New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Zion Williamson Cleared To Practice, Participate In Full Team Activities

November 26th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been cleared to practice and participate in full team activities, the team announced (Twitter link). The club also stated that Williamson played full court 4-on-4 today.

Zion, an All-Star last season, has been recovering from a broken right foot which required surgery over the summer. He played 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 earlier this week, but was awaiting medical clearance on foot scans before being able to practice fully.

There is still no timetable for his return to games, but being cleared to participate in full is a good sign that he’ll be able to build up his stamina over the coming weeks.

Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets that based on the team’s schedule, Zion should participate in his first full practice on December 2.

Although there’s no firm timetable for a return to games, Christian Clark of NOLA.com speculates that Williamson could make his season debut at some point in December.

The Pelicans have struggled mightily in his absence — they sit with a 4-16 record through 20 games, ahead of only the 2-16 Rockets in the West.

Alexis Ajinca Announces Retirement

November 26th, 2021 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA center Alexis Ajinca has formally announced his retirement as a player, publishing a tweet today confirming the decision.

Ajinca, 33, was the 20th overall pick in the 2008 draft. The 7’2″ Frenchman began his NBA career in Charlotte before making stops in Dallas, Toronto, and New Orleans over the course of seven seasons. He last appeared in the NBA in 2017 with the Pelicans and also played professionally in France from 2006-08, 2011-13, and 2018-19.

In 293 total NBA regular season games, Ajinca averaged 5.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG with a .503 FG% in 13.3 minutes per contest. His best years came in New Orleans, where he was a rotation regular from 2013-17, appearing in 222 games and starting 70 of them. His lone playoff appearance came with the Pelicans in 2015.

In France, Ajinca won the French Cup in 2007 and was named to the LNB Pro A All-Star team in 2013. He was also a member of the France team that won gold in the 2013 FIBA EuroBasket championship.

Pelicans Waiting For Results From The Latest Scans On Zion Williamson

November 24th, 2021 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans are waiting for a foot specialist to process the latest scans on Zion Williamson, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Williamson has been playing 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 games, but hasn’t been cleared to participate in practice. The team expects the results to be available within a few days.

Pelicans Kept Surgery Quiet Out Of Respect For Zion's Privacy

November 23rd, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Within a larger article about Zion Williamson‘s foot injury, Brian Windhorst and Andrew Lopez of ESPN say that the Pelicans kept news of Williamson’s offseason surgery quiet until Media Day out of respect to the young forward’s “preference for privacy.”

Pelicans’ Didi Louzada Suspended 25 Games For Drug Violation

November 19th, 2021 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has suspended Pelicans wing Didi Louzada for 25 games without pay for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski, Louzada tested positive for Drostanolone and Testosterone. Both are listed in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement in the section on banned steroids and performance-enhancing drugs.

The NBA has officially confirmed the news, announcing in a press release that Louzada’s 25-game ban will begin on Friday. He’ll be eligible to return to action on January 11 vs. Minnesota.

Louzada, a 22-year-old from Brazil, was the 35th overall pick in the 2019 draft. After spending his first two seasons in Australia, he signed with New Orleans in late April. The Pelicans turned down their team option on him this summer in order to sign him to a new four-year contract that includes two fully guaranteed seasons. He has logged just seven minutes in two games this season after appearing in three contests as an NBA rookie in the spring.

Louzada issued a statement to ESPN in an effort to explain his drug violation, as Wojnarowski relays.

“When I was in Brazil during the offseason, I consulted a nutritionist who recommended I take some vitamins and supplements,” Louzada said. “Because she has a history of working with professional athletes, I would never have imagined that any of those substances would be banned or could be contaminated. Once I learned of the positive test, I immediately cooperated completely with the league and union to help all of us understand what exactly occurred.

“I would never knowingly take anything that violates NBA rules. I accept my responsibility in this situation. I deeply regret that this happened and I apologize to my team, my teammates, and Pelicans fans for this mistake.”

Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin also put out a statement from the team:

“On behalf of the New Orleans Pelicans organization, we were disappointed to learn that Didi Louzada violated the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. After speaking with Didi, we are confident that he understands the full gravity of the situation and regrets the decisions that led to the suspension. We fully support Didi on and off the court as he learns and grows from this experience.”

The suspension will cost Louzada $406,109 of his $1,786,878 salary for the 2021/22 season, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. He loses 1/110th of his salary for each game of the 25-game suspension.

As Marks observes, the Pelicans will have the ability to move Louzada to the suspended list after the first five games of his ban, opening up a spot on the 15-man roster to add a free agent. Once Louzada is eligible to return, the club would have to trade or waive that newly-signed free agent (or someone else) to be in accordance with roster-limit rules.

