2018–19 New Orleans Pelicans season
NBA professional basketball team season
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The 2018–19 New Orleans Pelicans season was the 17th season of the New Orleans Pelicans franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
General managerDell Demps (Until February 15)
Danny Ferry (interim)
Danny Ferry (interim)
| 2018–19 New Orleans Pelicans season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Alvin Gentry |
| General manager | Dell Demps (Until February 15) Danny Ferry (interim) |
| Owner | 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 | |
| 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
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College / Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 51 | Tony Carr | PG |  United States |
Penn State |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Standings
Division
| 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
| 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
Preseason
| 2018 preseason game log Total: 0–5 (Home: 0–1; Road: 0–4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preseason: 0–5 (home: 0–1; road: 0–4)
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| 2018–19 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
Player statistics
| 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
Trades
| October 15, 2018[3] | To New Orleans Pelicans Wesley Johnson |
To Los Angeles Clippers Alexis Ajinça |
Free agency
Re-signed
Additions
| 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
| 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
Awards
| 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
- 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
- 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]