This thread is mostly born of my own long simmering sense that our franchise, for whatever reason, has been uniquely injury plagued.

I have long felt that it would be hard to name an NBA franchise in the last 15 years that has suffered the level of critical injuries, often at critical times, that the Pelicans/Hornets have.

So I have compiled a year by year list to evaluate just that question. I'll preface my list focused mostly on starters and key players and should be noted role players were often also suffering injuries

2008-09 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 49-33
• Key Injuries:
  • Peja Stojaković: Missed 21 games (back and groin injuries)
  • Tyson Chandler: Missed 29 games during the back end of the season (ankle injury and surgery)
  • David West: Missed 8 games (back issues)

2009-10 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 37-45
• Key Injuries:
  • Chris Paul: Missed 37 games (knee surgery)
  • Peja Stojaković: Missed 20 games (back issues)

2010-11 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 46-36
• Key Injuries:
  • David West: Missed 9 games, including season-ending ACL injury in the final game of the season
• NOTES: lack of depth plagues the team and we were constantly scrapping the dumpster for diamond in the ruff pg’s and bigs to take on meaningful minutes, including giving up a first for the rental of Jeryd Bayless, which would become Tobias Harris

2011-12 Season (Lockout-Shortened, 66 Games)

• Win/Loss Record: 21-45
• Key Injuries:
  • Eric Gordon: Missed 57 games (knee injury)
  • Emeka Okafor: Missed 39 games (knee injury)
  • Trevor Ariza: Missed 14 games (ankle injury)

2012-13 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 27-55
• Key Injuries:
  • Anthony Davis: Missed 18 games (concussion, ankle sprain)
  • Eric Gordon: Missed 40 games (knee injury)

2013-14 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 34-48
• Key Injuries:
  • Anthony Davis: Missed 15 games (back and ankle injuries)
  • Jrue Holiday: Missed 48 games (stress fracture in leg)
  • Ryan Anderson: Missed 60 games (herniated disc)
  • Eric Gordon: Missed 18 games (knee and shoulder injuries)
  • Tyreke Evans: Missed 10 games (ankle sprain)
• NOTES: Newly acquired core pretty much never plays together this season

2014-15 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 45-37 (Playoff Appearance)
• Key Injuries:
  • Anthony Davis: Missed 14 games (shoulder, ankle injuries)
  • Jrue Holiday: Missed 42 games (stress reaction in leg)
  • Ryan Anderson: Missed 21 games (knee sprain)
  • Eric Gordon: Missed 21 games (shoulder injury)
  • Quincy Pondexter: suffers knee injury and complications in the playoffs

2015-16 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 30-52
• Key Injuries:
  • Anthony Davis: Missed 21 games (knee and shoulder surgeries)
  • Tyreke Evans: Missed 57 games (knee surgeries)
  • Jrue Holiday: Missed 17 games (eye injury and rest from past leg issues, minutes restricted all season)
  • Eric Gordon: Missed 37 games (fractured finger)
  • Quincy Pondexter: Missed the entire season (knee surgery)
• NOTES: Depth issues force the team to scrape the dumpster for bodies all season

2016-17 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 34-48
• Key Injuries:
  • Jrue Holiday: Missed 15 games (family and minor injuries)
  • Tyreke Evans: Missed 50 games (knee surgery)
  • Quincy Pondexter: Missed the entire season (knee issues)
  • Bryce Dejean Jones: Tragically killed
  • Omer Asik: Missed 51 games (Crohn's Disease)
• NOTES: 25 players saw the court for the Pelicans due to roster inadequacies and depth issues from injuries

2017-18 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 48-34 (Playoff Appearance)
• Key Injuries:
  • DeMarcus Cousins: Missed 34 games (Achilles rupture)
  • Solomon Hill: Missed 72 games (hamstring tear)

2018-19 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 33-49
• Key Injuries:
  • Anthony Davis: Missed 26 games (numerous injuries)
  • Jrue Holiday: Missed 15 games (abdominal strain)
  • Elfrid Payton: Missed 40 games (finger fracture, ankle injury)
  • Nikola Mirotic: 29 games (ankle injury and strained right calf)
• NOTES: AD demands a trade

