Griffin Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations". NBA.com. April 17, 2019. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- "Pelicans hire Trajan Langdon as General Manager". NBA.com. May 19, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- "Pelicans agree to trade Anthony Davis to Lakers". NBA.com. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- Mahoney, Brian. "Pelicans select Zion Williamson with No. 1 pick in draft". NBA.com. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- "NBA to suspend season following Wednesday's games". NBA.com. March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Reynolds, Tim (March 11, 2020). "NBA suspends season until further notice, over coronavirus". NBA.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Wojnarowski, Adrian (June 4, 2020). "NBA approves 22-team format to finish season". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- "New Orleans Pelicans officially eliminated from NBA playoff contention". WDSU. August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- "Full 2019 NBA Draft Order". tankathon.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- "Sources: Lakers reach deal for Pelicans' Davis". November 13, 2019.
- "Sources: Hawks trade up to 4, get UVa's Hunter". June 20, 2019.
- "Warriors Acquire Draft Rights to Alen Smailagić from New Orleans". NBA.com. June 20, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.