The New Orleans Pelicans are entering the second season under Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver's leadership. The popular talking point of the team balancing two timelines remains the focus.

The team has continued to rely on the veterans this offseason, fending off all suitors and committing to trying to win games. The future and potential that the younger players offer after two straight seasons of fewer than 30 wins have some begging for a rebuild, though.

Right now. The Pelicans should look at it as if they have no single star player and allow those players to establish themselves throughout the year. As things stand right now, there are four people who could currently fight for that "franchise player" role.

Williamson is still the face of this team. He is paid like it and will always have the reputation that comes with being the first overall pick in the draft. He was once viewed as the savior of the franchise, but fans are still waiting for the follow-through on the promise. Last year was very promising, but not enough. 

The 26-year-old could once again be entering his final chance to solidify himself in that spot, as he has just two years left on his deal. If he misses extended time again this year, the team would be able to move on without much thought. They have pushed away trade offers for now, but a rebuild only gets more likely without results.

Murphy is a rising star in the NBA. He gained some notoriety this offseason as one of the main trade market talking points, as contenders wanted him, but New Orleans maintained a very high asking price.

While Williamson remains the face of the franchise, Murphy was probably their best player last year. He posted 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 47.0/37.9/88.6 shooting splits. If he is able to keep improving while this team starts to win games, he isn't far from his first All-Star nod and further cementing himself as a fan favorite.

Should the starting group disappoint and miss the playoffs, they will likely begin the official shift into the future. As the young star point guard, Fears' potential speaks for itself. He already had a very promising start with 14.3 points per night as a rookie. He showed what he could do with a full green light at the center of the offense late in the year as he put up 112 points over the final three games. No matter the competition they faced, that production was electric. 

Fears is fun to watch and easy to root for. At just 19 years old, he has a very long NBA career ahead of him. There are certainly worse players teams have built around.

Speaking of fun to watch and easy to root for, Queen showed why the team "reached" for him in the draft with the trade up. He had a 33-point triple-double against the San Antonio Spurs and almost had a couple others. He had 30 points and 22 rebounds, along with Fears' breakout in one of those final games. The defense has been questionable and the offense hasn't been consistent, but when his game is on, it is hard not to enjoy.