2019-20 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 30-42 (COVID-19 Shortened)
• Key Injuries:
  • Zion Williamson: Missed 45 games (knee surgery)
  • Brandon Ingram: Missed 10 games (knee soreness)
  • Jrue Holiday: Missed 11 games (elbow and groin injuries)
  • Derrick Favors: Missed 20 games (back spasms, other injuries)

2020-21 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 31-41
• Key Injuries:
  • Zion Williamson: Missed 11 games (thumb and foot injuries)
  • Brandon Ingram: Missed 21 games (ankle and hip injuries)
  • Lonzo Ball: Missed 17 games (hip and hand injuries)
  • Steven Adams: Missed 11 games (toe injury)
• NOTES: Covid season, Zion's injuries caused him to miss the tournament. still arguably one of our healthier seasons but poor roster construction, Covid dynamics, and coaching incompatibility caused issues

2021-22 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 36-46 (First Round Playoffs)
• Key Injuries:
  • Zion Williamson: Missed the entire season (foot surgery)
  • Brandon Ingram: Missed 27 games (hamstring and ankle injuries)

2022-23 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 42-40 (Play-In Tournament)
• Key Injuries:
  • Zion Williamson: Missed 53 games (hamstring injury)
  • Brandon Ingram: Missed 37 games (toe injury)
  • CJ McCollum: Missed 8 games (thumb and ankle issues)
  • Larry Nance Jr.: Missed 25 games (shoulder and hip injuries)

2023-24 Season

• Win/Loss Record: 49-33 (First Round Playoffs)
• Key Injuries:
  • Zion Williamson: Missed 12 games (various & rest)
  • Brandon Ingram: Missed 18 games (achilles sorenes, knee)
  • CJ McCollum: Missed 16 games (thumb, torn labrum)
  • Trey Murphy: Missed 25 games (knee surgery recovery)
  • Larry Nance Jr.: Missed 21 games (various)

2024-25 Season (5 games in)

• Key Injuries:
  • Trey Murphy: Missed 5 games (hamstring)
  • Dejounte Murray: 4 Games (broken hand)

TLDR: Yeah, its been habitually bad. Basically every season since 07-08 has been plagued by either a large volume of injuries to key players or injuries that occur at critically damaging times like going into the playoffs, early in the season where the team is required to overhaul their team identity, or occurs right as the team is building momentum and forming synergy.

This also doesn't account for how frequently this team is missing key players during critical offseason workouts. With the roster turnover we have, this is also an undercurrent of the curse that doesn't show up in the injury reports but often leads to our franchise coming out the gate rusty.

I think Giannis’ departure from Milwaukee is inevitable. I’m wondering as fellow Pelicans fan in a hypothetical trade for Giannis, would y’all be down with the team moving Zion, Trae Murphy or Herb Jones, three future first round picks and two seconds for the Greek Freak ? And if not, is there a player in the league you would make that trade for ?

Obviously, Willie Green needs to go. The team needs new ideas and just a better coach overall. I think his time has come.

Out of the coaches who don’t have a job, who would you like?

You guys have an interesting schedule. I think it's great for the team, that they don't have to travel back to these cities again to play. You're still only 2-3 and you won't have to play these teams again. Move on.

Why is there no live game chat?

Anyone else’s games keep getting taken by other programs (saints, World Series)?

Brandon Fucking Ingram.

The good: Shooting 50% from 3 and 100% from the line. Scoring more points on less shots than last season. FG% up 7% since last season. Notably, he is only -.01 on OBPM, which is much improved from last season's -1.3.

The bad: -8.0 PPG while on the floor this season. In the 60 minutes he's been on the floor the last 2 games, Los Pelicanos have been outscored by 32 points. His BPM is -3.6 so far this season, which is worse than his -3.1 last season. His DBPM last year was -1.7, but now that had doubled to -3.4.

