Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans: Grading Alvin Gentry’s coaching job in 2019-2020

By Willie Lutz

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 16: Josh Hart #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans during the game against the Utah Jazz at Smoothie King Center on January 16, 2020 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. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 16: Josh Hart #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans during the game against the Utah Jazz at Smoothie King Center on January 16, 2020 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. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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New Orleans Pelicans conference with coach Alvin Gentry
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 11: Head coach Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with Josh Hart #3, Kenrich Williams #34 and Jaxson Hayes #10 during a preseason game against the Utah Jazz at the Smoothie King Center on October 11, 2019 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. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

. . . OFFENSE . 8.6

Perhaps a benefit of new front office leadership and roster turnover in the 2019 NBA offseason, Gentry finally got to run his offense with a pack of players that fit his vision.

The team ranked fifth in the league in three-point percentage (37.2%) and tied the Washington Wizards for the fourth-most points per game (116.2). Additionally, the team played with the second-best pace in the league (103.96) behind the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks.

One of the strongest additions to the team in the offseason was J.J. Redick, a player who thrives in up-tempo offenses where he can run off of screens and drill threes. He finished fourth in the league with a 45.2% three-point rate this season.

Going forward, the New Orleans Pelicans have to cut down on their quantity of turnovers. Their 16.2 per game ranked 29th in the NBA, just ahead of the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers. While it’s a part of being a team with a lot of young pieces, it’s crucial that they clean up in that department.

While the team’s pieces didn’t always look comfortable playing as a bunch, by the time the season was suspended in mid-March, the Pelicans had really started to look like a complimentary offensive team.

. DEFENSE . 5.9. .

The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t always look like they had an idea of how to defend this season, as even Jrue Holiday looked out of rotation in the early portions of the season.

Struggling early in the season with new defensive lead Jeff Bzdelik’s system and Derrick Favors missing a lot of time, the unit wound up looking at least slightly below average by the end of January.

Finishing with the 20th-ranked defensive rating (111.6) and the 19th-ranked defensive field goal percentage (46.5%), the team was probably in the bottom third of NBA ball-stopping bunches, but really weren’t as bad as some might’ve thought based on early returns.

Many of this team’s young starting players looked overmatched by the league’s better offensive players, as the team struggled all season long to contain stars like LeBron James, Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, and Stephen Curry.

Going forward Alvin Gentry has to find a way to get this team to defend in different and more productive ways, otherwise, they’ll have a hard time ever making a dent in the Western Conference playoffs.

Still, Jrue Holiday looked like someone worthy of making the All-NBA Defensive Team and when healthy, Favors provided a very strong answer to one of the league’s most up-and-down defensive units.

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