The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the hardest franchises in the NBA to figure out. The team has talent and is well-coached, yet repeatedly manages to disappoint both fans and those who believe they can go far. The Achilles’ heel of the Pelicans in recent seasons has been injuries — and 2024–25 was no different.<\/p>
The team’s main addition for the season was point guard Dejounte Murray, who was supposed to be the link between Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. However, Murray broke his hand in the very first game of the season and later tore his Achilles tendon, missing the rest of the year starting in February. On top of that, Zion suffered yet another injury-filled season — with muscle and back problems — and played only 30 games. This was compounded by injuries to Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.<\/p>
Finally, with all the health issues and poor chemistry, the Pelicans traded Ingram to the Toronto Raptors midway through the season. The forward was yet another player plagued by injuries, managing to appear in just 18 games.<\/p>
With all that, the team finished with the second-worst record in the West, at 21–61, far from any playoff contention. Perhaps the only highlight of the season came when Zion briefly returned between January and March and put up some impressive individual performances.<\/p>