That we learned 5 key scrimmage points as pelicans prepare for the NBA restart

For the first time since March 8, the New Orleans Pelicans are about to play basketball that matters.

Tomorrow night, New Orleans will face the Utah Jazz in its first of eight games before the NBA playoffs begin. With postseason aspirations still alive and well, Pels fans are ecstatic, and should be. The entire list (assuming Zion Williamson gets the go-ahead) is fully available and healthy. They continued to work and stay in shape during the hiatus, proceeding decisively 3-0 in their scrimmages.

Considering the fact that league-wide starters don’t play with the same tenacity or the same duration in these games as during the regular season, take that undefeated record (and 8-0 in total exhibition games this year). with a grain of salt.

Fun to watch? Yes. Do you have a pot of importance? Probably not.

However, there is some information that can be obtained from these contests. And yes, some of that information applies to the current season, not just the bank or the collective roster that will come in next season.

So what can we get out of the meaningless basketball we all saw so fervently?

Nickeil Alexander-Walker – What is the plan here?

The Pelicans don’t have a definitive player off the bench to fill the role of Lonzo Ball when he’s off the court.

Frank Jackson is not the offensive point guard type. He is a catch and shoot (preferably when open) and a court guard. Basically, that’s all the value it brings to that side of the ball. He is a decent advocate and brings something of value from the bench. But really, he isn’t going to do much more for you than those three things.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a bright spot for the Pelicans in their summer league minutes, contributing 24.3 points, six assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, but he couldn’t get that to translate into the regular season, at least not in a way. constant. He quickly earned a reputation as a point guard who bounces the air out of the ball and makes poor shots.

However, there were several nights throughout the season that NAW seemed solid even in limited minutes. In some cases, it looked solid enough to fulfill that supporting role. In five games this season (three in January, one in October and one in November), the Virginia Tech product averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 assists and 18 minutes per game while shooting 42.8 percent from the field (there have been a couple of games atypical for him too). That’s the epitome of what the Pels need from a guy in the backup point guard base position: nothing insanely flashy.

For most of his minutes so far in Orlando, that’s not what fans have seen. In all three games, NAW has averaged 14.3 points and four assists in 24 minutes per game while shooting 39.5 percent from the field.

Those numbers don’t look so bad until you realize that most of the good plays came in the trash. Plus, the classic shot-throwing we’ve seen throughout the season came out in full force before against the most talented part of each team’s lineup.

What we know is that there is a specific role to play, and that Alexander-Walker is not playing it correctly as of now. Don’t expect too much of him in these upcoming games.

Jrue is a damn good defender

We already knew it. However, it is good to reaffirm it, especially against Nikola Jokic.

Hailing from Serbia, Jokic is nine inches taller than Holiday, weighs over 50 pounds more and passes with the efficiency of a starting point guard. Jrue physically closed it off despite the mismatch, further exemplifying its versatility from elite roles on the defensive end.

Holidays are very good defensively. Lethal, actually.

Jaxson Hayes you should humble yourself and take time to learn from Derrick Favors

Jaxson Hayes has an incredibly high ceiling in this league. With its length and athleticism, that is undeniable.

But Hayes hasn’t developed much during this season.

Offensively, he looks more comfortable and secure, but defensively there is much to be desired. And bounces … don’t make me start bouncing.

When he made himself available to the media on July 21, prior to any of the practice games being played, Hayes said the following about adjusting his defensive game to the NBA level:

“I really wouldn’t say I had too much trouble with that.”

(Insert facepalm)

If you have a chance, go see a replay of the practice games. He definitely had trouble with that sometimes.

While the Texas product went on to say that it received a lot of help from Favors and the coaching staff this season, this part of their game clearly needs more work.

Hayes is sometimes completely lost on that side of the court, leading to easy layups for opponents. Aid tasks are difficult, fouling is still a problem and awareness just isn’t there most of the time.

Not that I am unable to play a quality defense. It is not that the young man cannot strengthen and throw a body on his opponents when he goes to a board and it is not that he cannot learn these concepts.

It is that you need to actively seek development. It’s hard to imagine Favors turning down Hayes’ request for extra work. Plus, the former Utah Jazz member has a lot to offer you.

We know this: Hayes will see minutes in the next eight games, but the defensive courage probably won’t be there, at least for now.

The need for a defensive end couldn’t be more obvious

If you’ve heard only one episode of the BLEAV on the New Orleans Pelicans podcast presented by yours, or you’ve read this article, you know there should be an emphasis on catching a solid wing defender this offseason. Jrue is great at that end of the court, but he can only do so much against the guys from LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo in this league.

Check the Greek Freak statistics line from just a few days ago and you will know what we are talking about. In just 23 minutes, Giannis contributed 30 points and had 8 rebounds while going 8-15 from the field and 12-15 from the line. Imagine if this contest had been kept close in a regular season game: the MVP candidate would probably have topped 40, maybe 50 points.

With a mixture of pelicans thrown in, Giannis continued to tuck the ball into the hole. God knows Nicolo Melli was going to be unable to stop him (this is the matchup that started the contest, and Melli had an immediate body). As mentioned earlier, Jrue can only do so much and Josh Hart just can’t match that kind of size.

The same thing happened this season when the Pels faced the Boston Celtics on January 11 (Jayson Tatum – 41 points), LA Clippers on January 18 (Kawhi Leonard – 39 points), Houston Rockets on February 2 (James Harden – 40 points), Oklahoma City Thunder on February 13 and Miami Heat on March 6 (Jimmy Butler – 28 points). Just to name a few.

There’s a lot to get excited about after what we’ve seen of the Pels in these practice games, but this isn’t one of those things. New Orleans needs to fill this gap on your list this offseason. Either through developing your current roster, the draft (unlikely), or using the mid-level exception to get a free agent.

Pels have chemistry, even without Zion

After the Pels’ infamous 6-22 start, and starting with their win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 18, something clicked. With the return of Derrick Favors, the Pelicans’ net rating improved to 3.8 in their next 36 games, good enough as ninth in the NBA.

The ball moved faster, the team trusted each other, there was new leadership and cohesion that was almost non-existent previously. It was fun to watch the Pelicans basketball again, it was fun to watch them win again.

You would think a four-month break from each other, and the sport itself for some, plus Zion Williamson’s absence would have been an obstacle to the team’s chemistry, especially with a team as young as the Pelicans. Think again

Just like before, New Orleans remained disinterested and yielded good shots for the greats (well, except when they took 28 triples in the first half against the Bucks).

With Zion’s (hopefully sooner rather than later) return to the starting lineup for the Pelicans, that movement of the ball will have to change. It does not stop or change significantly, it changes. The Pels should be aware of the fact that they have an absolute bull near the basket, instead of shooting triples to the same clip that they have been.

Not to mention that, with other teams focusing much of their energy on stopping the 2019 first overall pick, they will release shots on the perimeter and increase the movement of the ball that has already been around.

The Pelicans have their chemistry, they have their young star, and they have a lot to be excited about and aware of for the next eight games.

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