Omer Asik should play more during the New Orleans Pelicans playoff push

Throughout all the injuries the New Orleans Pelicans have had since the early season, there have been two constants in the lineup providing stability and production. With Tyreke Evans being that guy on the offensive end of the floor, he has garnered much more attention than the other player, the defensive wall named Omer Asik.

Yet despite his great play and injuries to Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson this month and throughout the season, Asik has played just 26.1 minutes per game a number. But now as the Pelicans make a push towards the playoffs it is time for Monty Williams to give Asik more minutes.

Part of the reason is how well Asik is playing lately. While Anthony Davis is getting all the attention for his amazing play since his return, it is easy to point to Asik as almost as big of a reason that the Pelicans are winning games. In seven games this month Asik is averaging 10.4 rebounds per game and posting a 57.5 true shooting percentage to go along with a superb 98 defensive rating. Despite the hot stretch, Asik is still averaging just 26.1 minutes per game in those seven games. While Alexis Ajinca’s great play of late is part of the reasoning, Williams would be wise to increase Asik’s minutes to closer to the 30 minutes per game mark.

The biggest reason is Asik’s defensive impact, something that will be massively important for the Pelicans in their brutal closing stretch. The Pelicans are at their best defensively with Asik on the floor, and it shows in lineup data. Of the 13 two-man lineups the Pelicans have that have played over 200 minutes only three have posted a defensive rating of under 100, and two include Asik.

Not only does Asik help keep shots from going in the basket, but the Pelicans turn those misses into rebounds more often with Asik in the game. According to 82games.com the Pelicans grab 75.2 percent of defensive rebounds available with Asik on the floor compared to just 70.1 percent with Asik on the bench, a staggering number. Much of that can actually be attributed to Asik who sits fourth in the league in defensive rebounding percentage at 29.5 percent. Even when Asik doesn’t grab rebounds himself he always seems to hold his boxout long enough to keep opposing big men away from the ball, allowing his teammates to grab it.

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The worry with Asik playing more minutes of course is if he could handle it, as for much of his career he has been a 25-28 minute per night player. Even this season Asik has played 30 minutes or more just 14 times, but the signs in those games are encouraging. According to basketball-reference.com, Asik posts a 59.8 true shooting percentage in games he plays 30 minutes or more, his best mark of any minutes distribution. In fact in those 14 games, Asik is averaging 10.3 points and 11.4 rebounds per game and posting his best offensive rating (117) and defensive rating (103) of any minutes distribution. While he may not be able to hold up to playing 30 minutes for 82 games, Asik can clearly do it when the Pelicans most need and down the stretch they do.

At the end of the day in the biggest games the Pelicans need to have their best five players on the floor. Omer Asik has clearly established himself as one of the best five players on the roster. Maybe the experiment won’t work and the Pelicans will have to turn back to Ajinca for more minutes. But not trying at all is leaving a big weapon on the bench, which in a race that can come down to a game or two could prove costly.

Next: We got news on the injury front yesterday

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