[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

The pelicans netted a lot of pieces in the AD trade, draft and subsequent free agency period. Almost everyone agrees that David griffin hit a home run this offseason and they are well set up for the future. This is a deep roster with a lot of overall talent. However, the question for Alvin Gentry this season will be how actually puts together a lineup to maximize everyone’s talents. Its probably going to require a good deal of mixing and matching and it seems inevitable that there will be some grumblings about playing time. 

Guards- Holiday, Ball, Reddick, Hart, Moore, Jackson

Wings- Ingram, Zion, Alexander-Walker, Miller

Bigs- Favors, okafor, Hayes, Melli, zion?

Holiday, Zion, Ingram and favors all seem like locks to start. The fifth starter will probably come down to ball or redick. I think reddicks shooting will probably be more valuable in the starting unit while ball might be better getting more mins as a lead playmaker in the second unit. Hart and Moore are both established role players in the league who will probably expect to play at least 15-20 mins a night, and Alexander-Walker and Hayes both have shown a lot of promise and there will be incentive to get them on the floor. However, there are only so many mins to go around. It will be interesting to see how Gentry balances this and how cohesive this roster can actually be.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 Lonzo at point, because all he can really do is pass.  

Jru at the 2 (best player on the team?).

Ingram at the 3 (only realistic choice at the 3).

Zion at the 4 (no-brainer).

Jaxson Hayes at the 5 — Lonzo roll target.

Oh wow. Forgot about Favors.  Although I might bring him off the bench (along with Reddick) as a super-sub.

Look for the Pelicans to have some great southern rivalries with the Grizzlies and Hawks for the next several years.

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 Lonzo at point, because all he can really do is pass.  

Jru at the 2 (best player on the team?).

Ingram at the 3 (only realistic choice at the 3).

Zion at the 4 (no-brainer).

Jaxson Hayes at the 5 — Lonzo roll target.

Oh wow. Forgot about Favors.  Although I might bring him off the bench (along with Reddick) as a super-sub.

Look for the Pelicans to have some great southern rivalries with the Grizzlies and Hawks for the next several years.

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 Lonzo at point, because all he can really do is pass.  

Jru at the 2 (best player on the team?).

Ingram at the 3 (only realistic choice at the 3).

Zion at the 4 (no-brainer).

Jaxson Hayes at the 5 — Lonzo roll target.

Oh wow. Forgot about Favors.  Although I might bring him off the bench (along with Reddick) as a super-sub.

Look for the Pelicans to have some great southern rivalries with the Grizzlies and Hawks for the next several years.

 

[CoachWyersParticipant]

 I think the Pelicans depth chart will look like this

C Favors/Okafor
PF Z Williamson
SF Ingram/K Williams
SG Holiday/Redick
PG Ball

No Rotation: Melli, Hayes, Moore, Miller, Hart, Alexander Walker, Jackson, Cheatham, Gray
 

[OllstarParticipant]

This is rotation is one I have been thinking about. 

I don’t really like the idea of Redick off the bench. I’m sure he would do well there too but I want him with Zion to create the space that he lacked at Duke. I remember looking at Harden points quarter and the 1st is actually the worst quarter for him. Stars usually like to get the other guys going early so you can actually overcome Redicks short comings more in the 1st quarter if he has to guard a reliable scorer. 

I think Jrue is still very much a point guard and I wouldn’t make him come off the bench after the commitment he made to the Pelicans when a rebuild appears likely. Having Ingram at the 3 would also free him up to play off ball for stretches.

Right now there isn’t a prototypical 3 on the pels roster besides Ingram and Darius Miller. Ingram is likely slotted for big mins at the 3 and some at the 4 potentially.

Zion’s position in the NBA has yet to be determined but he appears to be suited at the 4. I imagine him playing the 5 in small stretches a la Draymond and could potentially slide to the 3 if his shot materializes. Given the Pels current roster contrsuction, I think Zion is in store for high 30’s in terms of minutes. There really is no one on that team that can play the 4. 

