Ex-New Orleans Pelicans dominate playoff stages, fueling fan frustration as familiar faces lead rivals to contention.
With how frustrating the past couple of years have been for New Orleans Pelicans fans, this year's NBA playoffs have been extra frustrating thanks to the large number of former Pelicans that are taking center stage.
Dejounte Murray emphasized how much he hated watching the playoffs after missing them at his year-end press conference, vowing to never miss them again in his career. Current New Orleans fans would agree.
The big former player who causes the most distress among fans is Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans chose Zion Williamson over Ingram, and now the former has led the Toronto Raptors to the playoffs as their No. 1 offensive option.
Ingram has a rabid fanbase that usually causes friction with New Orleans fans because of that front office decision. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists as the Raptors earned the No. 5 seed. They do have a tough matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, and the Cavaliers took the first game.
The other frustrating series is the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks, just because of the sheer volume of ex-Pelicans. The Hawks fanbase and New Orleans' fans have a bit of a burgeoning rivalry because of the number of trades the two sides have made, which has led to Atlanta's recent success. The Derik Queen trade hasn't affected the court yet, but has led to plenty of arguments.
The Pelicans are hoping that they have the right pieces already in the building to build a playoff team, potentially avoiding another blowup, which could create more failed New Orleans experiments that lead other teams to success.
Here is a full list of former New Orleans players in the playoffs:
Atlanta Hawks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Dyson Daniels
CJ McCollum
Buddy Hield
Cleveland Cavaliers
Larry Nance Jr.
Denver Nuggets
Bruce Brown
Jonas Valanciunas
Detroit Pistons
Javonte Green
Houston Rockets
Steven Adams
Los Angeles Lakers
Jaxson Hayes
Minnesota Timberwolves
Julius Randle
New York Knicks
Jose Alvarado
Josh Hart
Trey Jemison
Oklahoma City Thunder
Kenrich Williams
Orlando Magic
Jamal Cain
Portland Trail Blazers
Jrue Holiday
San Antonio Spurs
Kelly Olynyk
Toronto Raptors
Brandon Ingram
Garrett Temple