New Orleans Pelicans
2025-26What are the New Orleans Pelicans in 2025-26, and what needs front-office attention?
NOP 2025-26: the clearest roster problems were Passing connectivity, Shooting and spacing. The strongest covered areas were Rim pressure. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Herbert Jones, Yves Missi, Micah Peavy, Karlo Matkovic. 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.Full reading
NOP 2025-26 Rim pressure: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 95.8 league percentile. Zion Williamson supplied 25.8% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences created a shortage in 3 of the final 10 covered games. The team already committed substantial or redundant cap resources here.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.Full reading
NOP 2025-26 Passing connectivity: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 16.7 league percentile. Derik Queen supplied 18.5% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 7 of the final 10 covered games. The team already committed substantial or redundant cap resources here.
Full reading
NOP 2025-26 Shooting and spacing: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 12.5 league percentile. Trey Murphy III supplied 37.0% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. The cap allocation to this structural need was comparatively low.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 46th percentile | Zion Williamson · 20.7% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 67th percentile | Derik Queen · 20.3% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Interior finishing | SupportedMiddle of the league | 58th percentile | Saddiq Bey · 22.6% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedCritical team problem | 17th percentile | Derik Queen · 18.5% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Kevon Looney | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
| Rebounding | SupportedMiddle of the league | 67th percentile | Zion Williamson · 24.9% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Rim pressure | SupportedTeam strength | 96th percentile | Zion Williamson · 25.8% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Rim protection | SupportedMiddle of the league | 46th percentile | Derik Queen · 32.1% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Heavy or redundant salary already committed here |
| Screening | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Kevon Looney | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedStructural team problem | 13th percentile | Trey Murphy III · 37.0% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Underfunded structural need |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Kevon Looney | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Balanced or context-dependent salary commitment |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.
NOP lineups performed 5.3 points per 100 possessions better with Herbert Jones than without him. The best supported alternative was [Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, Bryce McGowens, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen] over 198 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Saddiq Bey · Trey Murphy III · Bryce McGowens · Jeremiah Fears · Derik Queen
shrunk net -5.81 over 198 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,927 possessions · off floor 4,347 possessions
NOP lineups performed 3.7 points per 100 possessions better with Yves Missi than without him. The best supported alternative was [Saddiq Bey, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen] over 222 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Saddiq Bey · Herbert Jones · Trey Murphy III · Jeremiah Fears · Derik Queen
shrunk net 2.803 over 222 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,287 possessions · off floor 4,987 possessions
NOP lineups performed 3.5 points per 100 possessions better with Micah Peavy than without him. The best supported alternative was [Saddiq Bey, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen] over 222 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Saddiq Bey · Herbert Jones · Trey Murphy III · Jeremiah Fears · Derik Queen
shrunk net 2.803 over 222 possessions — small sample
on floor 1,636 possessions · off floor 5,619 possessions
NOP lineups performed 4.3 points per 100 possessions better with Karlo Matkovic than without him. The best supported alternative was [Saddiq Bey, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen] over 222 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Saddiq Bey · Herbert Jones · Trey Murphy III · Jeremiah Fears · Derik Queen
shrunk net 2.803 over 222 possessions — small sample
on floor 1,614 possessions · off floor 5,641 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 Trey Murphy III
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 9 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Saddiq Bey
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 7 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Zion Williamson
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 7 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Herbert Jones
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 7 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Zion Williamson
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 6 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Yves Missi
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 4 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Zion Williamson
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 3 · strength at risk in 4 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Zion Williamson
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 passing connectivity. Salary-to-function mapping covers 97% 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
- Screening: 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.