I think the Pels should see if Favors can play a stretch 5 roll like Brook did for the Bucks. Zion needs the space to operate in the paint. No other center on the Pels has a better outside shot, even though Favors’ outside shot is shaky at best.

Off the bench Ball and Hart can continue building on their chemistry developed on the Lakers. Hart can play the 3 in some rotations when Jrue and Ball share the court. 

I imagine the lineup like this:

PG Jrue, Ball

SG Redick, Hart

SF Ingram, Miller

PF Zion, Kendrick

C Favors, Hayes

[Scrooge McDuckParticipant]

In the past Gentry has played a 3 guard lineup. Diminutive Etwuan Moore guarded 6’9” small forwards. It never worked. I expect any of Redick, Moore, Holiday, NAW, Ball, Jackson to play some small forward. Kendrick Williams and Ingram will play some power forward.

[kobyzParticipant]

 Miller is out for the year

[Andv1 WaitingParticipant]

 So the rotation will come down to play style and health of the team…If Ball,Ingram or Zion go down/dont get right in time some mins then could be wide open..

Personally I would trade Jrue+ an average deal like moore and a pick or two(protection in place) for Beal..

The reason I would do this is because a) I want to give Ball the keys to the pg spot with Alexander walker get some mins at the back up PG spot and B) I want shooting by Ball in the back court.

If this happened the team would look like this:

C)Favors,Hayes and Okafor ,but his game is to similar to Favors minus defense so may get moved/released if hayes doesn’t get mins at PF

PF) Zion and Hayes(if he can space the floor for the center)

SF) Ingram and Hart. I would use hart in a similar role to Mikal bridges of the suns..As he is strong enough and quick enough to guard this spot also…The biggest variable is Ingrams health though..

SG) Beal would start and Reddick would steady my bench…The good side if this happened you have shooting regardless of who is on the court.

PG) Ball who makes it all go when healthy… and  Alexander Walker looked similar to SGA of OKC so could maybe handle this spot..

If no Beal trade I would essentially swithc Jrue for Beal and also have him spot mins at the PG spot for Ball it does mean a few less mins for Alexander walker though…

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 I wonder how NAW fits into all this. I’ll be watching alot of Pelicans basketball in the future to see how this team evolves. 

One thing I dont like is how it seems like Williamson has been on a victory lap since his year at Duke ended. Still seems out of shape and it feels like the people around him has him feeling like he has already accomplished his goals. I saw this happen with Anthony Bennett and it didnt end up so well.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

I tend to believe NAW will be on the fringe of the rotation early on, but I also think this will be a less competitive team than many seem to believe. If they end up dealing Redick in midseason, Jrue would also be a possible player to be moved, and Ingram might too should there be a gap between player and management on a extension, then he should get some run in the second half.

Zion’s weight gain is the product of bad advice. With consensus guys, agents and families are so scared of guys getting hurt or looking anything less than perfect in the pre-draft process that they stop working out. With some, it is strength that goes. For others, it is the packing on of pounds (or in boxing terms the walking around weight that he entered Duke at). I don’t think it is overly concerning at this point. If New Orleans handles him properly, I would expect that he plays at around 250-260 lbs. If he looks as round come the regular season, he would seem to be a candidate for nagging injuries and to get shut down at some point.

[HitsterParticipant]

 The Pelicans have a lot of options. I agree that Holiday, Ingram and Zion will all start. I’d then want one of Favors or Reddick to start to get the experience  spread around the team.

Reddick is almost the guy who needs to be in several combinations, his shooting would help Ball to create plays and also spread the floor for Zion to attack the basket. I can see  the Pelicans going smallball on occasion with Ball, Holiday and Reddick all on court together. Ball could guard the oppostion SF and then you have options at 4 and 5 to go totally smallball or even have Hayes and Favors or Okafor in combination.

[cohenbc1Participant]

 Redick spaces the floor like no one else on the Pelicans. I would start him because I woud want to maximize his minutes alongside my best players (Holiday, Ingram, Favors, Williamson) to make the game easier for them. 

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