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Simply making the playoffs for the New Orleans Pelicans this year was an accomplishment on its own. It isn’t the end goal for every NBA team and the Pelicans themselves surely had greater ambitions, but they still were able to advance to the postseason. They did so despite a number of injuries. Trey Murphy III began the season on the mend and made his debut in the regular season in December. Their big three of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum all missed double-digit games as well.
The biggest blow of adversity came in the Play-In Tournament. Williamson was playing the game of his life against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 40 points on 11-17 shooting, but pulled his hamstring late in the fourth quarter. They lost that game but held on against the Sacramento Kings to earn the eighth seed. Without Williamson, they didn’t have the firepower to keep up with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
New Orleans now enters the offseason with questions and trade rumors surrounding them. They also have a couple of key free agents they need to retain. How the Pelicans go about these items of business will tell a lot about their plans for next season and the future after that.
Naji Marshall, forward
Naji Marshall is not the biggest or flashiest name on the Pelicans’ roster, but he is an important one. Wings who are 6-foot-6, 208 pounds, and can capably defend multiple positions don’t grow on trees. Marshall fits that bill to a tee.
Shooting has not always been a part of his game. During the first three years of his career, Marshall only made about 28.6% of his shots from distance. That’s not good. However, things changed in a big way this past season. Marshall honed in on his craft and bumped his percentage up from 28.6% to 38.7%. That’s a huge difference for a role player looking for an increase in minutes.
That isn’t the only way Marshall contributes either. In addition to his shooting, he is a solid passer and decision-maker. For his career, he averages about 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per 36 minutes and has a near +2 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Marshall doesn’t excel at any one particular thing, but adds value in many facets of the game. He’s a very solid role player. The Pelicans are plush with those but having one more can’t hurt.
Jonas Valanciunas, center
An area where New Orleans doesn’t have a ton of depth is in the frontcourt, especially at the center spot. Jonas Valanciunas has manned that spot for the last three seasons. He’s been durable and reliable for them. The Lithuanian center has started 235 of a possible 246 games for the Pelicans.
Valanciunas still provides plenty of bulk and physicality on the low block, especially offensively. That was apparent in New Orleans’ series against the Thunder. Valanciunas overpowered the young Chet Holmgren at times and had a couple of 19-point performances to prove it. He averaged 14.5 points and 11 rebounds during that series.
The Pelicans did opt to close games with Larry Nance Jr. at center because of Valanciunas’ shortcomings defending the perimeter. However, that doesn’t mean that they should ignore all the positive things he brings to the table. Valanciunas is still a bruising big man who can cause matchup problems, especially with the physicality Williamson provides as well.
Valanciunas does not fit the long, skilled, and versatile archetype bigs like Holmgren, Evan Mobley, and Victor Wembanyama. But there is still a place for a big like Valanciunas and his skillset. The Pelicans don’t have many alternatives to replace him with. New Orleans is a good fit for both parties, so each side would be wise to stick together.
More must-reads:
- Kings make huge decision on head coach Mike Brown
- Timberwolves boycotted TNT in support of criticized bigs
- The 'Most three-pointers made in the playoffs' quiz
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