New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans center Steven Adams will miss the second half of his team's game against the Orlando Magic due to left ankle soreness, the team announced.

He had a near double-double in the first half, with 12 points and nine rebounds in 16 minutes before exiting

Adams arrived to the Pelicans as part of the blockbuster four-team trade that also brought in Eric Bledsoe to reshape the team's starting lineup. He has averaged 7.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 54 games in his first season in New Orleans.

He's been one of the NBA's most durable players, having not missed more than 12 games in any of his first seven seasons and making at least 80 appearances in four of those campaigns.

More recently, the 27-year-old New Zealand native suffered an ankle sprain in a Feb. 17 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jaxson Hayes should see the biggest increase in role to fill the frontcourt void. It could also create additional chances for Naji Marshall and Wes Iwundu to get involved. 

Adams' numbers don't jump off the page, but he is an important part of the Pelicans' lineup thanks to his ability to make an impact without a ton of offensive touches. He'll slide back into his usual role once healthy.

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy remained solemn following the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday.

A jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.

"We had somebody needlessly killed right in front of us," Van Gundy told reporters after the outcome of the trial. "Right in front of all of us because we can see it on video. And no verdict was going to change that. And while it's just, it's hard to celebrate. It's also hard to celebrate because we've had other incidents just like it since the time George Floyd got killed."

He went on to question whether the verdict truly represents a step toward addressing the issues of systemic racism and police brutality.

The Columbus Dispatch's Mark Ferenchik reported that only minutes before Chauvin's verdict was read a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, shot and killed a 15-year-old girl. Hazel Bryant, the girl's aunt, told Ferenchik the girl had gotten into an altercation with someone at her foster home and that while she had been holding a knife, she dropped it after police arrived on the scene.

Van Gundy has been outspoken on social issues and penned an essay for The Players' Tribune following the storming of the U.S. Capitol in January.

"I see people getting excited that there's a new president, and I think that's great. Really," he wrote. "But it's a little premature for a sigh of relief.

"We can't waste an opportunity to actually reckon with the racism and hatred that's been building in this country, long before any individual president took office."

Van Gundy went on to say the United States is "entrenched in a battle where on one side, people are fighting for equality, and on the other side, people are fighting for the status and privilege they see slipping away."

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson said Tuesday he's confident he could have reached the NFL if he chose football over basketball.

"Yeah, I believe I could," Williamson told former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe with a laugh on the Club Shay Shay podcast. "I'm just a competitor."

Sharpe then asked the 2020-21 NBA All-Star what position he would have played in the NFL.

"I think I would either do tight end or receiver. One of those two," Williamson said.

Williamson, who played quarterback in youth football before shifting his focus to basketball, certainly possesses an NFL frame at 6'7", 284 pounds.

While that's tight end size, the 20-year-old Duke product has showcased a unique combination of power and athleticism that could have allowed him to operate as an outside receiver at that height and weight, which would have represented a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.

At minimum, he could have been a red-zone weapon as somebody with the strength and leaping ability to make contested catches.

The Pelicans are happy Williamson chose the basketball route, as he's become the central figure in their building process, which has yielded a promising core with Williamson joined by Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, who are 23.

The Pelicans will be back in action Tuesday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets while looking to chase down a playoff berth in the loaded Western Conference.

Zion Williamson has yet to participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, but the New Orleans Pelicans star isn't ruling out an appearance in the All-Star weekend event at some point.  

Appearing on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, Williamson said he is "very tempted" to participate in the Dunk Contest (starts at 16:30 mark):

Williamson does have a Slam Dunk Contest on his resume. The 20-year-old won the McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest in March 2018 as a high schooler, beating Quentin Grimes and Olivia Nelson-Ododa in the final.

During his rookie season in 2019-20, Williamson likely wouldn't have received clearance from the Pelicans to participate in the event on Feb. 15. He didn't make his NBA debut until Jan. 22 due to knee surgery for a torn meniscus. 

Williamson was in Atlanta for this year's All-Star festivities on March 7 as a player on Kevin Durant's team, but the Dunk Contest was more subdued than in a normal years with only three competitors and took place during halftime of the All-Star Game. 

