knock Knock?
who is there?
I’m sorry… there is no punch line. But the Pelicans are here to announce their presence in his two-game frenetic sweep at home this weekend. Phoenix Suns The team that eliminated the Pelicans from the playoffs a year ago.
As a result, the Pelicans lead the Western Conference with an 18-8 record, strongly suggesting this was no fluke. Pells is fifth on offense and, more shockingly, third on defense. They have his second highest scoring differential in the league. golden state warriors B team. They even beat his A-Team on the Warriors…and the Phoenix Suns. memphis grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and the LA ClippersAnd they nevertheless Brandon Ingram 11 games out, Herb Jones out 9 games. Zion Williamson Five.
Williamson is clearly a star, an unstoppable downhill force who sees the court like a guard and, as a bonus, has become much more of a threat this year by going to his right. increase.
But what underpins them is the quality of depth. There are no bad minutes on this roster. He has a PER of over 11 for all 12 players he plays. The top 11 players all have a BPM greater than -1.0.they are deep enough Jackson Hayesstarted during Pels’ run to the playoffs a year ago, unable to even stand on the court.
Well, and atmosphere. The atmosphere here is immaculate, a credit to the work Willie Green has been doing since taking over the team last season, where all five of his players touch the ball in quick succession ending in dunks. Please Confirm.
That’s where Zion and four submarines are leaving the Sands in its clip tails. Depth is credited to Pelican for mining a pile of scrap after several different versions of “Plan A” went wrong.instead of overpaying Kyle Lowryfor example, Pells became undrafted but irrepressible Jose Alvarado push Chris Paulbutton all weekend.When their wing situation looked dangerous, they won Jones in the second round and were not drafted. Nagy Marshallthey got Larry Nance Jr. as a throw-in to CJ McCallum Found a cheap third center to trade and give a decent amount of time in a pinch Willie Hernangomez.
They may also have discovered another gem in Rookie Dyson DanielsWhile the Australian teen offensive game is still in its infancy, he is one of Phoenix’s Devin Booker It will fit on Friday. Here he is jamming him in his one-on-one with no help. Especially in the third quarter, this scene was repeated endlessly.
Still have questions? of course I still have a question. The Pelicans were probably lucky with his 3-point shot of his opponent. In the big picture, this is a roster composition that doesn’t seem entirely compatible with late postseason success. Williamson- Jonas Valanciunas The frontcourt can be mashed like crazy, but it seems to be easily picked off defensively and has been statistically far less effective than other Pels combos this year. Nance has proven to be tougher on defense and could be a go-to in the 4th quarter, but his injury history makes it a bit dangerous to do that too often. He also prefers the blitz to cover up some of Williamson’s defensive issues. It may become less viable in April.
Plus, too many New Orleans lineups are undershot. Pell lives in the rim but ranks 27th in 3-point frequency.combo to remove Trey Murphy III Drag it further down from the floor.
Also, Ingram and Williamson have only played together in 12 games, at which point Pells is 7-5. How does this partnership work in practice?
The depth of the regular-season advantage can be lost in the playoffs to some extent, as is the case with teams that get a lot of lift off the bench. Some of Pels’ most effective lineups may be limited or non-existent in the postseason. For example, the Nance-Alvarado combo tracking his unit on the opponent’s bench at 21.8 points per 100 possessions.
Finally, of course, is Williamson, who is in his fourth season and just crossed the 100 career game threshold last week. He was healthy up to this point, but all his available fingers remain crossed from now until April.
Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a positive column about the Pelicans? See, isn’t that the whole point of the season for New Orleans… We even got to the point where we questioned what all of this would look like in the second round of the playoffs (and for the writers, Jazz Fest book a room inside). If in the previous year he won 36 and in the last 12 years he won two seasons, this is a great place. None of the remaining questions he will be able to answer until April.
Now they’re at the top of the West, and there’s no reason they can’t hold onto this position as long as Williamson remains in the lineup. But they seem to be in a great position to secure a top 4 seed for the West.
This is given the status quo, but New Orleans is still in a position to do more…especially if it can handle the impact of the luxury tax. , and historically, this hasn’t been a franchise willing to spend more than that amount.
New Orleans, however, are in a strong position as a player in the trade market as a result of the draft pick bounties they earned earlier in the decade. Anthony Davis When Jules HolidayThis is in contrast to nearly all of its competitors except Memphis. Because other contenders have already spent much or all of his equity in future drafts to go all-in on the current roster.
Not only does Pells own all of their future picks, lakers In addition to strong picks this year, it seems likely that an unprotected Lakers pick in 2024 or 2025 will receive the first unprotected pick. milwaukee bucks New Orleans also has a lot of young talent that could be signed. The Pelicans would be reluctant to part with Daniels or Jones, but at least they’d have to think of a midseason blockbuster that could combine their core with another All-Star He Perimeter He player.
