The Pelicans are 0-4, and the deeper they sink, the uglier this start looks for the people steering the ship.
New Orleans followed up Sunday night’s blown lead against Denver with an even rougher showing Wednesday, getting handled 104-91 in a game that left the fanbase feeling sad, disconnected, and unsure what this season is supposed to be about. The frustration isn’t just about losing. It’s about how quickly the optimism vanished once the games started.
That’s why the blame lands on Joe Dumars more than anyone in a Pelicans uniform. The roster is built awkwardly, and four games in, that construction is already showing every crack. There is talent here, but the fit is a mess.
The front office sold this group as a winning product, but that pitch is already falling apart. Dumars, Troy Weaver, and Jamahl Mosley talked up a two-timeline approach, yet the results have looked nothing like a coherent plan.
For a team coming off back-to-back sub-30 win seasons, the warning signs were already there. The Pelicans didn’t need a little tweak.
They needed a real reset.
Instead, they mostly kept the same core in place. Outside of two roster spots, this is the same team that won 26 games last year.
Dumars had a chance to pivot into a rebuild and didn’t take it. Given what the last two seasons have produced, it’s hard to see how a front office could look at that body of work and decide the answer was to keep pushing forward with the same group.
Zion Williamson is still at the center of the conversation, and the source here makes the case plainly: he has continued to show he isn’t an effective No. 1 option on a winning basketball team. Even if someone wanted to argue otherwise, the obvious answer would have been to put shooters around him and clear space for his drives.
The Pelicans did the opposite. They’re last in the league in three-point attempts and tied for last in makes per game.
That only makes the rest of the roster problems louder. This isn’t a clean youth movement with a clear direction.
It’s a blend of young and veteran players with no real identity, and that lack of direction is bleeding into development. Jeremiah Fears is being boxed in because he’s sharing point guard duties with Dejounte Murray.
At the same time, the slow start is making it tougher to even properly appreciate Derik Queen’s strong opening, especially after a preseason that drew plenty of criticism.
There’s also the issue of execution from players like Trey Murphy III and Murray. Murphy has looked disinterested and has played with no aggression.
Murray has gone off script too often and forced long mid-range looks that haven’t been dropping. But the larger point is that this goes back to roster construction, not individual scapegoats.
Dumars was supposed to bring something different from David Griffin’s final years in New Orleans. So far, though, the same mistakes are showing up again: no real direction, no clear reset, and no willingness to pull the plug on a core group that has already failed.
For a fanbase that wanted a fresh start, that’s the part that stings most.
In Other News...
Jordan Poole's Next Move Could Reshape A Market Bulls Fans Know Well
Jordan Pooles situation has quickly become one of the more interesting offseason threads around New Orleans. According to the report, he has let the Pelicans know he is open to being moved, with some doubt about whether he fits into the teams longer-term plans. It is the kind of development that can change the conversation around a roster, especially when a player with Pooles profile suddenly becomes a name other teams may start circling.
From there, the discussion turns to where he might land if the Pelicans decide to explore the market seriously. The analysis points to Miami and Sacramento as the most natural possibilities, two teams that could view Poole differently depending on how they build around him and what they are willing to give up. For now, it remains a speculative exercise, but it is already the sort of situation that can ripple well beyond New Orleans if it gains real traction. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Keep Sending A Frustrating Herb Jones Message
Herb Jones has been one of the Pelicans most reliable defensive pieces for years, which is why the early-season minutes pattern has stood out so sharply. Through four games, he has been stuck at a career-low 17.5 minutes per game, a number that does not match his value on either end of the floor and has left the team sorting through how to best use him.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley has already acknowledged that Jones needs more run, stressing the impact he brings defensively and the importance of getting his playing time right. Still, the adjustment has been gradual, and even in the latest game Jones remained on a limited workload as the coaching staff continues to work through the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Suddenly Have A Jordan Poole Concern They Can't Ignore
Jordan Pooles night against the Nuggets took an unfortunate turn before it really got going, and the Pelicans now have another injury situation to monitor. The guard missed the first quarter because of illness, then returned to play a short stint in the second before leaving with a left ankle injury.
The sequence leaves New Orleans waiting on a clearer read of Pooles status, which matters more than usual given how quickly the game shifted from a comeback attempt to a concern. The team said it will provide updates as more information becomes available, but for now the only certainty is that the Pelicans are suddenly dealing with a health issue they cant afford to dismiss. [Read more 🡒]