The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of questions that they must answer, but it has felt like they could be a good enough squad if their starters stay healthy. However, some believe that the problems begin with that first unit.
Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes recently went through to grade every single team's starting lineup on a scale of 'A' to 'F.'
For the Pelicans, Hughes handed out a brutal 'D' grade. Other squads to receive that rating were the Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards were the only two to finish with an 'F.'
The meaning of this rating is clear. Hughes does not believe that New Orleans has a playoff-worthy starting rotation.
The writer did give the offense enough credit as "competitive" when Zion Williamson is healthy, but that is about it.
Williamson and Trey Murphy alone could provide 50-60 points on any given night. Jordan Poole had over 20 last season, but it's unclear how many shots he will get up in the Pelicans' offense.
Even last year, with all of the injury issues, it wasn't the starting offense that sunk New Orleans.
Their starters scored 76.7 points a night, which was No. 17 in the league. Now that is a far cry from the 94.4 points that the Denver Nuggets scored, but it was just about middle-of-the-pack. A fully healthy group could find themselves in the top 10, which was the Los Angeles Clippers with 81.2.
The biggest issue that Hughes has with the Pelicans' starting lineup is the defensive outlook, which is fair. Last season, they had the fifth-worst defensive rating at 78.1.
As important as Williamson is to the offense, Herbert Jones might be more important for the defense. He played in just 20 games last year, which certainly played into that poor defensive rating.
Poole is a poor defender, and Murphy had a subpar showing last year. Williamson is another player who will never be counted on to play elite defense. They are all so impactful on offense that the positives should outweigh the negatives.
That's why Jones and Yves Missi are so crucial. They are the only two "good" defenders of the group, one on the perimeter and one in the paint. It won't be enough to stop teams, but it could slow them down.
One thing that could end up acting as a major boon to the defense is the eventual return of Dejounte Murray, who has been one of the best defensive guards in recent NBA. That would likely slide Poole to a sixth-man role.