Top breakout prospect from New Orleans ranks in the bottom third of the NBA

The New Orleans Pelicans have a good mix of established players and up-and-coming veterans on their roster.

If some of their early-season question marks can be answered, they will have a chance to compete for home-field advantage in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. This is a talented team as head coach Willie Green has seven players who can excel in the early going and provide solid depth down the stretch.

The only real question mark that remains unanswered is what they will do at the center spot.

Daniel Theis started the season opener and is expected to play a 15- to 18-minute role in the regular season. Someone has to spend minutes in advance; It can’t be Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones, who are rumored to be in the starting lineup all season.

Rookie Yves Missi’s development is worth keeping an eye on as he could be a candidate for a breakthrough later in the season.

But at the start of the campaign, that title was given to Jordan Hawkins. UConn’s 2023 first-round pick was named the team’s best breakout candidate of the year.

How does he perform among his colleagues? Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus sees Hawkins in the bottom third of the league, coming in at No. 21.

“Hawkins earned great opportunities as a rookie, playing 17.3 minutes per game in 67 appearances. With more experience, he hopes to improve his 36.6 percent from three-point range.

One concern is that Hawkins didn’t have a strong summer league run in July. Perhaps he is better suited as a floor defender in a system with established players. “Teammates Jose Alvarado, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III have already earned veteran status,” the NBA expert wrote.

Too much emphasis is being placed on how Hawkins performed in Las Vegas in July. The team wanted to see what he could handle in an expanded point guard role that he wasn’t familiar with.

The results weren’t positive, but it was better to learn that in a summer championship than in games that count in the regular season. The team can benefit from his skills as he is a good 3-point shooter and microwave scorer on the second unit where he competes against talented teammates.

It’s a role that Trey Murphy has played well in recent seasons and will now complete. Hawkins should play a regular role in the team’s rotation and, if utilized correctly, will thrive.