7. Do the New Orleans Pelicans have two top-five rookies in their class?
Regarded as one of the better hauls of the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans are getting some interesting returns from their stable of rookies. While their biggest prize has yet to take the floor, another rookie is taking flight.
As one of the very few Pelicans to be available for every game so far this season, Jaxson Hayes has been an absolute thrill and joy so far to watch in New Orleans.
Hayes has played key minutes off of the New Orleans bench, averaging 20 minutes per contest. He’s also averaging 8.8 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks while shooting a highly-efficient 66.3% from the floor.
Even more impressive has been Hayes’s willingness to get to the line against bigs, where he’s attempting 3.5 free throws per game and converting at a 63.3% rate, something that is impressive for a 6’11” rookie center with limited polish.
Plus, every time this dude throws down a dunk, it’s must-watch material.
Jrue's reaction to that poster 😂 pic.twitter.com/aO0if8AeoV
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 18, 2020
Seemingly, Hayes has done a lot to play Jahlil Okafor out of the rotation, serving as the primary to Derrick Favors, which has given the rookie a chance to make 11 starts for the New Orleans Pelicans up to this point.
Still, it seems like the ceiling for Hayes will be established further down the road, as he continues to add bulk to compete with stronger NBA bigs on the interior.
Right now, Hayes has a long way to go on the defensive end, but what we’ve seen on the offense side, in addition to the daunting athleticism from the rookie, it seems like the Pelicans have a heck of a product developing.
8. It seems like J.J. Redick is going to be even more effective in the second half of the season, which is good news for New Orleans Pelicans fans.
Amidst a flurry of critically acclaimed offseason moves, the Pelicans were given a lot of love for signing veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick to a 2-yr., $26.5 million contract this July.
As a member of this team, he’s brought a heightened veteran presence in addition to the similar sharp play fans remembered from his best days with the LA Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
Shooting 46.5% from three-point range on 6.8 attempts per contest, Redick is averaging 15.8 points per game with a pretty nice 123 offensive rating. While his defense is always a little bit shaky, his +2.8 offensive box plus/minus is pretty formidable.
Reddick’s shooting has really kept the Pelicans in some easily collapsable spots this season, which is huge, but perhaps not the most ideal use of the shooter.
When this team draws closer to full health, it seems likely that Redick can become even more deadly as a cog in this offense. His ability to run off of screens and get defenders out of position is what makes him one of the elite shooters of all time.
Plus, his wide-open threes feel particularly devastating when teams think they’ve broken a set, only for Redick to come flying around the shoulder for a bucket.
With the health of this team on the rise, there’s only going to be more room for Redick to space the floor for the New Orleans Pelicans; that’s great news for Redick and the rest of the team, who already pose a lot of threat on the offensive end.