The 2018–19 New Orleans Pelicans season was the 17th season of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
| 2018–19 New Orleans Pelicans season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Alvin Gentry |
| General manager | Dell Demps (Until February 15) Danny Ferry (interim) |
| Owner(s) | Gayle Benson |
| Arena | Smoothie King Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 33–49 (.402) |
| Place | Division: 4th (Southwest) Conference: 13th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports New Orleans |
| Radio | WWL-FM |
This season also marked the highest number of points scored in a game for the New Orleans franchise, with a franchise-high 149 points scored in their second game of the season on an October 19, 2018 win over the Sacramento Kings.[1] However, the season also produced plenty of turmoil for the team through the surprising departure of DeMarcus Cousins to the Golden State Warriors in free agency, Anthony Davis announcing trade demands that ultimately were not met during this season, and the firing of general manager Dell Demps during the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend. All of this would lead the Pelicans to another losing season with Davis on the team, with a 138–136 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns on March 16, ultimately eliminating them from playoff contention.
On May 14, 2019, after the conclusion of this season, the Pelicans won the top draft choice, making it the second time they won the lottery.
Also, this season marked the end of the Anthony Davis era in New Orleans, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on July 6, 2019.
Draft
edit| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College / Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 51 | Tony Carr | PG |  United States
|
Penn State |
Roster
edit| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roster |
Standings
editDivision
edit| Southwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Houston Rockets | 53 | 29 | .646 | – | 31–10 | 22–19 | 10–6 | 82 |
| x – San Antonio Spurs | 48 | 34 | .585 | 5.0 | 32–9 | 16–25 | 10–6 | 82 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 33 | 49 | .402 | 20.0 | 21–20 | 12–29 | 8–8 | 82 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 33 | 49 | .402 | 20.0 | 19–22 | 14–27 | 8–8 | 82 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 20.0 | 24–17 | 9–32 | 4–12 | 82 |
Conference
edit| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Golden State Warriors * | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Denver Nuggets * | 54 | 28 | .659 | 3.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – Portland Trail Blazers | 53 | 29 | .646 | 4.0 | 82 |
| 4 | y – Houston Rockets * | 53 | 29 | .646 | 4.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Utah Jazz | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Oklahoma City Thunder | 49 | 33 | .598 | 8.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – San Antonio Spurs | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Los Angeles Clippers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Sacramento Kings | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Lakers | 37 | 45 | .451 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Memphis Grizzlies | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 13 | New Orleans Pelicans | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Dallas Mavericks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Phoenix Suns | 19 | 63 | .232 | 38.0 | 82 |
Game log
editPreseason
edit| 2018 preseason game log Total: 0–5 (Home: 0–1; Road: 0–4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preseason: 0–5 (home: 0–1; road: 0–4)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–19 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
editPlayer statistics
edit| Player | Pos. | GP | GS | MP | Reb. | Ast. | Stl. | Blk. | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dairis Bertāns≠ | SG | 12 | 0 | 167 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| Ian Clark | SG | 60 | 6 | 973 | 89 | 94 | 22 | 8 | 401 |
| Anthony Davis | C | 56 | 56 | 1,850 | 672 | 218 | 88 | 135 | 1,452 |
| Cheick Diallo | PF | 64 | 1 | 896 | 332 | 33 | 29 | 33 | 387 |
| Tim Frazier‡ | PG | 47 | 17 | 909 | 137 | 206 | 25 | 4 | 235 |
| Andrew Harrison‡ | PG | 6 | 0 | 38 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Solomon Hill | SF | 44 | 15 | 878 | 133 | 55 | 23 | 10 | 191 |
| Jrue Holiday | SG | 67 | 67 | 2,402 | 334 | 518 | 109 | 54 | 1,420 |
| Frank Jackson | PG | 61 | 16 | 1,169 | 134 | 69 | 25 | 2 | 495 |
| Stanley Johnson | SF | 18 | 0 | 247 | 42 | 28 | 12 | 1 | 96 |
| Wesley Johnson† | SF | 26 | 13 | 377 | 54 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 95 |
| Darius Miller | SF | 69 | 15 | 1,757 | 128 | 146 | 40 | 23 | 567 |
| Nikola Mirotić† | PF | 32 | 22 | 925 | 264 | 35 | 21 | 25 | 534 |
| E'Twaun Moore | SG | 53 | 36 | 1,463 | 127 | 102 | 40 | 8 | 633 |
| Jahlil Okafor | C | 59 | 24 | 935 | 278 | 40 | 15 | 40 | 484 |
| Elfrid Payton | PG | 42 | 42 | 1,250 | 220 | 320 | 44 | 17 | 446 |
| Julius Randle | PF | 73 | 49 | 2,232 | 634 | 229 | 52 | 45 | 1,565 |
| Jason Smith‡ | C | 2 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Kenrich Williams | SF | 46 | 29 | 1,079 | 219 | 83 | 45 | 19 | 279 |
| Christian Wood | PF | 8 | 2 | 189 | 63 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 |
After all games.[2]
‡Waived during the season
†Traded during the season
≠Acquired during the season
Transactions
editTrades
edit| October 15, 2018[3] | To New Orleans Pelicans Wesley Johnson |
To Los Angeles Clippers Alexis Ajinça |
Free agency
editRe-signed
edit| Player | Signed |
|---|---|
| Ian Clark[4] | July 9, 2018 |
Additions
edit| Player | Signed | Former team |
|---|---|---|
| Elfrid Payton[5] | July 9, 2018 | Phoenix Suns |
| Julius Randle[5] | July 9, 2018 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Trevon Bluiett[6] | July 17, 2018 | Xavier Musketeers |
| Garlon Green[7] | July 24, 2018 |  Belfius Mons-Hainaut
|
| Kenrich Williams[7] | July 24, 2018 | Texas Christian University Horned Frogs |
| Troy Williams[8] | July 27, 2018 | New York Knicks |
| Jahlil Okafor[9] | August 9, 2018 | Brooklyn Nets |
| Darius Morris[10] | September 4, 2018 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers (G League) |
| Dairis Bertāns | March 2, 2019 |  AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan
|
Subtractions
edit| Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|
