Can Anthony Davis and the Pelicans fly without any wings?
As the NBA continues to prioritize versatility on both ends of the court, wings have become the most prized commodities. Pick-n-roll heavy offenses have made switching a must and filling a lineup with as many 6-foot-7 players as possible allows maximum flexibility.
The Warriors’ “Death Lineup” of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant has four players capable of switching onto any ball-handler and five playmakers on offense. The Celtics start three swingmen (Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward) in hopes of mimicking Golden State’s blueprint. The Raptors have a group primed to play different styles with Kawhi Leonard as their defensive anchor, while the Rockets are reportedly chasing Jimmy Butler to do the same. Across the league wings have taken playing time from big men.
With wings becoming essential to the modern NBA, what do you do when you don’t have any above-average swingmen on your roster? For the Pelicans, the answer has been to crank up the pace and turn every game into a track meet.
The Pelicans led the league in pace last year at 100.5 possessions per game and have turned up the burners even more to open the season at 104.8 per game. New Orleans averages 117.5 points, which is good for fourth in the league. The Pelicans take nearly half of their shots (44.8 percent) with at least 15 seconds remaining on the shot clock. In their 4-0 start to the season, the Pelicans’ starting five blitzed opponents, posting a plus-34.4 net rating that was tops in the league among five-man lineups that have played at least 50 minutes, per NBA.com. Injuries to Anthony Davis (elbow) and Elfrid Payton (ankle) disrupted New Orleans’ strong start, leading to six losses in their last seven games.
While the starting lineup has been a bright spot, depth is a serious problem. After years of failing to build around Davis, the Pelicans have a rotation filled with guards and big men, but few swingmen. Darius Miller, Solomon Hill and Wes Johnson are the only wings in the rotation. They combine to average just 13.6 points in 51.5 minutes per game. Miller led the team with 147 3-pointers last season, and Hill and Johnson are solid defenders, but none is an impact player.
What the Pelicans lack in wings, they more than make up for with one of the most talented frontcourts in the league. Davis single-handedly masks many of the roster’s flaws on both ends of the floor with his scoring ability and shot-blocking. Davis (24.4 points), Nikola Mirotic (20.6 points) and Julius Randle (17.6 points) all have 3-point range, ball-handling skills and can punish mismatches in the post.
It took the Pelicans just eight seconds in their season opener against the Rockets to get James Harden switched onto Davis. By halftime of their blowout win against Houston, Davis, Mirotic and Randle piled up 50 points on 20-of-26 shooting compared to the Rockets’ 54 total points on 19-of-51 shooting. The path to another playoff berth is clearly through the paint for New Orleans.
When they don’t get a quick basket in transition or early in the clock, the Pelicans run their offense through their three talented big men. New Orleans averages 59.5 points in the paint, which is second in the league to the Los Angeles Lakers. As the rest of the NBA is shooting more 3-pointers, the Pelicans have doubled down on the post.
The Pelicans are tied for 15th in 3-point percentage and are 25th in makes per game. Mirotic opened the season on fire from beyond the arc, but has cooled off during the team’s recent slide. The lack of perimeter shooting has already hurt the team’s bread-and-butter plays.
With five minutes left in the third quarter of their win over the Nets on Oct. 26, the Pelicans ran a Jrue Holiday-Davis pick-n-roll that drew help from the corner, leaving Johnson with an open look. An inconsistent 3-point shooter, Johnson drove instead and was called for a charge. Plays like that are why New Orleans starts three guards instead of any true wings.
In addition to the shortage of perimeter shooting, the Pelicans’ defense has been disastrous. While some allowances can be made because of the team’s blistering pace, it doesn’t excuse being ranked No. 26 in the league with a 112.3 defensive rating and also being No. 26 in points allowed at 118.6 per night.
The versatility of the Pelicans’ big men does extend to the defensive end, though. Davis is an elite rim protector and perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, while Mirotic and Randle have the quickness to switch onto smaller players. In Holiday, they have an All-NBA defender to harass opposing point guards. With the Pelicans starting three guards, however, Holiday oftentimes has to match up with small forwards, which is a lot to ask of a 6-foot-4 guard.
The Pelicans will continue to struggle to contain bigger wings who can post up against their guards. New Orleans did upset the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round last season, but a key factor was Portland’s lack of reliable wing players.
Coach Alvin Gentry’s up-tempo style can cover some of the roster’s deficiencies in the regular season, but will be a real problem in the postseason, assuming the Pelicans make it. While they need to play at a fast pace to mask their offensive shortcomings, it’s a double-edged sword because their defense is exposed.
Davis’ injury has been the biggest factor during their recent slide. He acknowledged the pressure he faces to carry the team on both ends to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes. “I got to play almost perfect every night to give us a chance to win.”
In Davis, the Pelicans have a generational player entering his prime and have found some capable running mates for him in Mirotic, Randle and Holiday. To maximize their window before Davis’ potential 2020 free agency, the Pelicans will need to find someone, anyone, who can fill a 3-and-D role to alleviate the frontcourt’s burden at both ends.
One possible solution for Gentry might be to play Davis, Mirotic and Randle together. They have played just 16 minutes together this season, but the results have been promising as they’ve posted a plus-22.4 net rating, per NBA.com.
Gentry gave the trio extended minutes together in the fourth quarter in Monday’s loss to the Thunder and gave us a glimpse of how they fit together. On offense there is enough shooting to space the floor around pick-n-rolls that feature any of them. Defensively, they are athletic enough to switch and can dominate the boards.
It will be fascinating to see how Gentry deploys his trio of big men in crunch time this season. Some of it will be matchup dependent, but it makes sense as a way to get the team’s five best players on the floor together. While other teams are going smaller and quicker, the Pelicans might be best served by leaning into their strengths.
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