It's rare that superstars take part in the Dunk Contest anymore. Anfernee Simons, Obi Toppin and Cassius Stanley made up the 2021 field. The last player named to the All-Star team who competed in the Dunk Contest in the same season was Victor Oladipo in 2018. 

Williamson is a dunk machine and one of the most exciting players in the NBA. The second-year star ranks fifth in the league with 113 dunks so far this season. He's averaging 26.8 points per game on 61.4 percent shooting in 52 starts for the Pelicans in 2020-21. 

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson relished his first opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden in the NBA.

Following the Pelicans' 122-112 overtime defeat, Williamson told reporters he "love[s] playing here" and that the venue "might be my favorite place to play outside of New Orleans."

Williamson's comments will obviously have some Knicks fans dreaming of a day when the 6'7" forward is prowling the paint for the franchise. This isn't the first time he has spoken of his affinity for The Garden, either.

When Duke was preparing to play in the Big Apple in December 2018, Williamson called MSG a place "where big names are made."

Of course, the Knicks probably would've won multiple titles over the past 15 or 20 years if they had signed every star player who spoke lovingly about Madison Square Garden.

LeBron James has always savored a road matchup against the Knicks. After dropping 61 points on New York in 2009, Kobe Bryant also said the arena was "special" because of how fans are willing to laud performances by opposing players.

Of course, Carmelo Anthony is the only marquee star in recent seasons to actually welcome the challenge of attempting to restore the Knicks back to glory. Things are improving under team president Leon Rose and head coach Tom Thibodeau, but the 2019 offseason illustrated the folly of thinking the organization can attract big names without first enjoying sustained stability.

And with regard to Williamson, it will probably be a long time before an exit from New Orleans becomes a realistic possibility. He isn't eligible for restricted free agency until 2023, at which point you'd expect the Pelicans to put a max deal on the table.

But that probably won't stop enterprising fans from photoshopping Williamson into Knicks threads.

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy didn't sugarcoat his feelings about his team's defensive error that allowed Reggie Bullock to hit a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation.

Following the New York Knicks' 122-112 overtime win, Van Gundy told reporters that "high school guys would've done what they're supposed to do" in reference to the end of the fourth quarter.

As Doris Burke noted on the ESPN broadcast, the Pelicans would've been fine if they had allowed Derrick Rose to coast to an open layup. Instead, Lonzo Ball sagged off Bullock long enough to allow the Knicks swingman to have a clear jumper in the corner.

Van Gundy might have felt the need to light a fire under his squad given where the Pelicans sit in the Western Conference.

With 15 games left in the regular season, New Orleans is three games behind the 10th-place San Antonio Spurs, which would mean missing out on the play-in tournament. Even though the franchise didn't have title aspirations entering the year—hence trading Jrue Holiday—failing to earn a play-in bid would likely be deemed a disappointment.

Van Gundy's comments may have also spoken to a larger frustration. The Pelicans are 27th in defensive rating (114.6), down from 21st in 2019-20 (111.8), per NBA.com. The hiring of Van Gundy was supposed to fortify the defense, and the opposite has happened.

New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball may be available via sign-and-trade this offseason, per Brian Windhorst and Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Ball, who will be a restricted free agent, was also reportedly the subject of talks before this season's March 25 trade deadline:

"Ball was involved in trade discussions with several teams before last month's trade deadline, with the LA Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks among the teams showing interest, sources said. Some executives came away from those talks with the belief that Ball might be available in a sign-and-trade in the offseason as a restricted free agent."

The 23-year-old Ball, who is in his second season with the Pels, has averaged 14.5 points, 5.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He is shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three-point range, both career-best marks.

The four-year NBA veteran currently helps form a talented trio alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. However, the 25-30 Pelicans are on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. At 11th in the Western Conference, they are two games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the 10th and final spot in the play-in tournament.

The Pelicans are committed to Ingram long-term after signing the ex-Los Angeles Lakers forward through 2025. Williamson's rookie contract runs through 2023, but New Orleans surely wants the superstar around for much longer. 

