Pelica Debrief
Fansided

New Orleans Pelicans Players that will impact playoff match-ups in April

By Seth Nefsky

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 23: Darius Miller
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 23: Darius Miller /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – APRIL 02: Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Solomon Hill (44) during the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the against the Chicago Bulls on April 2, 2017, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. Bull won 117-110. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – APRIL 02: Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Solomon Hill (44) during the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the against the Chicago Bulls on April 2, 2017, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. Bull won 117-110. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Minnesota Timberwolves: Solomon Hill/Emeka Okafor

There is a sub-MVP level variable, which provoked my slashing for the Minnesota Timberwolves: Jimmy Freaking Butler. Butler has been recovering from a meniscus tear, suffered against the Houston Rockets on February 23, but if he comes back for the playoffs, there is no doubt in my mind that he will be trouble for the Pelicans, as he is for every team in the league.

Butler is easily a top ten player in the NBA, and this year he has put up the fourth best real plus-minus in the league, at 5.75. His electric footwork and ferocity at the rim make him one of the best on-ball scorers in the league, and off the ball, he excels as a cutter, utilizing his athleticism, and has turned himself into a solid catch-and-shooter, with a 39% three-point percentage on such shots.

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If he plays, the New Orleans Pelicans really only have one matchup that could put some caution in Jimmy Buckets’ eyes: Solomon Hill. Though he’s played just nineteen minutes so far this season, Hill put up an incredible 1.49 DRPM last season, and at 6’7” with a 6’9.5” wingspan, Hill is decently sized to defend the 6’8” by 6’8” Butler. Though it is impossible to completely counteract a player like Butler, Solomon Hill is one of the league’s most equipped defenders to combat him.

If Butler does not play, the Pelicans concern then shifts down to the post, where the Timberwolves have two big men, who despite the NBA’s current trends, have somehow scored efficiently from the post: Karl-Anthony Towns and Taj Gibson.

Coach Gentry’s first response to this post-attack might be to stretch the interior-focused duo defensively, by putting in Nikola Mirotic. However, Taj Gibson has shown the ability to defend the perimeter, and on the other end, this would create more problems in the post, as the flimsy Niko happens to be one of the worst post defenders in the league.

If this fails, Gentry only has one other option: match their size. In that case, Emeka Okafor would be a great fit against the post-heavy Timberwolves. Though this season, Okafor has not been the best post defender, according to NBA’s Play Type stats, he has only played 277 minutes and has been one of the best rim protectors this year and throughout his career, both in shot differential percentage and block percentage.

He is an intimidating force near the rim, and when paired next to Anthony Davis, the Timberwolves won’t be able to score in the post as well as they have in the regular season.

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