The New Orleans Pelicans have now won five out of their last six games while team scoring has been on the rise. The team’s starters have certainly had an impact but it’s really the bench unit that deserves most of the credit.
The New Orleans Pelicans have had one of the better benches in the NBA all season. Before the All-Star break the bench unit for New Orleans ranked seventh overall in scoring with 38.3 points per game.
Led by the likes of Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway, the second unit consistently put up points, but were not the most efficient bunch. They ranked near the bottom of the league (28th) in field goal percentage at only 41.8 percent.
After the trade that brought DeMarcus Cousins over from Sacramento, the roster–and especially the bench unit–naturally took a hit.
But after a dip in production, the second unit looks to be playing the best it has all season and deserves a lot of credit for the Pelicans’ recent surge as of late.
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New Orleans has played 14 games since the All-Star break and the trade that drastically changed the look of the team. In the first six games, the Pelicans ranked dead last in the league in bench scoring with 20.8 points per game.
It didn’t help that guys such as Omri Casspi, Jarrett Jack and Reggie Williams quickly found their way in and out of the rotation almost immediately.
In the last eight games (since Jordan Crawford showed up), however, the second unit has been rolling for the Pelicans.
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Helped by the addition of Crawford, the bench–comprised of E’Twaun Moore, Dante Cunningham, Tim Frazier and Alexis Ajinca–has provided a spark for the team and has been integral part of the team’s current success.
Even little-used Donatas Montiejunas came in and provided a spark for the Pelicans in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Pelicans’ impressive victory Sunday after only playing in four of the previous eight games.
During the span of the eight games, the Pelicans’ bench has found itself ranked 12th in the league, scoring 37.5 points per game.
But it hasn’t just been bench scoring that has had an impact on the New Orleans team. The energy the group plays with on both ends of the court has been invaluable and has certainly had a hand in the Pelicans’ recent success.
After defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on March 5, the Pelicans’ starters looked to be playing with tired legs against the Utah Jazz on the second half of a back-to-back on March 6.
The Pelicans fell behind 29-14 by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the second unit, led by freshly acquired Crawford and backup point guard Frazier, provided a boost and helped cut the lead down to 34-23.
Their energy seemed to have reverberated throughout the team as the starters came back in with a newfound energy.
The Pelicans got the score down to single digits before the half and looked like a different team in the second half. Their shots weren’t falling but they stayed competitive on the defensive end and gave themselves a chance to win.
Although they eventually lost the game 88-83, the game should have been a lot more lopsided and the importance of value brought by the second team did not go unnoticed.
When Hollis Thompson was relegated to the bench against the Portland Trail Blazers because of poor performance, coach Alvin Gentry announced that Wayne Selden Jr., who was signed to a 10-day contract less than a week prior, would start in his place.
From the outside, the move may have been seen as a bit of a shock but very much made sense. Gentry realized the importance of keeping his bench together. They served as the catalyst for the team and were playing too well to break up.
The bench responded with 23 first-half points to help the Pelicans take a 50-36 lead into halftime on their way to a 100-77 blowout victory over Portland.
Gentry has developed a go-to lineup of Frazier and Crawford in the backcourt to go along with Moore and Cunningham with either Cousins or Anthony Davis (when Cousins is in foul trouble) to start the second and fourth quarters.
New Orleans Pelicans
After that big victory against the Trail Blazers, New Orleans again found themselves on the back-end of their second game in as many nights — playing the Miami Heat in Miami the following night on March 15.
Led by Crawford, Frazier and Moore, the second unit once again helped the Pelicans close the gap against the Heat in the second quarter and again scored 23 first-half points.
That same second lineup along with Cunningham and Cousins then got the lead in the fourth for the Pelicans before a barrage of threes from the Heat late in the game delivered a crushing loss to the Pelicans.
But while that loss to the Heat was a crushing one. It’s a loss surrounded by five wins, including three straight.
In that 5-1 stretch, New Orleans has scored 100 or more points in five consecutive games prior to Tuesday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies (in which they fell short by five points) and scored a season-high 128 against the Houston Rockets on March, 17.
The Pelicans’ offense has taken off and the bench unit for New Orleans is a big reason why.
Frazier is solidifying his role on the team as the backup point guard. Aside from Frazier starting the last two games since the Pelicans opted not to re-sign Selden, he typically comes off the bench and pushes the pace of the game while running the second unit offense like a vet.
Cunningham has done a nice job playing within space on offense; allowing guys to find him for easy buckets while guarding the perimeter on defense.
Moore has been shooting only 28 percent from three in the last eight games. But he has been the Pelicans’ most consistent shooter this season at a 38.7 percent clip. His outside shooting has been down but his assertiveness has not.
He’s stepped it up offensively with 10.5 points per game in the last eight while shooting 48.6 percent overall.
Ajinca is an active player on both ends of the court. Defensively he does a good job defending the paint and remains a great option for looks inside on guard penetration.
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Crawford has come in after missing two years of NBA action and looks better than ever. We all knew he could score, but he has really been lights out for the Pelicans. He’s scored 13.8 points per game on 51.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from three since joining the team.
Selden was signed by the Grizzlies and started Tuesday night’s game against his former team. He scored four points, grabbed two rebounds and had a steal in 16 minutes of play.
One of the reasons the team let Selden walk was because they wanted to take a look at Quinn Cook, formerly of Duke. He’s a very intriguing player with a lot of upside, which led to the Pelicans signing him to a 10-day contract.
He has starred in the D-League since leaving Duke, scoring 19.6 points and 5.4 assists per game to earn Rookie of the Year honors in 2015-16 while with the Canton Charge.
He then took his play up another level in his second year with the team, scoring 26 points and 6.7 assists per game and was named the D-League All-Star Game MVP after his 18-point, 12-assist performance.
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If he can come in and show the Pelicans that he’s NBA-ready, he won’t only be an asset to an already potent bench, but may be a player the Pelicans look to keep around for next season.