As good as Ball as been this season, the Pels may be best off parting ways with the point guard given the resources they'll have tied up in their top two players, especially with the current roster sitting at five games under .500.

Ball recently missed four games with left hip flexor soreness but returned to the lineup Friday against the Washington Wizards. He averaged 18.0 points and 7.7 assists per game in the three matchups prior to missing time.   

New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball is planning to return against the Washington Wizards. 

Speaking to reporters, Ball said he will be "ready to go" for Friday's game. 

Ball has missed the past four games because of ongoing hip problems. He originally suffered a hip flexor strain in the fourth quarter of New Orleans' 101-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on March 18. 

After having injury issues during his first two NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ball hasn't had any significant problems with the Pelicans. He only missed nine games in 2019-20. 

Ball is having the best offensive year of his career in 2020-21. The 23-year-old is averaging 14.5 points on 38.4 percent three-point shooting, 5.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 41 starts. 

The Pelicans have been inconsistent for most of the season and are facing an uphill battle to make the playoffs. Their 25-30 record ranks 11th in the Western Conference, but they are only two games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the play-in tournament. 

The New Orleans Pelicans are expecting point guard Lonzo Ball to return from a hip injury in the coming days, according to team executive David Griffin. 

Ball has been out of the lineup since April 9. The guard is averaging 14.5 points, 5.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game this year. His impending return will likely mean a minutes reduction for Kira Lewis Jr.

In four games without Ball, the Pelicans have gone 3-1 and improved their record to 25-30 overall. 

Unfortunately, that still leaves the club 5.5 games back of the Dallas Mavericks for first place in the Southwest Division and two games back of the San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. 

Ball should be able to make an immediate impact if he's fully healthy—especially with a few crucial games coming up.

Before the end of April, the Pelicans will face the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Spurs. With just 17 games left before the end of the regular season, New Orleans' margin for error is as small as it's been all year.

Having Ball back in the lineup should make things easier, but not by much. This is still a Pelicans team that can't afford to slip up if it's going to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

The Chicago Bulls are reportedly considered the New York Knicks' top competition in landing point guard Lonzo Ball should he part ways with the New Orleans Pelicans.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks made a "very light push" for Ball at the trade deadline, while the Bulls "did a lot more of the talking" with New Orleans regarding Ball.

Ball can become a restricted free agent during the offseason, meaning the Knicks or Bulls would either have to sign him to an offer sheet or trade for him if the Pelicans match any offer Ball.

Ball, 23, is in his fourth NBA season and is still trying to live up to his billing as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

It didn't work out for Ball with the Los Angeles Lakers due to a combination of factors, including injuries and inconsistent shooting, leading to him getting traded to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis deal.

Ball is arguably having his best NBA season in 2020-21. He's started all 41 games he has appeared in and is averaging a career-high 14.5 points and 3.1 three-pointers made per game to go along with 5.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals.

Also, after never shooting better than 40.6 percent from the field in his first three seasons, Ball is shooting 42.4 percent this season and 38.4 percent from long range.

Still, Ball may not be long for New Orleans since the Pels have another promising, young guard in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who would benefit from more playing time.

If the Pelicans decide to part ways with Ball, New York and Chicago could be quality landing spots for him, as both teams have a need at point guard and could potentially get the most out of his versatile skill set.

The Knicks have perhaps the biggest need since point guards Derrick Rose and Elfrid Payton are set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, while Frank Ntilikina will be a restricted free agent.

Even with those three players, the Knicks don't have a true go-to point guard, and that may be the biggest thing preventing them from going from a low-level playoff team to a contender.

The Bulls boast a talented, young backcourt headlined by Zach LaVine and Coby White, although White isn't necessarily a true point guard.

Ball brings a more varied set of skills to the table than White, and signing or trading for him would perhaps allow the Bulls to use White in a sixth man role.

Although Ball is a somewhat flawed player, he is a solid playmaker and defender who is making significant strides as a shooter, and he could be the missing piece both the Knicks and Bulls have been looking for.