New Orleans Pelicans 25/26 NBA Season Review
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The Locked On Fantasy Basketball Podcast delivers a scathing yet insightful review of the New Orleans Pelicans' 2025-26 NBA season, framing it as a chaotic, underachieving campaign defined by poor front office decisions and inconsistent player development. Host Josh Lloyd critiques the team’s lack of a draft pick, their failure to prioritize tanking despite being bad, and their baffling roster construction—highlighting the wasted $8M on Kevon Looney and the continued starting of 38-year-old DeAndre Jordan. Despite some bright spots like Trey Murphy’s elite fantasy production and DeJounte Murray’s strong return from injury, the analysis emphasizes declining defensive value, inefficient role players, and a lack of long-term vision. Zion Williamson’s reduced usage and load management are seen as a double-edged sword—preserving health but sacrificing fantasy upside. The episode concludes with skepticism about future roster stability and a clear message: the Pelicans remain a franchise in disarray, with no clear path to competitiveness.
Trey Murphy was a top-50 fantasy performer despite defensive decline and injury concerns.
DeJounte Murray’s return from Achilles injury was strong, but his fantasy value is limited by roster competition and inconsistent playing time.
Zion Williamson’s usage and minutes were significantly reduced, likely for health, but this hurts his fantasy ceiling.
The Pelicans’ front office made multiple questionable moves, including signing Kevon Looney and DeAndre Jordan, which undermined team-building.
Sadiq Bey exceeded expectations but lacks sustainability and elite upside.
…and 2 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Intro & Podcast Sponsorship
Introduction to the Locked On Fantasy Basketball Podcast and promotion of the Everydayer Club, a premium ad-free listening experience with Discord access.
Pelicans Season Overview: A Mess of Missteps
“They didn't have their pick. So every time they played Dallas or Sacramento or Washington or whoever, one of those bad teams, they would just win. And therefore, their record looks a lot better because they were much like Sacramento. They were not trying to be bad. That was not their plan. They were doing it for the love of the game.”
Trey Murphy: Fantasy Star with Defensive Decline
“He is not a good defender anymore. Negative defensive EPM, but on shots that he contested, not just at the rim, but out on the perimeter, opposing players saw their field goal percentage compared to what average or expectation is be 3.4% higher.”
DeJounte Murray: Injury Return & Fantasy Potential
“He ended up playing 28 minutes a night. He was the 42nd ranked player per game. 27 usage. He was way better in his time on the court than I thought he would be.”
Zion Williamson: Reduced Role, Health Sacrifice?
“He hit one. He attempted four threes. What? Wow. Okay. So that part of his game is gone. So realistically, when the usage comes down, if he's not a 30 usage guy going at 65%, it is hard to get that overall high level value back.”
“They wasted their draft pick to get Derek Queen. They wasted money to sign Kevon Looney and they said no, we actually still need DeAndre Jordan who had 10 usage, played 17 minutes a night. He can still rebound six rebounds a game in six minutes, 16, 17 minutes a game but he was starting games. He's 40 years old.”
“He hit one. He attempted four threes. What? Wow. Okay. So that part of his game is gone. So realistically, when the usage comes down, if he's not a 30 usage guy going at 65%, it is hard to get that overall high level value back.”
“The front office, Joe Dumas, Troy Weaver said, yeah, Jordan Poole, come in. Yeah, let's sign big Kevon Looney. And the coaches went, ah, absolutely not. What do you guys think? We are not playing these players.”
Host
New Orleans Pelicans
other
Trey Murphy
person
Josh Lloyd
person
DeJounte Murray
person
Zion Williamson
person
Sadiq Bey
person
Jordan Poole
person
Herb Jones
person
Kevon Looney
person
DeAndre Jordan
person
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