The pros and cons of New Orleans Pelicans' abundance of guards on their roster, as we head closer to the 2021-22 NBA season
Many around the NBA assumed the New Orleans Pelicans would let Lonzo Ball walk this offseason to open up more opportunities for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis Jr. Surprisingly, the New Orleans Pelicans opted to sign-and-trade Lonzo Ball for two other guards and then pursue another in free agency.
David Griffin now faces a roster consisting of six guards who are deserving of NBA minutes. The aforementioned Lewis and Alexander-Walker were already a part of New Orleans along with Josh Hart.
Lonzo Ball was sign-and-traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple and a 2024 second-round pick. Subsequently, the New Orleans Pelicans then acquired Devonte' Graham in a sign-and-trade from the Charlotte Hornets for their own lottery-protected 2022 first-rounder.
Pelicans' roster as of today:
Guards:
Devonte
NAW
Satoransky
Hart
Kira
Temple
Didi
Alvarado (2-way)
Forwards:
Zion
Ingram
Murphy
Naji
Herb
Wenyen (non-guaranteed)
Hommes (2-way)
Centers:
Jonas
Jaxson
Willy
While some of these guards, specifically Satornasky and Ball, are used to playing small forward, it may not be their optimal usage. Therein lies the issue with having such a guard-heavy roster and optimization.
It's uncertain if any of Trey Murphy III, Naji Marshall, or Herbert Jones will be capable of playing large minutes on a nightly basis for a Pelicans team striving for the postseason. Marshall was given a notable run at the end of last season with some success.
In a Western Conference full of elite wings, Satoransky and Hart will often be asked to guard up, which could lead to some issues on the defensive end. Conversely, it could bring offensive advantages to the New Orleans Pelicans.
New Orleans Pelicans' guards are good three-point shooters
While most of these guards are far from elite passers for their positions, they will all move the ball well. Yet, I would expect most of the offense to run through Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Jonas Valancuinas.
The good news is, all of the guards mentioned have shown the ability to shoot the ball from range at a high clip.
Devonte' Graham knocked down 37.5 percent of his 8.7(!) three-point attempts per night last season. Satoransky is a career 36.6 percent shooter from three. The young guys won't blow you away, but Alexander-Walker (34.7 percent) and Lewis Jr. (33.3 percent) were respectable from three in 2020-21.
Devonte' Graham's stats over the last two seasons:
118 games (97 starts)
16.6 ppg
3.1 rpg
6.5 apg
38.0 FG%
37.4 3PT%
82.9 FT%
Lastly, Josh Hart is a known three-point shooter who has converted 34.8 percent of his threes on sizeable volume.
This should enable Zion Williamson's unstoppable downhill drives to optimize his elite finishing ability. This will simultaneously allow the team to play fast in transition with a likely speed advantage in a majority of their lineups.
The Pelicans are aiming for the Playoffs with a young, developing roster
The primary concern is the point mentioned at the top. Where do the developmental minutes come from for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis Jr? Both seem highly valued by the New Orleans Pelicans' front office, but will require playing time to develop in a timely manner.
While NAW may be more ready at this point in his career to contribute to a playoff race, Kira is subject to more growing pains and typical young player mistakes headed into his sophomore campaign. Being the worst shooting guard on the Pelicans' roster certainly will not help his case for playing time either.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a very young roster, but seem to be pushing hard for the playoffs after marginally missing out for a few years in a row. After the Anthony Davis saga, the city of New Orleans is paranoid that Zion will grow unhappy quickly without sustained on-court success.
Can the Pelicans succeed with their current roster?
New head coach Willie Green and the Pelicans' front office have a balancing act on their hands to develop young talent while also prioritizing wins. Some teams are able to make it work.
Think of the Boston Celtics when they drafted Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown into their top-tier Eastern Conference team with Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford and remained prosperous before complexities struck.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are a Top 5 Duo in the NBA https://t.co/P8xbmetj2K
They may find the perfect medium, but don't be surprised if some of these names pop up on the trade block come February. The roster construction is complicated, but undeniably talented.
If the New Orleans Pelicans can figure out how to properly rotate and optimize their abundance of guards, they should be play-in bound.
Also read: NBA History: 5 guards with the most dunks in the 21st century