| DeMarcus Cousins[11] | Free agency | Golden State Warriors |
| Rajon Rondo[12] | Free agency | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Emeka Okafor[13] | Waived | Philadelphia 76ers |
Awards, records and milestones
editAwards
edit| Player | Award | Date awarded | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Davis | Western Conference Player of the Week | November 19, 2018 | [14] |
| Anthony Davis | NBA All-Star (6th appearance) | January 31, 2019 | [15] |
| Jrue Holiday | NBA All-Defensive Second Team | May 22, 2019 | [16] |
Records
edit- The Pelicans set an NBA record in:
- Most combined 3-point field goals made in a game
- 43 – Pelicans (19) vs. Golden State Warriors (24) on January 16, 2019[17]
- Most combined 3-point field goals made in a game
- The Pelicans set a franchise record in:
- Most points scored in a game
- 149 in a win against the Sacramento Kings on October 19, 2018[18]
- Most points scored in a game
- Anthony Davis set a franchise record in:
- Most rebounds in a game
- 26 against the Brooklyn Nets on January 2, 2019[19]
- Most rebounds in a game
- Elfrid Payton tied a franchise record in:
- Most triple-doubles in a season
- 6 – tied with Chris Paul who set the record during the 2008–09 season[20]
- Most triple-doubles in a season
Milestones
edit- On October 17, 2018, in a win against the Houston Rockets, Elfrid Payton became the first player to average 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game since Kyle Lowry did it on March 2, 2013.[21]
- On November 7, 2018, Jrue Holiday reached 2,000 career assists in a win against the Chicago Bulls.[22]
- On November 21, 2018, Anthony Davis reached 10,000 career points in a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, becoming the eighth youngest player at 25 years and 255 days to reach the milestone.[23]
- On January 29, 2019, Holiday recorded 19 points, eight assists, six rebounds and six blocks in a win against the Houston Rockets, becoming the first guard in NBA history to record at least 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and six blocks in a game.[24]
- On March 12, 2019, Payton recorded his second consecutive triple-double in a loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming the first New Orleans player to have a triple-double in consecutive games since Chris Paul in 2008.[25]
- On March 16, 2019, Payton recorded his fourth consecutive triple-double in a loss against the Phoenix Suns, joining James Harden, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Russell Westbrook as the only players since the 1983–84 season to record triple-doubles in as many as four straight games.[26]
- On March 18, 2019, Payton recorded his fifth consecutive triple-double in a win against the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to record five consecutive triple-doubles, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook.[27]
Team milestones
editReferences
edit- ^ "Most Points Scored by the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA Game".
- ^ "2018-19 New Orleans Pelicans Roster and Regular season Stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ "Pelicans acquire Wesley Johnson". NBA.com. October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ "Pelicans re-sign guard Ian Clark". NBA.com. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ^ a b "Pelicans sign free agents Elfrid Payton and Julius Randle". NBA.com. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ^ "Pelicans sign Trevon Bluiett to two-way contract". NBA.com. July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "Pelicans sign Garlon Green and Kenrich Williams". NBA.com. July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ "Pelicans sign Troy Williams". NBA.com. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Pelicans sign Jahlil Okafor". NBA.com. August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ "Pelicans sign Darius Morris". NBA.com. September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ "Warriors Sign Free Agent Center DeMarcus Cousins". NBA.com. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- ^ "Lakers Sign Rajon Rondo". NBA.com. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- ^ "Pelicans Waive Emeka Okafor". New Orleans Pelicans. September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Anthony Davis named Western Conference Player of the Week". NBA.com. November 19, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Anthony Davis named reserve for 2019 NBA All-Star Game". NBA.com. January 31, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Jrue Holiday Named to 2018-19 All-Defensive Second Team". NBA.com. May 22, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "NBA scores, highlights: Warriors, Pelicans combine for NBA 3-point record; Kyrie Irving, Celtics beat Raptors". cbssports.com. January 17, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Most Points Scored by the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA Game". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Nets build big lead, hold off Davis, Pelicans 126-121". ESPN. January 2, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Watch: Elfrid Payton Becomes Fifth Player in NBA History to Record Five Straight Triple-Doubles". si.com. March 19, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Davis, Mirotic lead Pelicans past Rockets 131-112". ESPN. October 17, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Davis' big night helps Pelicans end 6-game skid, beat Bulls". ESPN. November 7, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Anthony Davis becomes eighth-youngest to reach 10,000 career points". nba.com. November 21, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Okafor helps short-handed Pelicans beat Rockets 121-116". ESPN. January 29, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "Bucks used big third quarter to pull away and beat Pelicans". nba.com. March 12, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Elfrid Payton joins elite company after fourth-straight triple-double in OT loss to Suns". Yahoo Sports. March 16, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "Watch: Elfrid Payton Becomes Fifth Player in NBA History to Record Five Straight Triple-Doubles". si.com. March 18, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "New Orleans Pelicans Stats - Basic (Totals)". Basketball Reference. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- ^ "New Orleans Pelicans Stats - Per Game (Totals)". Basketball Reference. Retrieved June 25, 2020.