New Orleans Pelicans: 5 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 NBA season
By Adam Taylor
A stingy backcourt
Offense can win a game, defense can win a championship — an age-old mantra that rings true no matter the era. Adding Lonzo Ball to the starting backcourt provides the New Orleans Pelicans with a defensive pairing capable of shutting down opposing guards on a nightly basis.
For all the chatter regarding Lonzo’s shooting struggles during the early stages of his career, he has earned himself a reputation as a formidable defender. NBA.com has him ranked as 45th overall in defensive win shares. Yes, this can be a floored metric to measure defensive impact but it does highlight the type of player the Pelicans now find themselves with.
Pairing both Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball in the backcourt provides the team with a legitimate one-two punch on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end, Ball will be the primary ball-handler and facilitator while Holiday will be looking for slashing opportunities as much as possible.
If Holiday has the ball in his hands then he will look to utilize his own passing skills which will allow Ball to flair out to the corners where he is the most effective driving baseline to draw defenders before dishing to a cutting big man.
On the defensive end, both Holiday and Ball are hustle guys. Using intense pressure and active hands to force opponents into making tough passes or pulling up for a contested shot. Last year Ball pulled down 12.4 percent of available defensive rebounds when on the floor, allowing him to push the ball in transition and force fast-break opportunities.
Having Holiday acting as a secondary playmaker should ease the burden on Ball allowing him to improve on the turnovers which have blighted his career to date, having turned the ball over 16 times per 100 possessions last year.
Holiday will also reap the benefits of this partnership, he was below average beyond the arch for the last few years. Having someone like Ball, who likes to push the tempo and place the defense on the back foot should provide him with more open looks throughout the season.
If Holiday can get back to his shooting form of 2014 where he shot 41 percent in the 2013-14 season and 38 percent in the 2014-15 season, he will find his cuts to the rim easier.
It will take time for these two to figure out the mechanics of their partnership, but it has all the ingredients needed to become one of the more dynamic pairings in the league on both ends of the floor,