New Orleans Pelicans
2024-25What were the New Orleans Pelicans in 2024-25, and what needed front-office attention?
NOP 2024-25: the clearest roster problems were Shooting and spacing, Rebounding, Interior finishing. No supported strength was identified. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Jose Alvarado, Zion Williamson, Karlo Matkovic, Herbert Jones, Daniel Theis. Structural basketball need, injuries, replacement lineups, and financial constraints are reported separately.
What can be trusted
Supported strengths — production, who carries it, and what money is already committed.No supported team strengths for this season — team picture available; function-level salary mapping incomplete.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.Full reading
NOP 2024-25 Shooting and spacing: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 4.2 league percentile. CJ McCollum supplied 27.3% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
NOP 2024-25 Rebounding: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 16.7 league percentile. Zion Williamson supplied 21.6% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
NOP 2024-25 Interior finishing: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 8.3 league percentile. Yves Missi supplied 18.2% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedStructural team problem | 17th percentile | CJ McCollum · 24.0% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 38th percentile | Jose Alvarado · 19.4% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Interior finishing | SupportedStructural team problem | 8th percentile | Yves Missi · 18.2% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedStructural team problem | 8th percentile | Jose Alvarado · 23.3% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | CJ McCollum | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rebounding | SupportedCritical team problem | 17th percentile | Zion Williamson · 21.6% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim pressure | SupportedStructural team problem | 8th percentile | Trey Murphy III · 35.4% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim protection | SupportedStructural team problem | 21st percentile | Yves Missi · 37.3% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Screening | SupportedMiddle-tier area with one-player risk | 44th percentile | Yves Missi · 43.8% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedCritical team problem | 4th percentile | CJ McCollum · 27.3% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | CJ McCollum | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.
NOP lineups performed 3.4 points per 100 possessions better with Jose Alvarado than without him. The best supported alternative was [CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Javonte Green, Trey Murphy III, Yves Missi] over 188 possessions.
Replacement evidence
CJ McCollum · Dejounte Murray · Javonte Green · Trey Murphy III · Yves Missi
shrunk net 0.234 over 188 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,469 possessions · off floor 4,830 possessions
NOP lineups performed 8.5 points per 100 possessions better with Zion Williamson than without him. The best supported alternative was [CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Javonte Green, Trey Murphy III, Yves Missi] over 188 possessions.
Replacement evidence
CJ McCollum · Dejounte Murray · Javonte Green · Trey Murphy III · Yves Missi
shrunk net 0.234 over 188 possessions — small sample
on floor 1,632 possessions · off floor 5,667 possessions
NOP lineups performed 7.3 points per 100 possessions better with Karlo Matkovic than without him. The best supported alternative was [CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Javonte Green, Trey Murphy III, Yves Missi] over 188 possessions.
Replacement evidence
CJ McCollum · Dejounte Murray · Javonte Green · Trey Murphy III · Yves Missi
shrunk net 0.234 over 188 possessions — small sample
on floor 1,436 possessions · off floor 5,863 possessions
NOP lineups performed 10.6 points per 100 possessions better with Herbert Jones than without him. The best supported alternative was [CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Javonte Green, Trey Murphy III, Yves Missi] over 188 possessions.
Replacement evidence
CJ McCollum · Dejounte Murray · Javonte Green · Trey Murphy III · Yves Missi
shrunk net 0.234 over 188 possessions — small sample
on floor 1,215 possessions · off floor 6,084 possessions
NOP lineups performed 3.1 points per 100 possessions better with Daniel Theis than without him. The best supported alternative was [CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Javonte Green, Trey Murphy III, Yves Missi] over 188 possessions.
Replacement evidence
CJ McCollum · Dejounte Murray · Javonte Green · Trey Murphy III · Yves Missi
shrunk net 0.234 over 188 possessions — small sample
on floor 1,158 possessions · off floor 6,138 possessions
Function loss, lineup performance, and replacement-lineup evidence remain separate; none is causal player value.
What injuries change
Recent absences and the basketball needs they created or worsened.Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly CJ McCollum
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Jose Alvarado
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Yves Missi
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Jose Alvarado
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Zion Williamson
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Trey Murphy III
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Yves Missi
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly CJ McCollum
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 9 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Yves Missi
Where money is tied up
Cap position and salary allocation — shown beside the basketball picture, never blended into it.Most salary is mapped to creation; the highest-need area is shooting and spacing. Salary-to-function mapping covers 76% of charges.
Exact figures
Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence.
What the evidence cannot answer
Deliberate abstentions — where the database refuses a conclusion rather than guessing.- Point-of-attack defense proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Switch coverage proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
Exact transaction legality: Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence
Team-season situation report. Structural basketball quality, recent availability, player dependence, replacement lineups, and financial position remain separate. No acquisition recommendation, transaction grade, coaching grade, outcome claim, or causal value is inferred.