Pelica Debrief
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The New Orleans Pelicans need to find a wing enforcer

By Rick Stone

Dec 4, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center.The Pelicans defeated the Cavaliers 114-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center.The Pelicans defeated the Cavaliers 114-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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After watching LeBron James win the NBA Championship, it would be smart for the New Orleans Pelicans to go out and get an enforcer at the wing position.

Even without the New Orleans Pelicans, Game Seven of the NBA Finals was insane. No question about it.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers defied all odds and beat the Golden State Warriors in the deciding game of the 2016 NBA Finals. This was a game for the ages.

However, this entire series could be a lesson to the New Orleans Pelicans: An enforcer on offense is key.

In the NBA, an enforcer is not just someone who can attack the basket and score. More so, an enforcer controls the game by forcing the defense to collapse and dealing the damage to the opposing team not just by scoring, but passing accurately on their drives to the basket. They “enforce” the game by breaking down the defense and executing effectively to score easy points.

LeBron James led every statistical category in the series for both teams. Points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. But a bigger effect he had on the series was his ability to drive to the basket and attack. That includes setting up his teammates for easy three-point attempts by forcing the defense inside on his drives.

It’s silly to talk about LeBron being great at driving with his physical gift, but he still effectively drove to the basket and enforced the game against the best defensive team in the league. That says something.

It’s a specific skill that can be tricky to find on the Pelicans. Sure, Anthony Davis is a monster all over the floor and enforces the game in his own right. However, consistency with that has become a question at times. Also, he’s still working on his passing game off his drives.

The same goes for Jrue Holiday. The problem for Jrue is his lack of aggressiveness to score when he’s attacking the basket. He has to work on becoming less passive when he goes into the lane. Both players have the skills to be effective enforcing the game by attacking the rim, but there’s holes to fill.

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Injuries and shakiness in a new offensive system have made it difficult to rely on those players’ aggressiveness. Especially on a team that has so many role players who are not skilled in being an enforcer. It’s this reason why using the money from Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson‘s departure should be used to get another enforcer, specifically at the wing.

The Pelicans have relied on their wings being marksman floor spacers instead of enforcer wings, such as Quincy Pondexter, Eric Gordon, Dante Cunningham and Luke Babbitt. Those players can drive and score, but they are not by any means enforcers. What kind of players could the Pelicans try to find? Well, with money still a glaring issue, it will probably have to be a young, developing player.

New Orleans are not likely to get the bigger name free agents that have the “enforcer” skill under their belt. Nicolas Batum, Kent Bazemore and DeMar DeRozan are all way over the Pelicans price this offeseason. Even semi-cheaper options like Luol Deng and Evan Turner will be tough for New Orleans to court to the Bayou.

There are options for the Pelicans, however some are not as tempting. The best option seems to be luring Allen Crabbe out of Portland. He has the ability to become a strong enforcer, yet his lack of build and work-in-progress passing out of drives is a question. Still, he has the tools.

Evan Fournier is also a tempting option after his strong season on the Orlando Magic. His price will be high, but he’s well equipped to be an enforcer and can be a huge steal if he works out. The possibility last year was an anomaly is still in play. However, he might be worth the risk.

Then there’s the NBA Draft. While the Pelicans don’t have a ton of “enforcer” options with the number six pick, there’s possibilities. Jamal Murray could turn out to be an enforcer shooting guard with his aggressive ability to score. If he works on the vision and smarts of the NBA, he could be that guy.

Jaylen Brown could also be an enforcer at the professional league, though there are a lot of questions on if he can be an effective enforcer in the league. He’s seen more now as a great scoring option that fits a good offensive scheme, however he could shock many if he gets the build up and finds his rhythm against the challenging defensive leap of the NBA.

Next: Kris Dunn: New Orleans Pelicans Debrief Discussions

The New Orleans Pelicans finished 19th in the NBA in points in the paint last season, so someone who can attack the basket and score is a key. However, getting a reckless attacking wing who doesn’t know how to pass out and keep the offense flowing is not the answer. The Pelicans need to focus on finding a true “enforcer” who can get the shooters and bigs open shots, like LeBron did in the NBA Finals. If they can find that, they’ll be one step closer to making the leap from a fun team to a contending team, and one step closer to finding themselves on the biggest stage in basketball in the near future.

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