The New Orleans Pelicans had one of the strangest offseasons in the NBA. After drafting Jeremiah Fears and trading up for Derik Queen, the Pelicans also made the headline move of acquiring Jordan Poole to shake up their backcourt. Despite those moves, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton graded the Pelicans’ offseason an “F”, and strangely, NBA 2K26 seems to agree with the skepticism.
Examining the player ratings, the Pelicans have one of the most perplexing rosters in the game. Several stars are criminally underrated, while role players are graded as if they’ve already hit ceilings they may never actually reach. Here’s a breakdown of five players whose ratings are flat-out wrong.
Zion Williamson: Underrating his impact at 87 OVR
Zion Williamson enters NBA 2K26 with an 87 overall rating, and while that sounds solid, it’s actually far too low for a player of his caliber. When Zion is healthy, he’s one of the most dominant interior scorers in the NBA. His 93 dunk rating is fair, but his offensive influence extends beyond highlight dunks. Last season, Zion averaged over 24 points per game on elite efficiency, showcasing improved passing and decision-making.
#1 pick vs #1 pick 💪
Pels play the Spurs in the home opener on Oct. 24 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tuGtQRmVKk
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 18, 2025
The issue isn’t his game; it’s his availability. However, 2K shouldn’t penalize players with lower ratings solely because of their injury history. Zion should at least be at 90 or 91 overall, putting him in line with other young stars like Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant. Giving him an 87 suggests he’s merely a fringe All-Star, when in reality, he’s one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the league when he’s on the floor.
Trey Murphy III is one of the most underrated players in the league, and 2K26 somehow undersells him even further. His 82 overall rating doesn’t reflect his all-around growth as a scorer, defender, and athletic threat. Murphy shot lights out from three, with an 84 3PT rating in-game that seems accurate, but his ability to slash, defend multiple positions, and provide secondary scoring makes him more than just a role player.
An 85 overall rating would make far more sense, given his breakout trajectory. Instead, 2K lumps him in with borderline starters, which undersells how valuable he’s become as New Orleans’ second-best scoring option behind Zion.
Jordan Poole: Maybe too generous at 81 OVR
One of the strangest ratings on this roster belongs to Jordan Poole. After a disastrous 2024-25 season in Washington, Poole was traded to New Orleans with the hope of revitalizing his career. His 81 overall rating feels overly optimistic, especially when you look at his real-life production: poor efficiency, defensive struggles, and turnovers plagued him.
Yes, his 81 three-point rating matches his streaky scoring ability, but giving him the same overall as defensive ace Herbert Jones and two-way guard Dejounte Murray makes no sense. Poole should realistically be around a 78 or 79, reflecting his need to re-establish himself as a winning contributor.
Dejounte Murray: Far too low at 81 OVR
If there’s one Pelicans guard who should be getting more respect in 2K26, it’s Dejounte Murray. At 81 overall, he’s rated the same as Jordan Poole, and that’s simply wrong. Murray remains one of the best two-way guards in the league, capable of handling the ball, playmaking, and defending at a high level. His 79 three-point rating also doesn’t fully capture his steady improvement as a shooter.
This is a player who averaged over 20 points per game alongside Trae Young in Atlanta before arriving in New Orleans. To slot him as an 81 while Poole gets the same number is a clear mistake. Murray should realistically be closer to an 84 overall, given his defensive impact and proven ability to carry stretches of offense.
Yves Missi: Way too high at 80 OVR
The most confusing rating on the entire Pelicans roster belongs to rookie Yves Missi. While the Cameroonian big man has potential as a rim protector and rebounder, giving him an 80 overall rating as a rookie makes no sense. By comparison, far more established big men in the league are rated in that range, and Missi hasn’t even proven himself in an NBA game yet.
With a 30 three-point rating and an 80 dunk rating, 2K clearly values his physical tools, but giving him a higher rating than veterans like Kevon Looney (77) or even promising young guard Jordan Hawkins (75) is baffling. Missi should realistically start in the 74-75 range until he proves his ability against NBA competition.
Where 2K missed the mark on New Orleans
The Pelicans are one of the NBA’s most unpredictable teams, and maybe that explains why 2K26’s ratings are all over the place. Still, it’s clear that the developers missed the mark with multiple players:
For fans of New Orleans, that means you’ll have to tweak sliders or player ratings yourself if you want a truly authentic MyNBA or online experience. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a version of the Pelicans that simply doesn’t match reality.
The Pelicans’ roster is already a puzzle after their confusing offseason, but the NBA 2K26 ratings only add to the chaos. Jordan Poole is inexplicably valued as a borderline star despite recent struggles. Meanwhile, Trey Murphy III is massively underrated.
The truth is, these ratings don’t reflect the current state of the Pelicans. They paint a picture of a balanced team where multiple players hover in the 80s, but the actual roster is far more volatile, filled with question marks, inconsistencies, and a few bright young standouts.
