With little cap space to utilize, the New Orleans Pelicans could take a chance projects that might benefit from a fresh start in a new city.
If you missed Tuesday’s profile of two very intriguing shooting guard possibilities for the New Orleans Pelicans, you can check it out here.
With the league in hiatus and a chance it will be cancelled entirely, teams like the New Orleans Pelicans are bracing for one of the wildest offseasons of all time.
The league is going to lose revenue, which could affect the salary cap, and there is no timeline for free agency or the draft.
There are a lot of possibilities: the NBA could finish out the season sometime late this summer. They could cancel it completely and just start fresh next year.
One interesting option would be a play-in tournament for the final seed in each conference.
With so much up in the air, it is almost impossible to guess what the New Orleans Pelicans will do when and if the NBA resumes its normal operations.
Here are a loose set of guidelines that we’ll be following for our free agent series:
- Unrestricted free agents only. There are too many moving parts to know how any of this will play out, but restricted free agency is always tricky.
- I’ll try to choose one free agent from the “premium” crop and one from a lower tier. This won’t always be the case, but we’ll try to mix it up.
- Money is not an object at this point. The New Orleans Pelicans will likely be capped out if they extend Brandon Ingram and don’t make a trade, but for these purposes, money will be more of an abstract concept.
The New Orleans Pelicans won’t have much money to spend if they extend Ingram, so they will be on the lookout for bargain veterans or young projects who they might be able to salvage.
For this installment we’ll look at two of the latter, a couple of guys who came into the league with big expectations that they haven’t met.
Could a move to the New Orleans Pelicans save their careers?
Strengths: Defensive versatility, potentially elite defense
Weaknesses: Shooting, ball handling
Key Statistics: Career 29.1 percent 3-point shooter
How he fits with the Pelicans:
When Stanley Johnson was drafted number eight overall by the Detroit Pistons, he looked like the type of wing every team wants.
He has the size at 6-foot-6, 245 lbs. to guard either forward position and the quickness to defend shooting guards.
His offensive game was raw, particularly his shot, but the Pistons hoped that it would come around as Johnson had the potential to be an elite defender.
He flashed this ability in his rookie season, when the Detroit Pistons made the playoffs and faced off against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Johnson was brash, cocky even, saying,
"“I’m definitely in his head, that’s for sure,” Johnson said after a 107-90, Game 2 loss to the Cavs. “That’s for sure.”"
He wasn’t and LeBron torched the Pistons in a sweep.
Johnson was just 19 at the time and looked to have a bright future as a 3-and-D wing for the Detroit Pistons.
It all went downhill from there, as Johnson’s offensive game never developed and his defense wasn’t elite enough to offset his lack of offensive production.
Johnson has shot just 37.2 percent from the field for his career, including only 29.1 percent from behind the arc.
Johnson has bounced around the league since, spending some time in the G-League, and even spent 18 games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season before signing with Toronto.
The New Orleans Pelicans are desperate for a big wing that can defend, so Johnson could be a worthy risk on a minimum deal.
He is still just 23 years old and Pelicans’ shooting coach Fred Vinson has had success improving the shots of Lonzo Ball and Ingram.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a ton of scoring, so they wouldn’t need Johnson to be good offensively, just not terrible.
Johnson is still young enough to realize his potential as an elite defender and if he ever puts it all together, will be a valuable 3-and-D wing for someone.
The New Orleans Pelicans may end up taking a flyer on a guy like Johnson if they are looking for cheap potential.
Strengths: Defensive versatility, size
Weaknesses: Shooting
Key Statistics: Career 29.8 percent 3-point shooter
How he fits with the Pelicans:
Josh Jackson is another wing who fits the profile of the 3-and-D defender that the New Orleans Pelicans covet on the wing.
Like Johnson, Jackson has plus size for the position at 6-foot-8 and the quickness to defend several positions in the NBA.
Also like Johnson, Jackson would need a visit to shot-doctor Vinson, as he has shot just 41.7 percent from the field for his career, including just 29.8 percent from 3-point range.
The New Orleans Pelicans want to play with pace and chuck long-range shots, so it seems like Jackson might not be a fit.
But they also need players who can defend, and Jackson has the tools to be a plus defender in the NBA.
He hasn’t gotten much of a chance in Memphis, as he’s been buried by other talented young players since being traded by the Suns, but he might be the type of guy who just needs a fresh start and some confidence.
Jackson is still only 22, so there is time for him to develop, but it probably won’t be with the Grizzlies, who already have a nice core of young talent and will likely be looking to supplement it with veterans in free agency.
Jackson had decent number in limited play for the Grizzlies, scoring 10.4 a game in just 19.8 minutes.
His age, size and potential may price him of the Pelicans’ range, but if they can get him on a minimum deal, it would be well worth the risk.
Big wings who can defend are hard to come by and won’t come cheap.
If the New Orleans Pelicans want to bolster their wing defense, they may have to take a risk on a young project like Johnson or Jackson.
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