New Orleans Pelicans: Pondering the Curious Case of Lance Stephenson
By Rick Stone
The New Orleans Pelicans have still been active in Free Agency, as they recently worked out free agent Shooting Guard Lance Stephenson.
The idea of Lance Stephenson in a New Orleans Pelicans jersey is on the table once again.
According to Brett Dawson of The Advocate, the Pelicans are planning to work out the young shooting guard.
Free agent Lance Stephenson will work out for the Pelicans, league source says.
— Brett Dawson (@BDawsonWrites) August 29, 2016
Lance Stephenson spent last year with the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. After being moved to Memphis, Stephenson averaged 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He was the main source of offense for a Grizzlies team decimated with injuries, even more than the Pelicans.
Lance is known for his antics more than anything. Whether it was touching and breathing in LeBron James‘ ear or slapping Norris Cole in the face during a playoff series against the Miami Heat. Stephenson likes to try and get into his opponents head with his ploys. However, it gives him a shaky reputation in the league.
More from Pelican Debrief
- How will the Pelicans round out rotation without Trey Murphy III
- Why you can’t blame Brandon Ingram for all Team USA’s failures
- Ranking 10 worst starters of the Anthony Davis era
- New Orleans Pelicans avoid potential disaster with latest injury reports
- 4 Most underrated players on New Orleans Pelicans current roster
Statistically, Lance had a great half-season with Memphis. He shot 47.4% from the field and 81.5% from the free-throw line. His three-point percentage was okay at 35.5%, but not a strong suit of his game. He is okay on defense, yet averages less than a steal and over two fouls per game.
This is not the first time the New Orleans Pelicans have inquired on Stephenson. The team has been linked to Lance before the 2015-2016 season and again at February’s trade deadline. General Manager Dell Demps has been interested for a while. In an odd way, if it’s just basketball being talked about, it makes some sense.
Lance is able to play defense against Point Guards and Shooting Guards. He’s able to attack the rim and space the floor for the Pelicans’ shooters. He’s athletic, with the ability to get out on the break and facilitate if needed. He could fit Head Coach Alvin Gentry‘s style of play in a similar way to Shawn Marion during Gentry’s Phoenix days.
This would be the argument towards bringing him to New Orleans. At the end of the day, it could very well end in a disaster if he’s signed to the Pelicans.
Lance Stephenson is a talented athlete and deserves to be on an NBA roster. Just not the New Orleans Pelicans.
This is a team that spent their entire season rebranding the team for superstar Anthony Davis. They are giving him plenty of young pieces who can develop around him and build a true “team”. Gentry, Demps and Danny Ferry want to build a team similar to how the Warriors built their Championship team. A team that’s young, raw, flexible and set to be lethal from all over the floor.
Lance goes against all of those ideas.
One of the biggest quarrels to Stephenson’s game, especially in Indiana, was the fact he loved having the ball in his hands. Instead of the Pacers running their offense through Point Guard George Hill, Lance handled the ball on many offensive sets. A good portion of those sets ended in an isolation attack by Stephenson that had varying results.
More from Pelicans News
- How will the Pelicans round out rotation without Trey Murphy III
- Why you can’t blame Brandon Ingram for all Team USA’s failures
- New Orleans Pelicans avoid potential disaster with latest injury reports
- 3 New Orleans Pelicans whose role will increase next season
- Pelicans getting the fans involved with their upcoming festival
That’s not someone to have on a team looking to have a smooth, rhythmic offense where everyone can pass and move off-ball. Essentially the opposite of what the Indiana Pacers ran during the time Stephenson was on the team.
Lance’s lack of shooting is another issue. While he has the ability to make three-pointers, it’s not something he’s prolific in. He loves to attack, attack and attack some more. The Pelicans want to build their guards to be drivers who can space the floor as well, if it is needed. It’s tough to tell if Stephenson could fill that role.
This move by Dell Demps seems like a ploy to replace Tyreke Evans who, in the final year of his contract, could be on the way out. Tyreke has a lot of similarities to Stephenson’s game, which makes this move all the more confusing on Demps’ part.
If you’ve already tried a player with a certain skill set next to Davis and watched it fail, why do it again?
After what has been a fantastic free agency, Demps continues to go back in odd fits to try and fill his need to bring someone with lots of NBA experience to the Pelicans. Whether it’s the rumors of Ty Lawson prior or the Stephenson workout now, his presence with strange decisions is still there. While Lance could be an on-the-court fit, his overall mesh with this team seems to be lacking.
The New Orleans Pelicans may be intrigued by the idea of Lance Stephenson on their roster for next season, but it may end up nullifying their entire offseason. He would take valuable minutes away from under-the-radar acquisitions, like E’Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway and Buddy Hield. For the sake of their long-term plan, the Pels should stay away from Lance.
Next: New Orleans Pelicans Weekly Links: August 22nd-29th
While the NBA Offseason is still going on, the Pelicans should be happy with what they’ve achieved and avoid a pickup like Lance Stephenson. The talent is there, but his overall fit with the team, balance with the other young guards and history of antics on and off the court make him a massive risk the team could avoid. Lance Stephenson deserves a contract in the NBA to prove his talent can overshadow his behavior. It’s hard to see that working in New Orleans.