Tyson Chandler leads the Pelicans for single season rebounds per game.
The New Orleans Pelicans franchise was established in 2002-03. However, they still have several players who have produced some gaudy rebounding seasons. Let’s highlight their top five leaders in rebounds per game for a single season.
Tyson Chandler, 2007, 12.4 RPG
Chandler spent the first five seasons of his career with the Bulls. He then played for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets during the 2006-07 season. He started 73 games, averaging 12.4 rebounds, 9.5 points and 1.8 blocks. He also led the NBA by averaging 4.4 offensive rebounds per game. That season, Chandler finished ninth in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year.
Anthony Davis, 2017, 11.8 RPG
The New Orleans Hornets selected Davis with the first pick in the 2012 Draft. He started 60 of 64 games that he played during his rookie season, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. Following his rookie season, Davis averaged at least 10.0 rebounds per game in each of his next six seasons with the franchise. In 2016-17, Davis averaged 11.8 rebounds while appearing in 75 games. He also averaged 28.0 points, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. His contributions led to him making the All-Star team and finishing ninth in MVP voting. It was also the second season of his career that Davis was named All-NBA First Team.
Tyson Chandler, 2008, 11.7 RPG
The franchise officially became the New Orleans Hornets in 2007-08. Chandler once again led the league in offensive rebounds per game that season, providing 4.1 of them per game. He appeared in 79 games, averaging 11.8 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Chandler would ultimately play three total seasons for the New Orleans franchise. Across 197 regular season games with them, he averaged 10.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.
Jonas Valančiūnas, 2022, 11.4 RPG
The Pelicans acquired Valančiūnas in a trade with the Grizzlies prior to the 2021-22 season. He immediately made an impact with his new team, averaging 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. That marked the third time in his career that Valančiūnas averaged at least 11.0 rebounds for a season. The following season, he averaged 10.2 rebounds. Valančiūnas would eventually play three seasons for the Pelicans before being traded to the Wizards. Over 235 regular season games with the Pelicans, Valančiūnas averaged 14.6 points and 10.1 rebounds.
Anthony Davis, 2018, 11.1 RPG
Following his excellent 2016-17 campaign, Davis averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 steals in 2017-18. He finished third in the voting for both Defensive Player of the Year and regular season MVP. Davis would go on to play one more season for the Pelicans before being traded to the Lakers. Over 466 regular season games with New Orleans, Davis averaged 23.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.4 steals. He also made six All-Star teams.
