3 Former Pelicans On Thin Ice With Their New Teams in the Playoffs

While the New Orleans Pelicans, along with 13 other teams that have missed the playoffs, are focused on the offseason ahead, the rest of the league is in the midst of the first round of the playoffs. Pelicans fans get to see some of their former favorites in action on most nights, giving them some solace. However, not every former Pelican has been a joy to watch this postseason.

CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Josh Hart are thriving so far in the playoffs, but that hasn't been the same for three recent Pelicans.

Brandon Ingram

Even though the Toronto Raptors were able to even the series at 2-2, things are still not looking up for Ingram. The 28-year-old small forward was finally aggressive and got a ton of touches in Game 4, but finished 6/23 from the field for 23 points and zero assists.

For the series, Ingram is averaging 14.8 points on 33.9% from the field. He has as many turnovers as assists, and the Raptors have been outscored by 18 points in his minutes through the first four games of the series.

This has been reminiscent of Ingram's last playoff series with the Pelicans. He returned from a knee contusion in the final week of the season after missing multiple weeks. He was clearly not a 100% when he went up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Playing without Zion Williamson, Ingram struggled in his role as a primary creator, averaging 14.3 points on 34.5% shooting from the field in the four-game sweep.

Jose Alvarado

When Alvarado was traded from the Pelicans to the Knicks at the deadline, many fans in New Orleans were happy that he would get a chance to play competitive basketball with his hometown team. The Knicks are involved in a tightly contested series against the Hawks, but Alvarado hasn't been a big part of the rotation.

He was a healthy scratch in Game 1 and has been a deep bench option in the other three games. He is averaging less than ten minutes per game and is shooting 36.4% from the field. He looks to be firmly behind Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson in the rotation.

The Knicks hope to have a deep postseason run, so there should be more opportunities for Alvarado. So far, however, he hasn't been able to make the impact that many were hoping for.

Jonas Valanciunas

After missing the playoffs last season during his time with the Wizards and the Kings, Valanciunas is back in the playoffs with the Denver Nuggets. Acquired by Denver last offseason with the hopes of being a competent backup for Nikola Jokic, the Lithuanian center fell out of the rotation after two playoff games.

Valanciunas struggled against the Timberwolves off the bench in Games 1 and 2, not taking a single shot and fouling five times in 11 total minutes. In the ensuing two games in Minnesota, head coach David Adelman didn't play Valanciunas a single minute.

That wasn't a panacea for the Nuggets as they lost both games by double digits. So, the 33-year-old big man could perhaps find his way back into the rotation. However, his defensive concerns may limit his ability to make an impact, even in limited non-Jokic minutes. Considering that Valanciunas is one of the highest-paid backup centers in the league, making $10.4 million this season, this is certainly not what the Nuggets had in mind when they traded for him.

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