Hart Won't Use Youth As Excuse For Poor Record

November 18th, 2021 at 8:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans are floundering with a 2-14 record and guard Josh Hart doesn’t want to hear excuses for their poor start, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tweets. “We have to grow up. (Bleep) being young, inexperienced,” he said. “I don’t really care for that right now. We have have to focus on growing up. We have to focus on having better attention to detail.”
When Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were drafted 1-2 in 2019, it should have sparked a spirited division rivalry between the Pelicans and Grizzlies, It hasn’t worked out that way, at least not yet, because of Williamson’s injury issues, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian writes. The teams have only met six times since that draft due to the pandemic and only three have included both Williamson and Morant, Herrington notes. Just one of those matchups had a full complement of fans in the stands due to COVID-19 restrictions.

ESPN Writers Say Panic Meter High For Pelicans

November 17th, 2021 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of ESPN writers took a closer look at some underperforming teams to assess how concerned those clubs should be about their slow starts. The Hawks, Bucks, and Celtics are among the teams that shouldn’t be too worried quite yet, but the panic meter is already high for the Pelicans.

Pelicans OK One-On-One Drills For Zion Williamson

November 16th, 2021 at 5:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans have green-lit one-on-one contact drills for All-Star forward Zion Williamson, according to a team press release.

The third-year forward, drafted with the top pick out of Duke in 2019, has missed all of the 2021/22 season to this point due to fractured right foot he sustained during the offseason.

The Pelicans add that further medical imaging next week will determine if Williamson can partake in full team practices at this juncture. The latest imaging, conducted on November 11, led to the decision to clear Williamson for the one-on-one drills.

Whenever the 6’7″, 284-pound forward does hit the floor, it will be a massive salve for New Orleans. As of this writing, the club is the No. 14 seed in the Western Conference with a 2-13 record. Forward Brandon Ingram, an All-Star in 2020, missed seven of those 13 losses due to a nagging hip injury.

Williamson has struggled to manage his health and fitness thus far in his NBA career. He played in just 24 games during his rookie season due to a meniscus tear. The 21-year-old holds career averages of 25.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 3.2 APG, on .604/.333/.683 shooting, across 85 contests.

Green Has Support Of Players

November 15th, 2021 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans first-year Willie Green has kept a consistent message despite the team’s struggles, Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. Green has emphasized effort, relentlessness and competitiveness, and the players have remained in his corner. “Willie has the ultimate trust in me to go out there and play my game and play with confidence,” Josh Hart said.

Southwest Notes: Kevin Porter Jr., Spurs, Hart, Ingram

November 14th, 2021 at 5:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. has developed a unique sensibility in his new role this season as Houston’s starting point guard, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Porter calls his own style “Scoot ball.”

“Basketball today is hardly traditional,” said Porter of his role with the Rockets. “I tried to become a traditional (point guard), but that’s not me at all. I’m ‘Scoot.’ I get a bucket or set my guy up.”

The 6’4″ guard, who was a small forward during his rookie season with the Cavaliers and a shooting guard last year with the Rockets, is averaging 13.3 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.2 RPG and 1.2 SPG for a tanking Houston club in the second season of a rebuild.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Spurs forward Doug McDermott was well aware of teen rookie shooting guard Joshua Primo years before they were teammates, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News details. “I’ve been impressed with him for a long time,” McDermott said. “My dad [Creighton head coach Greg McDermott] recruited him really hard at Creighton. I think it came down to Creighton and Alabama. So I’ve been watching Josh for a long time. I’ve always known he was going to be a hell of a player.” The 18-year-old Primo is currently logging significant minutes with San Antonio’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. “[My college decision] came down to [Creighton] and Alabama,” Primo confirmed. “I went to Alabama, but we still kept in touch.”
Pelicans guard Josh Hart appreciates new head coach Willie Green‘s confidence in his shot creation, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Willie has all the trust in me to go out there and play my game and play with confidence,” Hart said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that we talked about. It wasn’t just standing in the corner and hoping and praying for the ball.”
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram returned to action following a seven-game absence due to a hip contusion, and his activity helped fuel just the second New Orleans victory of the year, a 112-101 defeat of the Grizzlies. William Guillory of The Athletic examines how Ingram’s 19 points helped the Pelicans end their nine-game losing streak. Ingram addressed the calming influence of new head coach Willie Green through a tumultuous start to the club’s 2021/22 season. “(He’s) just keeping guys positive — making sure their heads (are) up, making sure they’re staying confident in everything that they’re doing,” Ingram said. “Our guys have put in the work. He sees that, and he just wants everybody to be successful on the basketball floor.”