Pelicans Rank Roundtable: New Orleans Pelicans Players 11-7

With Pelicans Rank about to hit the upper crust of talent on the New Orleans Pelicans roster we felt  it was time to take a step back and dig a bit deeper into the players that came before Eric Gordon and see what the staff things about some key questions surrounding each one.

1. How much of Alexis Ajinca‘s half season a year ago is repeatable?

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Andrew:  I’d like to say all of it, but I’m just not sure with him. Rumor has it that he got into better shape in the off-season, but that sounds like every other player we hear from leading up to training camp.

Rick:  A good chunk of it. I’m under the assumption Ajinca’s progress last year was no fluke just a diamond in the rough found in what seemed like a lost season. With him on the bench his potential to shine maybe lessened, however I could definitely see him repeat the success he had last year going against much lesser competition against bench units.

Matt: I think the majority of it. I’m not sure if he will shoot from the mid-range as well as he did last year but I think the touch is real so it will be acceptable. Outside of that the Pelicans aren’t asking him to do much besides be big and since Ajinca is a giant man it works out pretty well.

2. What does Jeff Withey have to do this year to make sure he wins the backup center job and do you thing he does it? 

Andrew: Withey is going to have to work hard on his defense yet again, and try to develop a solid pick and roll game. If he can work on the pick-and-roll on both ends of the court, I could see it happening.

Rick: Withey needs to show more on the defensive end. His offensive game last year was respectable, yet he missed assignments too easily and struggled to keep opposing players off the glass. Early on in the year it would seem Ajinca has the backup Center spot, yet if Withey works hard and shows the potential in the time he has on the floor, he can earn it back.

Matt: Finish better at the rim. I think with a year under his belt a lot of the breakdowns we saw from Withey on the defensive end last year will be gone but I am worried about his finishing. Withey shot just 56.5 percent from 0-3 feet a season ago which isn’t good enough for a big guy with such a limited offensive game. If he can improve that he has a good shot.

3. Can Luke Babbitt survive at the three or will it be a disaster? 

Andrew: Can he survive? Absolutely. It will be a disaster though, assuming he doesn’t progress much more than the majority of fans believe he will.

Rick: If he’s playing SF for more than 8 minutes a game, then it will be a disaster. He’s way out of position there and teams have a huge advantage when he’s in the game, especially divisional opponents with bigger backup SF’s such as Al-Faroq Aminu, Kyle Anderson and Quincy Pondexter. If the Pelicans plan to use him at SF, it should be very sparingly.

Matt: No he can’t survive. We have seen Luke Babbitt the small forward and it led to him being forced to play in Russia. Luke Babbitt the stretch-four meanwhile looked the part of an NBA player last year. Babbitt more than anyone is probably the biggest loser with the Pelicans getting healthy.

4. What part of Austin Rivers game do you think is more important for him to be successful, finishing at the rim or becoming at least an average mid-range shooter? 

Andrew: He needs to look to finish at the rim. Mid-range jumpers are having a fallout with the NBA, so the more efficient finisher would be something he should look at if he’s going to develop into a player the Pelicans look to keep around long-term.

Rick: If those are the two options, I would go becoming an average mid-range jump shooter. No team is planning for Austin to make jumpers. They know his strength is going to the hole and getting contact. If he can get a dangerous jumper, they will have to change their gameplan for him, opening his options to work with. However, Rivers’ most important key to success is better decision-making. If he can become a better game manager at point guard and cut down on the mistakes, he could have a breakout season.

Matt: I think finishing at the rim is the bigger thing. River can get there seemingly at will so if he can convert those opportunities it would be great. In reality there are just too many better offensive options for New Orleans than Rivers taking mid-range jumpers, even if he gets to league average. If he can finish at the rim though he becomes a great off-ball weapon for the Pelicans as it would add a way to attack out-of-control closeouts that his spot-up shooting will cause.

5. Does Patric Young play this year in meaningful minutes? 

Andrew: I want to say yes, but he probably wont. He’s looking to be the sixth guy in a front court rotation that is already set for the most part, which logically points to not much time for the big man out of Florida.

Rick: I see Patric Young as more of a backup plan for the Pelicans than a main option this season. With the mass amount of injuries to the teams frontcourt last season, they didn’t have the depth to continue to contend. Young is there just in case a major piece goes down to keep the team in contention, and as a long-term plan for the team if they look to move one of their bigger pieces. However, it would be surprising to see him play more than 10 minutes a game this season.

Matt: Nope. I’m on the record as saying that Young is a wasted roster spot for the Pelicans despite thinking he is an NBA player. Young is clearly a center at the NBA level but he isn’t as good as Ajinca, Withey or Omer Asik for what the Pelicans want to do which is protect the rim and protect Anthony Davis from playing center. Unless the team has no long-term plans for Withey or Ajinca I just don’t see the point of Young.

6. Does Russ Smith pass Austin Rivers on the depth chart at all this year? If so how long does it take? 

Andrew: If he does, I think it will be by Christmas. If he hasn’t passed him by that point, I think Austin Rivers will be around for at least another 3 years.

Rick: He’ll get the opportunity to. Austin Rivers is not part of the long-term plan for the Pelicans. New Orleans will at least give Russ Smith chances to pass Austin on the depth chart. Smith might struggle out of the gate to adjust his game to the NBA level and overcome the disadvantage of his size. Yet if he can figure that all out in his rookie season, he will pass Rivers on the depth chart.

Matt: I don’t think so. I think the Pelicans are going to give Rivers every shot they can to keep his minutes and earn an extension so unless his season is a complete disaster I doubt we see Smith outside of Jrue Holiday being fouled out late in games when the Pelicans need a defensive stop.