The New Orleans Pelicans needed Nikola Mirotic and Nikola Mirotic needed the New Orleans Pelicans. After watching DeMarcus Cousins suffer a season ending achilles tendon tear, the Pelicans found themselves at a crossroads. The #doitBig motto the team embraced was now a broken dream.
Meanwhile, 925 miles up north, Mirotic found himself the leading scorer on a rebuilding team that was in the midst of a 27-win season. There was also the much-publicized altercation between Mirotic and Chicago Bulls teammate Bobby Portis before the start of the season.