New Orleans Pelicans’ glaring weaknesses in defensive rebounding and three-point shooting threaten their path to true contender status. Can Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver find the elusive “unicorn” center to pair with rising star Derik Queen?

Jake Madison breaks down the Pelicans’ tough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, spotlighting Derik Queen’s impressive 21-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist outing and the team’s ongoing struggles with lineup combinations, especially alongside Zion Williamson. Key topics include the impact of poor defensive effort, the challenge of trading twos for threes in today’s NBA, and whether Zion’s future lies in the starting lineup. Upcoming decisions for the front office could reshape the Pelicans’ core—will new strategies finally fix this long-standing problem and bring playoff hopes back to New Orleans?

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