Bad news for the new orleans Pelicans as Solomon Hill will be on the sidelines for approximately six to eight months. He recently had surgery to address a left hamstring tear suffered during an offseason workout. According to ESPN, Hill's absence "will be difficult" for the team because they do not have that much depth at the small forward position.
In the 2016-17 season, Hill was New Orleans' starter at small forward. Now, that role will likely go to E'Twaun Moore. If the Pelicans fail to find a replacement for Hill, then the only other player joining Moore at No.
3 is Quincy Pondexter. That does not sound good for the squad since Pondexter last stepped on the court during the 2014-15 season. A potential solution to this problem is letting franchise star Anthony Davis play small forward at times. Davis stands at 6-foot-11 but has the speed and athleticism the position demands. Jordan Crawford, who is originally a shooting guard, is another choice for the Pelicans.
Possible replacements
A recent report by HoopsHype suggested five players New Orleans should consider if it is looking to replace Hill. These are Matt Barnes, Dante Cunningham, Gerald Green, Shabazz Muhammad, and Iman Shumpert. Out of all the options, it appears that Cunningham is the best fit.
The Pelicans no longer have the luxury of splurging, that is why they need to be wise in signing players. Cunningham is the second cheapest player on the list just behind Muhammad. Aside from this, he suited up for the team in the past three seasons, which means there will be fewer chemistry issues because he is familiar with the system.
Last season, the 30-year-old veteran played 66 games (35 starts) for the Pelicans averaging 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per outing.
Pelicans back on familiar track
The recent health setback Hill will be dealing with continues a terrible cycle for the Pelicans according to Bourbon Street Shots. The report mentioned that for the last few years, at least one starter for New Orleans gets hurt.
It then leads to the team searching for "useable scraps" on the market to complete its roster.
Hopefully, the bad luck in New Orleans ends soon. The Pelicans have struggled in their last two seasons. It was in the 2014-15 season when they last had a winning record. That was the same year they made it to the NBA Playoffs but got swept by eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors, in the first round.
