Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Must Avoid ‘Bigs’ This Offseason At All Costs

By Mark Nilon

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans are seen during the game on March 22, 2018 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans are seen during the game on March 22, 2018 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off of their most successful season in franchise history. With this, they look towards the offseason to improve upon their impressive 2017-18 campaign. They can do this through the use of the draft, trades and, of course, free agency. With all these ways of acquiring talent to bolster their roster moving forward, one train of thought must remain constant; avoid bigs at all costs!

The Pelicans are far from being a perfect team. Though they roster an MVP candidate and two All Defensive First Team selections, NOLA’s roster is one that possesses many wholes that need filling. Interestingly enough, however, this prior statement does not apply to the teams big-men.

Currently, the Pelicans roster the likes of Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotic, Emeka Okafor and Cheick Diallo at their power forward/ center positions. If they manage to re-sign DeMarcus Cousins, which is their plan, their front-court could easily be considered the deepest in the NBA next season. Hell, even if they don’t re-sign Boogie they’ll still have one of the best front courts in the league thanks in large to the wunderkind that is AD. Now, with this in mind, it should be apparent that NOLA does not need to add much more depth to these said positions. However, sometimes, specific names can shift a front offices mindset.

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Aaron Gordon is an up-and-coming star in this league with a high basketball IQ and exceptional finishing abilities. The Pelicans must not pursue him!

Julius Randle is a talented power forward with a lot of upside. The Pelicans must not pursue him!

Kyle O’Quin is a dependable role player capable of knocking down a 15-footer and can give a team solid effort on the defensive end for a relatively cheap price. The Pelicans must not pursue him!

Now, I know some of you reading this may be thinking; “well duhh… why would they ever consider signing these guys?” Let me make one thing clear, the NBA is a strange place. Although we may see the Pelicans acquiring more bigs as a “not so great” thing to do, the front office may have a different mindset. We’ve seen many NBA franchises in recent years sign players more for the sake of name and talent than overall fit with the organization.

Take Josh Smith with the Detroit Pistons back in 2013. Lance Stephenson with the Charolette Hornets in 2014. Luol Deng with the LA Laker in 2016.

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When these players were signed by these franchises fans and analysts alike were scratching their heads in utter confusion, for none of their game styles seemed to benefit the state of the teams rosters/ gameplan. However, the front offices sidestepped this detail for the sake of acquiring a talented name.

If New Orleans wants to win in free agency, they should look towards wing players and guards who can stretch the floor. By adding another big to the mix, the team will just be crowding the low post, making it harder for a guy like Anthony Davis to do his thing; dominate in the paint. Lesser known names like Rodney Hood and Gerald Green could prove to be more valuable to the Pelicans than the likes of a Randle or Gordon.

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Am I saying something like this will definitely happen with the Pelicans? Of course not! All this is is a friendly reminder to Dell Demps and the rest off the New Orleans front office to not target players based on name recognition and talent alone. They must look into all facets of a players game before shelling out millions of dollars. And, while this seems like an obvious statement, as history will tell us, some people need to be reminded. For New Orleans, this is in fact their reminder.

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