For all these reasons, it’s time to baptize the Pelicans with the giant “C” of “Contender.” I don’t know if they’re the favorites in the West right now, or if they’re head-to-head with some other teams in the playoffs at this point, but the fact that we’re having conversations is worth noting.
After three straight years of disappointment after picking Williamson with the top pick in 2019, the Pelicans have finally arrived.
Rookie of the Week: AJ GriffinSF, Atlanta
(Note: This section doesn’t necessarily feature the best newcomers of the week, just what I’ve seen.)
one of the early mysteries of the Atlanta Hawks The season saw the Hawks hungry for a shot every night, right after watching rookie Griffin warm up for 30 minutes before a game and make darn near everything from the perimeter. The newcomer from Duke has a unique ability to make catch-and-shoot 3’s from a variety of platforms and looks like he’s got the perfect toned upper body no matter what his legs are doing. That ability can get him into trouble at times – his footwork can really use the cleanup – but now that injuries have forced the Hawks to play him, Griffin delivers The additional threats it poses are obvious.
He won’t be back on the bench, especially after Sunday’s Twist game winner knocked off at the buzzer. chicago bulls …it was actually his The second Buzzer beat game winner in just 23 pro games.
This kid is Clutch.McMillan’s wise decision to switch from Young to Johnson on inbound
— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzATL) December 12, 2022
While we’re here, we salute Hawks assistant coach Joe Prunty for pulling the Jerid Bayless play with the Bulls after seven years.
Joe Prunty. Same set vs. same team (Bulls).
Seven years away, backdoor layup. Winner of the Atlanta Hawks game. pic.twitter.com/7QtB1JPYb0— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) December 12, 2022
Interestingly, Griffin is actually a bit underwhelming in shooting, making only 4 of his last 22 3-pointers, bringing his season percentage down to 33.3%, but he’s found other ways to contribute. I’m here. Griffin isn’t a high-wire athlete, but he has a strong body and has shown momentum from dribbling in addition to his long-range shooting, including a great finish to beat the Bulls on Sunday.
He’s so far 57.9% from inside the arc, even though the shot diet light came on on the rim attempt. He often ends his moves after a few dribbles and has shown solid touches from this area, making him dramatically more threatening than Atlanta’s other small forward his options. . Three-balls are always his base (his 11.0 attempts per 100 possessions lead the team), but his ability to get to the second level and score points makes that threat. I am making good use of it.
Defensively, he also added an unexpected nose to the ball (2.5% steal rate) and brought energy when needed.
Griffin is physically fit and unlikely to make a big impact as an athletic prodigy, but at 19, almost the youngest pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, he still has room to grow. All in all, he looks like a really great find for Atlanta with the 16th pick.
Outlook for the Week: Leonard Miller, 6-10 PF, G League Ignite
(Note: This section doesn’t necessarily feature the best prospects of the week, just what I see.)
Nothing makes writing this column more difficult than playing three college games with no real prospects. But enough about my private life. While there have been some marquee matchups in college basketball, there has been a relative lack of impact happening on the front lines of NCAA prospects.
Luckily, there’s one player outside NCAA territory who’s raving about Miller, the 6-10 Canadian who pulled out of last year’s draft after a rough performance at the NBA Draft Combine. Looking at his performances in the G League so far this year, it looks like he made the right decision as he’s likely to stand out on the draft board after his top 20 picks in the first. is.
The G League Ignite team has had a chunk of it this year — going 3-12 so far and losing eight games in a row — but after Scoot Henderson (estimated second pick), Miller has Probably their second best player. He took another step forward last week by dropping Henderson out of the lineup, scoring 18 points on a 12-shot loss to Stockton and 23 and 9 points in a close game against South Bay.
Miller is a big player with a 6-11 record, but he’s very comfortable with the ball on the perimeter and just turned 19. Scouts have been waiting for his shooting and decision-making to catch up, but this year’s Ignite has made considerable progress. His left-handed shot is still flat and looks a little unthreatening, but his impressive free throws this year’s progress (79.2%) to his shooters show at least some optimism. I’m here. However, to really capitalize on his threat to the ball, Miller must become adept at looking at the floor when going for the cup. He has only 15 dimes in his 11 games in the G League this year. A big his player who slashes downhill, he was strangely unable to draw a foul.
All of that makes a mirror… it’s not a sure thing, but the fact that he’s a decent G League player at 19 is a persuasive idea that he doesn’t have to make dramatic progress to become a rotation player. Makes a case of strength.In his early twenties. The scout got a good look at Miller at his two Ignite games against Victor and Wenbanyama’s team in Las Vegas earlier this year, and he made a positive impression. He will get a great chance to stock up at his G League Winter Showcase next week.
(Zion Williamson Photo: Ned Dishman / NBAE via Getty Images)
