The Most Important Weakness for the Pelicans to Fix in 2026-27

The New Orleans Pelicans entered the offseason with several obvious weaknesses. They needed more shooting, better rim protection, additional ball-handling, and a complete defensive overhaul.

They didn't solve everything.

The Pelicans aren't significantly taller. They didn't add a proven volume shooter, and their point guard depth remains in question. However, they made one addition who could directly address their problems on defense: head coach Jamahl Mosley.

Mosley arrives with a reputation for building demanding, connected defensive teams. The Pelicans may not have the personnel to become elite immediately, but they have enough defensive talent to climb out of the bottom of the NBA rankings.

History suggests they'll have to if they don't want a third straight losing season.

Winning in New Orleans starts with defense

Throughout New Orleans' Hornets/Pelicans era, winning teams have almost always been supported by respectable defenses.

New Orleans has finished about .500 eight times. In seven of those seasons, it ranked 14th or better in defensive rating, with six teams finishing in the top 10. The lone exception was the 2014-15 playoff team, which finished 22nd defensively.

The average defensive ranking across those eight seasons was 10.2.

The pattern holds for the franchise's playoff appearances as well. New Orleans has reached the postseason nine times, including twice without a winning record. Only two of those teams finished lower than 14th defensively: the 2021-22 Pelicans ranked 20th, while the 2014-15 team ranked 22nd.

Across those nine playoff seasons, the average defensive ranking was 12th.

The Pelicans finished 25th defensively last season. Moving from the bottom six into the middle of the pack would mean a significant jump, but the franchise's history shows why that improvement is essential. New Orleans has rarely won without being better-than-average at stopping teams from scoring.

Jamahl Mosley has done this before

The Pelicans are betting that Mosley can lead that improvement because he's already seen a similar transformation.

Orlando ranked 19th in defensive rating during Mosley's first season as head coach and 18th in his second. The breakthrough came in Year 3, when the Magic climbed to third. They followed that by finishing second in 2024-25.

The Magic didn't become an elite defense overnight. They established their system first, improved their personnel, and demanded greater accountability from their young players.

Orlando's improvement was built around size, versatility, communication, and effort. The Magic pressured the ball, protected the paint, and developed young players into dependable team defenders. Mosley created a system in which players understood their assignments and were held accountable for executing them.

He'll have to establish those same standards in New Orleans.

Detroit offers a blueprint

The Pelicans don't have to look far for another example of what defensive commitment can accomplish.

Detroit provides an interesting blueprint, especially with Joe Dumars now running the Pelicans. Dumars built his reputation as a Hall of Fame guard with the Bad Boys Pistons, then constructed the Detroit teams that reached six consecutive Eastern Conference finals and won the 2004 NBA championship.

Defense has been central to nearly every successful team associated with him.

Today's Pistons have some size, but their success isn't based on overwhelming opponents with height. Their players accept their assignments, compete physically, and function as one unit. They apply pressure, help one another, protect the paint, and finish possessions.

That defensive work benefits their offense. Stops create transition opportunities. Forced turnovers generate easier buckets. Defensive rebounds allow Detroit to attack before opposing defenses can get organized.

The Pistons' collective defense helped support a top-10 offense even though the Pelicans arguably possess more individual offensive talent. That should make New Orleans ask an important question: What is this team's ceiling if everyone buys in defensively?

Herb Jones can't do everything

Any turnaround must begin with Herb Jones.

Jones is a former NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and one of the league's most versatile defenders. He can pressure point guards, battle larger forwards, and disrupt passing lanes like a free safety in football.

The Pelicans may have relied too heavily on that versatility.

Jones has often been asked to defend the opponent's best scorer while also covering for teammates who miss assignments. That forces him to solve multiple problems during the same possession.

A better team defense would allow Jones to operate more like a shutdown cornerback. He could concentrate on taking away the opponent's best perimeter option instead of constantly leaving his assignment to repair mistakes elsewhere.

That would make Jones, and the rest of the defense, more effective.

Zion Williamson has to set the standard

The Pelicans' defensive ceiling may ultimately depend on Zion Williamson.

Williamson has the strength, explosiveness, and quickness to be an impactful defender. He has shown flashes throughout his career, using his athleticism and quick hands to disrupt passing lanes, challenge shots, and create transition opportunities.

Those moments have never been consistent enough.

At Duke, Williamson produced highlights by flying across the court to block shots. Today, the Pelicans just need Zion to be a fundamentally sound man-to-man defender who maintains his stance, stays engaged away from the ball, and completes possessions with rebounds.

The NBA's biggest winners understand that superstardom comes with responsibilities on both ends. They may not all be All-Defensive players, but they compete, execute, and avoid becoming weaknesses opponents can target.

Zion is supposed to be the Pelicans' franchise player. His responsibilities extend beyond scoring efficiently and creating offense. He has to demonstrate that defense matters through his preparation, effort, and attention to detail.

If Zion commits to that standard, his teammates won't have any excuse not to follow it.

The Pelicans have defensive tools

Yves Missi gives New Orleans a young rim protector with legitimate upside. He's already demonstrated the ability to accumulate blocks quickly, even in limited minutes. His next step is improving his strength, defensive rebounding, and recognition.

Missi needs to learn when to challenge, when to stay attached to his man, and how to finish possessions.

Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III possess the length and athleticism to defend multiple positions. Murray is several years removed from his NBA All-Defensive selection, but the physical tools remain. Mosley has to find a way to make him a consistently disruptive defender again.

Murphy added strength during the offseason, which should help him handle more physical matchups and contribute more on the glass.

Saddiq Bey and Bennedict Mathurin are more complicated cases. Bey has the size and strength to compete, but he can struggle against quicker, more athletic wings. Mosley will have to protect him from unfavorable matchups. Mathurin has the athleticism to provide resistance, but his focus can drift. His improvement is tied to his mental approach as much as coaching.

Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen remain works in progress. Mosley's system should give them clearer roles in Year 2, but improvement will depend on their willingness to accept the discipline required to execute them.

Defense has to become non-negotiable

Mosley can provide the structure, accountability, and instruction, but the players have to bring the effort. They have to communicate, rotate, rebound, and remain engaged until possessions are finished.

They also don't have much of a choice.

If the Pelicans remain near the bottom of the league defensively, several players may not be back next season. This roster wasn't built to overcome a bad defense with overwhelming shooting or offensive creation.

Expecting New Orleans to become elite immediately would be unrealistic. Moving from 25th to respectability would still represent a major improvement.

Detroit demonstrates what collective commitment can produce. Orlando shows that Mosley knows how to build it. New Orleans' own history shows that winning without it is unlikely.

The Pelicans have enough talent to be better. Now they must decide how badly they want to defend.

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