National Basketball Association

How far can Anthony Davis carry the Pelicans?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

In an all too familiar routine, the New Orleans Pelicans enter the 2016-17 season without their full roster available. After being decimated by injuries last year to a degree only matched by the grisly Grizzlies campaign, the Pels (‘Cans?) don’t know when Tyreke Evans or Quincy Pondexter will be healthy enough to play. Even bigger is the absence of Jrue Holiday, who has much more than basketball on his plate as he takes an indefinite leave to be with his wife, soccer star Lauren Holiday, as she undergoes surgery for a brain tumor.

Filling the gaps in the rotation will be a platoon of solid yet unspectacular free agent role players: Solomon Hill, Langston Galloway, E’Twaun Moore and Tim Frazier. How much these four can step into larger roles, especially while Holiday is gone, will likely be a key factor in how much success the Pelicans have.

And despite having an MVP-level talent in Anthony Davis and adding 6th overall pick Buddy Hield, not much success is being predicted for New Orleans. You’d be hard pressed to find a publication — er, website — picking them to make the playoffs. Or even to not finish last in the Southwest Division. Are people sleeping on them? Just how far can Davis carry this team?

To help answer these questions and more, Mason Ginsberg (@masonginsberg) of Bourbon Street Shots joins Fastbreak Breakfast. He addresses particularly:

If you have missed them, there are previous Fastbreak Breakfast off-season podcasts focusing on the Lakers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Pacers, Bucks, Hawks, Heat, Jazz, Knicks, Kings, plus player interviews with Wade Baldwin IV and Brandan Wright. Also, gambling. Fastbreak Breakfast episodes are also available on iTunes, Stitcher and Soundcloud.