New Orleans Pelicans: Can Omer Asik Carve Out Any Kind of Role?

The duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins will cause headaches for opponents of the New Orleans Pelicans next season. With the pair of stars in the front court, there won’t be many minutes to spare for the bench. What type of role can Omer Asik carve out on the roster?

When Omer Asik joined the New Orleans Pelicans in 2014, he was expected to be a nice complement to Anthony Davis. He filled that role relatively well in his first season, averaging 7.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

Since his first season, however, Asik has seen a diminishing role. In 2015, he played just 17.3 minutes per game, averaging 4.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.

Then came last year, when he appeared in just 31 games while he averaged 15.5 minutes, 2.7 points, and 5.3 rebounds per game. Even before DeMarcus Cousins joined the team, Asik found himself sitting on the bench quite often.

Now, of course, Cousins will be paired with Davis to form one of the best frontcourts in the NBA. Meanwhile, Asik will be left to fight for minutes with Alexis Ajinca, Cheick Diallo, and potentially Dante Cunningham. That’s not counting anyone who joins the team before the start of the season (I have a feeling the Pelicans aren’t done just yet).

If Cunningham returns, he brings athleticism and outside shooting to the team. He also can play three different positions and gives the Pelicans flexibility in their lineups. Due to all that, he’ll find a spot in the rotation.

Diallo is extremely young and raw but he’s athletic and shows great potential. Diallo finding minutes shouldn’t be too surprising, as he shined when given a chance in 2017.

Ajinca is a wildcard. When he gets an opportunity and doesn’t run into foul trouble, Ajinca tends to be a solid piece.

That leaves Asik. While he’s still a good rebounder, he brings almost nothing to the table offensively. He’s also a good rim protector, but his poor athleticism limits his defensive ceiling. With all the players already on the roster, it may appear Asik is out of a job. He does have an advantage, however.

Other than Cousins, the Pelicans don’t really have a banger down low. Ajinca’s big, but not the best bully. Asik can handle the more powerful down-low threats, he can still fight for rebounds, and isn’t going to back down.

Keeping Cousins and Davis out of foul trouble will be important to the Pelicans success this upcoming season. This gives Asik a perfect fit into the rotation.

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Cousins and Davis will have targets on their backs. Get them in foul trouble to get them out of the game. Putting Asik in to cover the bruisers will limit the fouls of the Pelicans dynamic duo.

This gives Asik a very important role on the roster, Omer Asik is the bully of the New Orleans Pelicans.