Play-In Scouting Report: New Orleans Pelicans
Brandon Ingram is playing the best basketball of his career but NOLA's bench is lagging behind
The Thunder’s first opponent in the play-in tournament was confirmed on Sunday when the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 113-108. The loss dropped New Orleans into the #9 seed and into a play-in against the Thunder.
Oklahoma City will travel to Louisiana on Wednesday night in what could be a season-defining game. Winning against New Orleans gets the Thunder one step closer to the playoffs for the first time in three years. It would be an unbelievably special moment for the youngest roster in the league and it is down to them to prove their ability in the highest stakes format of them all, a single-elimination game.
Over the last three days, I have looked closely into the numbers, film and reporting from the local Pelicans’ media to try and come up with some of idea of scouting report for New Orleans.
We might as well start with the Pelicans’ nightly roster. Zion Williamson is not close to playing condition and a return date has not yet been outlined by the Pelicans’ front office.
Jose Alvarado, New Orleans’ backup point guard and irritant in chief, is scheduled to make his return to the court next week. He is currently listed on the injury report as being out for tonight’s game.
Alvarado’s absence may mean that Dyson Daniels, NOLA’s rookie guard from Australia, may see spot minutes tonight. Daniels brings the same level of intensity on defense and provides Coach Willie Green with a shot creator who can lead the second unit.
However, it is not a like for like swap and New Orleans will miss Alvarado’s maturity on the court. Like all young players, Dyson Daniels is prone to occasional lapses of concentration which may prove costly in a postseason setting.
Tactically, the Pelicans’ approach to defense changes without Jose in the lineup. Alvarado is very good at attacking loose handles and poking the ball away. He leads the press and gets the Pelicans moving in transition.
Coach Green may be able to replicate the same pressure on the ball with Herb Jones but it would weaken New Orleans’ rim protection and help defense.
For the last five games, Willie Green has relied on eight players to contribute on a nightly basis.
Starters: Trey Murphy III, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Jonas Valanciunas
Reserves: Naji Marshall, Josh Richardson and Larry Nance Jr
The ninth man in the rotation has been fluid in the spot minutes they have played. Dyson Daniels, Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis have all played sparingly.
The starting lineup is designed to complement Brandon Ingram, the former All-Star. Ingram is a sweet-shooting big wing (48% FG, 39% 3P, 88% FT) who also playmakes at a borderline elite level, 8.5 assists per game over the last 10 fixtures.
Ingram is money from the nail and uses the non-painted area to disrupt the opposing team’s defensive scheme. He can effortlessly drain pull-up jumpers from the elbow and when the defense keys in, Ingram is quick to dish the ball to a waiting teammate.
The Pelicans’ coaching staff have leaned into this approach recently and have trialled a lineup where Herb Jones plays the 5 and Larry Nance Jr comes into the unit.
Neither player are particularly adept outside shooters but they are effective passers who do not need to be on the low block to be productive in the game.
Jonas Valanciunas has very good counting stats for a center but his fit with the other four starters is difficult. Valanciunas is a bruising low-post banger but he is a slow-footed and has to be played in a drop coverage to mask his lack of pace on defense.
Playing Valanciunas does not maximise the floor-spacing around Ingram either. While Jonas is a reliable outside shooter, his shot is rather slow and he is a reluctant shooter. Teams does not guard him with any real sense of apprehension and allow him to launch away from deep.
Valanciunas and Jones are both non-shooters and impinge on the space Ingram needs to thrive.
I would not be surprised to see Coach Green rely heavily on the more mobile Nance-Jones pairing in this game. Playing Valanciunas serious minutes may make life very difficult for the Pelicans particularly if the Thunder are able to get Valanciunas switched onto Shai with any regularity.