Pelicans.com continues its look back at the 2015-16 season with player-by-player analysis of the team:
2015-16 OVERVIEW
Over the final two months of the 2014-15 regular season, Norris Cole injected New Orleans’ postseason hopes with a big boost, as the Pelicans went 18-10 after Cole’s trade addition and earned a coveted West playoff berth. In 2015-16, Cole again got a late start with New Orleans – joining his teammates after being sidelined for 17 games with an ankle injury – but this time the hole was far too deep for the Pelicans to overcome. Over a 45-game stretch, the point guard appeared in every game and New Orleans went a semi-respectable 20-25, but the team was just 4-13 prior to Cole’s Dec. 1 season debut. Health again interrupted Cole’s season in March, causing him to miss each of the final 20 games due to a lower back injury.
Cole started slowly in December but eventually turned in some of the top statistical games of his NBA career, particularly when he was pressed into a starting role for 21 straight games beginning Jan. 21. Overall though, his effectiveness did not approach the levels of his debut campaign with the Pelicans, when he arrived at the trade deadline and played some of his best basketball as a pro. Cole’s field-goal percentage dropped to 40.5 after it had been 44.4 during the 28 games he played in ’14-15. His three-point percentage was 32.4 (almost exactly the same as his career rate of 32.6), also a dip from connecting on 37.8 percent the previous season. He began his NBA career with two straight championships and three consecutive NBA Finals appearances as a Miami reserve catalyst, but missed the postseason for the first time this spring.
Cole was re-signed as a restricted free agent late in the ’15 offseason, but will officially become an unrestricted free agent this summer on July 1, able to sign with any NBA team.
TOP THREE NORRIS COLE GAMES OF 2015-16
#3, Jan. 2: New Orleans 105, Dallas 98
A last-minute addition to the starting five after Tyreke Evans (knee) was a late scratch, Cole had a tremendous all-around game, as the Pelicans posted a stellar road win. Cole notched the second points/rebounds double-double of his NBA career, with 16 points and a career-best 12 boards. He also had four assists and four steals.
#2, March 7: New Orleans 115, Sacramento 112
As it turned out, this was Cole’s final appearance of the season, but he made it count. In a come-from-behind victory over the Kings, he finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. New Orleans trailed 63-50 at the half but won the second half 65-49.
#1, Jan. 28: New Orleans 114, Sacramento 105
Cole helped lead fast-starting New Orleans, which rolled to a 37-19 edge after a quarter. He wound up with 10 assists, the only double-digit assist performance of his NBA career. He also scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, both top-15 games for Cole as a pro.
BEHIND THE NUMBERS
10.6: Cole’s scoring average in 2015-16, the first time he’s averaged double figures in the NBA. He also played a career-high 26.6 minutes a game.
80.0: Career high in percentage from the foul line. He averaged 2.0 free-throw attempts per 36 minutes, the most for him since 2.4 as a Miami rookie in 2011-12.
302: Games played (out of a possible 312) by Cole over the first four seasons of his NBA career, or 96.8 percent. His ’15-16 season was a major outlier compared to his track record of rarely missing games due to injury.