In sum, defense is the reason that Hawk doesn't get those minutes from Willie Green. Los Pelicanos are getting smoked right now, and Hawk's elite shooting is not helping. Although the team overall has issues with offense, team defense and overall injuries, the advanced stats and simple +/- show that Hawk has a ways to go on the defensive end to warrant serious rotation minutes when the entire team is healthy (that might be more "if" than "when").

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Are the first couple of rows in section 103 good? There are only 2 seats and 3 seats in each row and I'm wondering if the view gets blocked by a lot of people walking in front

I know there's been a DIRECTV post, but I thought you get Pelicans+ for free. They sure don't make it easy. Any help?

Realistically speaking, who would y’all want as the next head coach of the Pels? I really wanted JJ in the offseason, obviously we won’t get him. So who do you think could come in and actually coach this team?

Reasons I wanted JJ ( if you care lol):

Played with this core

Understands offense and defense

Three point shooter, would make sure our guys take a lot more threes

Would actually adjust and make sure the players are in the right positions.

JJ would’ve been the best coach for this team, before anyone says, I’m just saying that now. First off, I didn’t have an account back then so of course you didn’t see it, second it felt like a match immediately to me, third, Willie isn’t a good Head coach.

Remember the intensity the New Orleans Pelicans showed in the 2022 playoffs? It felt like every play, every moment mattered. Fast forward to now, the energy feels flat—like Ingram’s expression on Media Day. Sure, the team has its issues, but what frustrates me the most is how it looks like no one cares. I want to see frustration after a loss—the kind that makes you want to go harder in the next game. I want to see some reaction from the players, anything that shows this matters to them! Be vocal, slam the ball in frustration, show us that these losses sting.

Ive been a fan of the Pels/Hornets since the LJ, Alonzo years. I've been through some shit with this franchise, as I'm sure many others have.

Tonight, I lost mind with them.

They are so mentally weak - giving up a 20 point lead and just bending over so the Warriors (minus their top players) can ram it up their ass.

Most of this is down to horrific coaching from Willie Green. He can not adjust mid game. His subs and ATOs are crap. He doesn't inspire healthy fear and respect from anyone, which is why Zion is so fucking lazy on defense.

Barely tracks back, barely plays helpside defense. You'd think someone who was given a 200 million dollar contract would give everything to this team.

Imagine if we had Pat Riley running this organisation. EVERYONE would be held accountable, and he isn't afraid to call you out publicly to pull your head out of your ass.

Which brings me to David Griffin. A used car salesman who uses a diverse lexicon to cover up the fact that he is a shit GM who has built a team that can't rebound and has no soul - not to mention the BI contract/trade fiasco.

I am convinced nothing will change because Gayle Benson probably didn't even know we had a game last night.

This team will continue to be the laughing stock of the league.

This team cannot start better than 4-3. It just can’t. Remember that Matt Ryan 3 that allowed the Lakers to force OT and eventually win? Yeah, if they had won, the Pelicans would have been 5-2.

To put this in perspective, last time this team started 5-2 or better, Willie Green was in his first season in New Orleans … as a player.

They started 11-1, winning their first 8 games.

When we win games it’s because we are passing the ball well. I don’t care how many points any body gets when we’re playing like this. Hella turnovers. Lazy defense. Inefficient iso games. Unsuccessful foul bating. I’m so tired. I hoped after last season we would start to understand that playing as a collaborative team was the key to keeping leads down the stretch. Instead (on almost every play) somebody iso’s -gets stuck in traffic -and then either tries to foul bait or throw a wild pass. It’s stupid. The pelicans don’t understand the concept of ball movement and passing up a good shot for a better shot. I’m really tired of being a pelicans fan rn.

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The time has come! We have added some new Mods to help balance things out after a couple of departures and a new season.

Big thanks to them for offering to help and joining the mod team!

The time has also come for a new banner. The roster has changed quite a bit since the last one. More details on that coming in the next week, but if you have ideas… get them ready!