Pelicans Hit the Panic Button With Chaotic New Starting Lineup

The New Orleans Pelicans are officially hitting the randomizer button on their starting five. If you saw this group on a court together, you would assume it was a 2K auto-generated lineup from a simulation ten years in the future.

According to Underdog NBA, New Orleans is rolling out a Saturday starting unit of Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, Zion Williamson, and Karlo Matkovic. That is not a typo. That is a real, regular-season NBA starting unit.

"Lineup alert: Pelicans will start Fears, Murphy III, Jones, Williamson, Matkovic on Saturday. - @UnderdogNBA"

This is exactly what happens when a team drops three straight games and decides to choose chaos. The Pelicans are reeling after a brutal stretch, dropping a 132-120 shootout to the Sacramento Kings right after getting locked down in a 104-91 rock fight against the Denver Nuggets.

Throwing Matkovic into the starting unit is the basketball equivalent of unplugging your router and praying the Wi-Fi comes back online. The big man has spent most of his time on the bench averaging just 2.2 points and 2.8 rebounds, and recently dealt with an elbow injury.

For anyone staring at the betting board, this rotation is an absolute minefield. Outside of Zion inevitably having to carry the entire offensive load, the usage rates for this group are a total mystery, making player props a complete guessing game.

We will find out quickly if this desperation move pays off when the Atlanta Hawks come to town on Halloween night. If this lineup gets run off the floor, expect another massive rotation shuffle before the Pelicans head to play the Memphis Grizzlies next week.