This hasn’t been the year anyone associated with the New Orleans Pelicans wanted or expected. Injuries have dashed hopes since the first tip-off of the season.
As of the end of the first week in March, the Pels are 17-48 (.262 win percentage) and 14th in the NBA’s Western Conference. Only the Utah Jazz (15-49) are worst in the West, and in the East, only the Charlote Hornets (15-48) and Washington Wizards (13-49) have worse records than New Orleans.
With that kind of performance, the postseason is out of reach and hopes in the Crescent City are once again turning to the upcoming NBA Draft with the thought that an injection of top-level young talent can help the team become a consistent winner.
So, it was a shock to the system when former Pelican Demarcus Cousins warned Cooper Flagg, the Duke University forward who is considered by many to be the top talent in college basketball, to stay in school rather than enter the draft should New Orleans get the NBA’s top overall pick.
“Cooper Flagg, go back to Duke or the Jazz, brother. Pelicans, you’ll get lost in the sauce with the Saints. Wizards, they don’t care. Hornets, we just finished a whole 30-minute segment on them….Utah, you’ll be a hero,” Cousins, a four-time NBA All-Star who last played in the league during the 2021-22 season, said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show.
Flagg, a 6’9” freshman, is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s hitting 49.4 percent of his shots and 37.7 percent of his three-point attempts, while leading the Blue Devils to a 28-3 record.
“Cooper Flagg didn’t reclassify (he should be a high school senior) to play two years in college,” NBA Salary Cap expert Keith Smith wrote on X. “He’s going to the NBA after this season, no matter who gets the first pick or no matter how well Duke does or doesn’t do in the (NCAA) tournament.”
Some may say Cousins is a disgruntled former employee who spent less than two seasons in New Orleans, but is “Boogie” right?
The Pelicans and New Orleans Saints are both owned by Gayle Benson, and the franchises are run by the same management team. The organizations’ brass bristles at the idea that the Pelicans are the little brother to the Saints’ big brother.
Since the NBA returned to New Orleans, the franchise has struggled to maintain competitiveness while the Saints have enjoyed their golden era with a Super Bowl championship, several divisional crowns and playoff appearances. In 22 seasons, the Pelicans have won about 47% of their regular season games, made the playoffs nine times and won the division once. Time and time again, the team has seen its biggest stars — Baron Davis, Chris Paul, David West, Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis — sour on New Orleans and seek trades.
Their most recent savior, former No. 1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson, has struggled to remain healthy and made more headlines for his weight and inconsistent playing time than on-court exploits. In five years in the league, he has played in a little more than 210 games, including fewer than 30 this year. When he’s on the court, he often looks like a potential superstar — averaging 31.4 minutes, 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game with a 58.8 shooting percentage. But with his health issues, Williamson’s value is seemingly still based on potential rather than his contributions. That has led to speculation that he, too, could eventually be on the trading block.
There is no doubt that should the Pels win the NBA Draft Lottery and get the No. 1 pick, Flagg would bring a ton of interest to New Orleans, especially if he was paired with a healthy Williamson, Trey Murphy III, DeJounte Murray and CJ McCollum. That’s a core that gives the Pelicans a chance to win every time they step on the court.
If the Pels want to prove “Boogie” and other naysayers wrong, they need to have a solid draft, get players healthy, and continue to build and add depth. That could lead to a quick turnaround and a competitive 2025-2026 season.
Chris Price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.
