The New Orleans Pelicans need depth on the wing, but may already have a player in Zylan Cheatham who can give them what they need.
The New Orleans Pelicans are one of many teams that will be affected if the salary cap drops as predicted.
With little money to spend after the inevitable Brandon Ingram max extension, the Pelicans may have to look for more creative ways to fill out their roster.
This might include taking risks on players who are already on the team. It could speed up the timeline of guys like Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who may be thrust into more prominent roles if the Pelicans can’t find value in free agency.
The lowered salary cap, and the fact that it is likely to spike next year in response, may be enough to get teams to sit on their money, preferring to spend it when they have more to spend and when there are better free agents available.
Some veteran players may find themselves out of a job, or at least taking less money on short-term deals while the league tries to recover from the loss of revenue from the hiatus, which could be in the billions.
G-League and two-way players might be the biggest beneficiary of the lowered cap, as teams are sure to take flyers on low-cost players in an effort to find cheap value.
Zylan Cheatham is one player who falls into this category for the New Orleans Pelicans, who need depth on the wing but may not have the free cap space to get it.
The 24-year-old forward out of Arizona State is an intriguing player and could provide many of the things the Pelicans need out of a backup wing.
Zylan Cheatham is a unique player with some strengths and glaring weaknesses who could fit in well on the New Orleans Pelicans if given a chance.
Zylan Cheatham’s Strengths
The New Orleans Pelicans already have plenty of scoring, and though they’d love to find a 3-and-D player on the wing, the best ones could be out of their price range or not available.
The Pelicans are 20th in the NBA in defensive rating, while scoring the 4th most amount of points per game, so if they have to choose a skill, they might lean towards defense.
Cheatham is 6-foot-8 220 lbs., so has the size to guard either forward position, especially with his 7-foot-1 wingspan.
Cheatham is a versatile player who averaged 12.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in his final season at ASU. Rebounding is one of the statistics that usually translates well to the NBA, so Cheatham should be able to help with some of the Pelicans’ issues on the defensive glass.
Cheatham is a hustle and energy guy with a high motor, who will get most of his buckets from put backs, garbage points and running the floor on the break.
On defense Cheatham averaged a steal a game in the G-League in addition to 2.5 assists, so he has decent hands and can pass the ball. He was only the 3rd player in Pac-12 history to average a double-double with three or more assists.
He can rebound, play defense and his passing gives him some value in the pick-and-roll.
He fits the profile of what the New Orleans Pelicans need in a backup wing and his size, strength and defense would be a nice complement to Ingram.
This is especially true given his price tag, which will likely be the league minimum.
Zylan Cheatham’s Weaknesses
If the New Orleans Pelicans are looking for a 3-and-D wing, Cheatham really only provides half the equation.
He has elite athleticism, but isn’t much of a shooter, though he did average 16.3 points per game in the G-League.
Cheatham shot just 33.3 percent from long-range on a fairly low volume of 2.6 attempts per game, not great, but not terrible.
So far as a professional Cheatham has not shown the type of shot-blocking that he was capable of in college, and though he has nice size, might not be tall enough to defend some of the larger power forwards in the league.
Cheatham is a high energy defender but needs to learn how to dial it back at times, as he can play a bit out of control.
He has a few weaknesses, but could still find a spot on this New Orleans Pelicans’ roster.
How Zylan Cheatham fits on the New Orleans Pelicans
The first way that Cheatham fits on the New Orleans Pelicans is cost. The Pelicans signed Cheatham to a two-way contract this season and he only played in three games.
Cheatham could sign another two-way contract, which would allow him to spend up to 45 days with the New Orleans Pelicans. This would be a low-risk way to give Cheatham a tryout without committing to a full contract.
This is a chance the Pelicans should take, as Cheatham could potentially fill a valuable role at a discount.
The Pelicans were destroyed by bigger wings this season, exemplified by LeBron James, who did whatever he wanted against the smaller Pelicans’ defenders.
Cheatham would immediately be an upgrade in that area, as he has plus-size and the athleticism to guard several positions. He could even play along Ingram at times, allowing BI to guard a lesser player and focus on his offense.
This is how Cheatham fits in general, as he is the type of guy who will do the little things on defense and offense, the dirty work that marquee players are not often asked to do.
Another way Cheatham fits is that he is hungry. The New Orleans Pelicans lack that, as almost all of their players were lottery picks that went to schools like Duke.
Cheatham was undrafted out of ASU and has had to work hard to even get in the league. The Pelicans lack that type of edge and Cheatham will push everyone else to work harder.
With Kenrich Williams and Darius Miller likely to leave in free agency, the New Orleans Pelicans will be looking for a cheap backup wing and Cheatham could be the guy.
He has the defense, rebounding and intangibles to be an effective wing. If Cheatham can improve his shot, he just might be the guy the New Orleans Pelicans are looking for.