New Orleans Pelicans: Bench Needs to Step Up in Redick’s Absence

The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Sunday afternoon that they will be without the services of sharpshooter Redick for at least two weeks.

As the New Orleans Pelicans continue their fight to capture the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs, they learned on Sunday the severity of J.J. Redick‘s injury.

Redick was injured during the second quarter of the Pelicans 116-104 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Redick made his way to the locker room with a hamstring injury and never returned.

Moving foward, the team will need to find alternative ways to stretch the floor in his absence, as Redick’s importance to the New Orleans Pelicans cannot be understated.

Yes, his almost 15 points a game are critical and he does have the third best 3-point percentage in the league at 45.2 percent, but his presence on the court and even in the locker room may just be as valuable.

The team here at Pelican Debrief recently wrote an article on how the veteran Redick’s leadership goes a long way in the growth of such a young team.

Redick himself has never missed the playoffs in his 13-year career and the tidbits he could provide would help the young Pelicans make it this year.

In his absence, guys like Nicolo Melli will need to step up even more from downtown. Melli has proven in the past to get red hot from three as recently he went 6 for 7 in a win at the Golden State Warriors.

Melli has shown a tendency to be passive at times, so the coaches will have to instill confidence in him to shoot whenever he is open.

You also figure a guy like E’Twaun Moore will get more minutes now off the bench. Having the ability to call upon a veteran like Moore shows the true depth this Pelicans team possesses.

Moore is shooting 38.6 percent on 3.3 attempts per game from behind the arc, but look for his attempts to rise in Redick’s absence.

With the easiest schedule remaining in the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans are primed to make the postseason this year. One thing that could derail those plans is injuries.

While you never want to lose a player like Redick, the New Orleans Pelicans hope they can weather the loss with depth and get him back in time for the playoffs.