Zion Williamson eyes MVP form, Herb Jones anchors defense, and Trey Murphy III ascends. Predictions for individual awards and the Pelicans' final record.
Time has finally come for the 2025 NBA season, which tipped off Tuesday night for the league. The New Orleans Pelicans begin their run on Wednesday night on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Before that game starts, it's time to take a step back and make a prediction for how this season will play out. Here are the NBA awards and how they could shake out for just within the Pelicans organization:
Most Valuable Player: Zion Williamson
A lot was made of how Williamson looked at media day, and for good reason. He finally sounded and looked ready to make that next step as an NBA star. Before buying into it, though, many wanted to see how he actually looked on the court.
If the preseason was any indication, he looks ready for a career year. He was faster, more confident and creating plays for his teammates at a better level.
He has to stay healthy, which is never a given with him. If he plays in around 70 games, this should at least be a play-in team. He could be in actual MVP conversations if this team ever becomes a top-four seed/real championship contender.
Defensive Player of the Year: Herb Jones
Jones played in just 20 games last season and the team's defense took a complete nose dive. Having someone like him to completely buy in on that side of the ball is so crucial for overall team success.
He was recently given a three-year extension and can just focus on playing the best defense possible for New Orleans. Talking to him this preseason, that sounds like exactly what he plans to do.
After being left out of the conversation for even just being a top-10 defender in basketball from the NBA's GM survey a couple of weeks ago, he has more to prove. Jones playing with a chip on his shoulder on defense should be fun to watch.
Rookie of the Year: Derik Queen
Fears will be the popular pick after his red-hot close to the preseason, but Queen has a clearer path to impactful minutes this year. His summer league injury won't cost him any time, and the front court is a massive weakness for the Pelicans.
If Queen can even show a glimpse of those Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis comparisons, he will be in a great spot after year one. There is the potential for him to leave this season looking like the future center for this team.
That's not to say Fears won't have a good rookie year, but it might be harder for him to get going in the regular season than it was in preseason action. The guard rotation also figures to be super crowded once Dejounte Murray comes back.
Most Improved Player: Trey Murphy III
Murphy has the chance to become a superstar in this league. He took a major step forward last year with the increased opportunity due to other injuries and looked the part of an alpha on offense.
His off-ball shooting will be the key to unlocking the spacing for this team. He is also looking to improve his on-ball approach, which would be where another step could be taken.
One trend that should continue into the regular season is Williamson selling out to get open shots for Murphy. When both of these are on, the offense can be unstoppable. This has been a two-man game with a ton of focus this offseason/preseason, and could lead to a lot of wins.
He was great in the preseason and has looked incredible when the media has been allowed to watch practices. It's easy to get excited about his potential for 2025.
Sixth Man of the Year: Saddiq Bey
Bey is another player that had a great preseason. After missing basketball for a year, he just looks to be happy back on the court. His shooting has looked closer to what it was to start his career. Defensively, he will have lot of responsibility.
Bey will need to be this year's Naji Marshall. Someone who does a little bit of everything and just buys in fully when he is on the court.
Final Record and Playoff Seed: 44-38, No. 7 seed
The fact that this team has a projected win total of around 30 seems crazy to me. The only reason that they won just 21 games a year ago was due to injury. If they have the same nightmare happen again this season, then the win total makes sense.
When healthy, though, this roster has plenty of talent to win a ton of basketball games. They might not be title contenders this season, but there should be a step forward in the product.
This should at least be a play-in team, which is where the seventh-seed becomes a possibility. This is a really tough Western Conference.