Feb 10, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports With All-Star weekend in the rearview mirror, it’s a perfect time to reevaluate every NBA team’s standing in the title race. NBA All-Star weekend has officially
New Orleans Pelicans
These are the winners and losers after the release of the NBA and Nike’s City Edition jerseys for the 2022-23 season. The City Edition jerseys first debuted during the 2017-18 season. The aim of the program was to give teams an opportunity to stretch the limits of the NBA branding guidelines and pay homage to
The Brooklyn Nets’ 2022-23 campaign did not get off to a great start, as they were blown out by the New Orleans Pelicans. The Brooklyn Nets had quite the offseason. There was discussion of Kyrie Irving opting out of his contract, and Kevin Durant demanding a trade to a new team. Despite that, both stars
Death. Taxes. The return of Zion Williamson to the top of the NBA elite. All these things seem inevitable — as long as Zion’s body holds up, they will be. Zion Williamson has not been the NBA’s version of Thanos in a long time. He has not played a basketball game since May 4, 2021
As a rookie, Herb Jones was already one of the most impactful defenders in the NBA. And the versatile forward is just getting started. It’s generally a safe assumption that first-year NBA players will struggle on defense. As modern offenses create more space on the floor and use an increasingly wide range of set plays,
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has plenty of incentives in his new extension deal — but there’s also “de-escalators” tied to his conditioning. Zion Williamson celebrated his 22nd birthday unlike anyone else, signing a five-year, $193 million extension with the New Orleans Pelicans on July 6th. After he finishes his rookie season, the guaranteed
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – APRIL 28: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Smoothie King Center on April 28, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to
Will the New Orleans Pelicans have Zion Williamson available for the NBA Playoffs? Opinions differ on the star big man’s return to the lineup. Three years ago, the Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson with hopes of the Duke star leading them to playoff glory. They’ve made it to the postseason for the first time in his
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Of all the shocking trends we’ve seen so far in the first round of the playoffs (and there have been more than a few) the New Orleans Pelicans splitting
Chris Paul has had the worst luck in playoff games refereed by Scott Foster, and last night his luck did not change. The Chris Paul, Scott Foster playoff curse continues. Last night, Paul added another loss for playoff games he has been in that were refereed by Scott Foster. The New Orleans Pelicans beat the
The Pelicans won’t entertain Zion Williamson trade offers unless he forces their hand. But if he does, the New York Knicks should be ready to pounce. Let’s say this off the top – the Knicks need to stay the course and continue to build through the young guns and the draft. They have a collection
Pelicans center Willy Hernangomez credits his success to his family: his parents and siblings, his Spanish NBA mentors, and his New Orleans teammates. “Las cosas en equipo. Las cosas en familia. Saben mucho mejor.” Willy Hernangomez has tasted victory in a way few other professional athletes ever have. Willy wasn’t the first person to win
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – APRIL 14: Head coach Stan Van Gundy argues a call to referee James Williams #60 during the second quarter of an NBA game against the New York Knicks at Smoothie King Center on April 14, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The Los Angeles Lakers have been slowly rolling towards chaos since fairly early in the season but the intensity has definitely picked up. Per 538, their odds of making
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 30: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on January 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of
Both the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans took bold swings head of the NBA trade deadline, but where will those moves ultimately take them? Both the blessing and the curse of building around someone like Zion Williamson is the urgency he places upon the present. A player this dominant, this soon with this kind of
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. On Wednesday night, Stephen Curry put up his second-straight stinker, shooting 5-of-24 from the field and 1-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc in a 17-point loss to the Dallas
You can learn a lot recovering from a serious injury. A lot about yourself. Your body. And about Zion Williamson. Zion Williamson broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot this summer. So did I. A lot of rumor and speculation have surrounded the basketball phenom’s absence from the court this season. As his team
New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry now share a fascinating statistic unique only to them. What does towering Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas have in common with prolific Warriors shooter Steph Curry? It’s certainly not height. Curry is listed at 6-foot-2, while Valanciunas is oversized at 6-foot-11. It’s
Entering his third season, how much of his game has New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson unveiled? With a full season officially under New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson’s belt, we got to see the dominance that made him a viral sensation in high school, executed at the NBA level. Playing with a poorly built roster,
Brandon Ingram is just five years into his NBA career but once again finds himself in the unfortunate position of being defined by his relationship to others. Brandon Ingram has established a healthy NBA resume. He’s averaged 23.8 points per game for two consecutive seasons. He’s made an All-Star team and won Most Improved
Why Zion Williamson’s foot injury could spell trouble for the Pelicans, plus what Michael Porter Jr.’s max extension means for the Nuggets moving forward. Monday’s NBA headlines rightfully centered on a small but vocal group of maddeningly selfish and deeply misguided players using incoherent, bad-faith rhetoric to support grossly irresponsible and scientifically indefensible decisions to
Already a generational scoring talent, Zion Williamson may only be scratching the surface of his potential as a player. Even in an era when young stars take less time than ever to ascend, Zion Williamson’s rise is exceptional. With fewer than 100 NBA games under his belt, the 21-year-old has already established himself as one
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images A Ben Simmons trade is a foregone conclusion, but as the 76ers’ options dwindle we’re digging deep to look for other fun possibilities. The 76ers are eventually going to make a Ben Simmons trade — that much has seemed certain for weeks. But exactly what they’ll get and where he’ll
Carmen Mandato/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports John Wall and the Houston Rockets agreed to find the veteran a new team. Which teams would actually be interested in taking him on? On Sep. 14, John Wall and the Houston Rockets mutually agreed to find a new team for Wall, according to a report from The Athletic. However, for
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on May 15, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User
It was always most likely Chris Paul would go back to the Phoenix Suns, but he did he still use an offer from elsewhere as leverage? With the virtual certainty he would decline his player option for next season, a return to the Phoenix Suns was always the most likely scenario for Chris Paul. He
Lonzo Ball, New Orleans Pelicans. (Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports) Bulls land Lonzo Ball on 4-year deal in sign-and-trade with Pelicans by Alicia de Artola Kyle Lowry announces he’s taking his talents to South Beach in sign-and-trade by Mark Powell It took all of one minute for the Chicago Bulls to land Lonzo Ball
Kyle Lowry. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) The first day of 2021 NBA free agency included a flurry of activity as teams scrambled to set up their rosters for next season. Who won and lost the day? Even when games aren’t being played, there are winners and losers in the NBA — especially in NBA free
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports With the Los Angeles Lakers finding their point guard in Russell Westbrook, here are the top three destinations for free agent Kyle Lowry. This NBA offseason, there are set to be plenty of teams in search of a starting point guard, from teams on the rise to those planning