New Orleans Pelicans: Player Grades in 112-106 Bench Loss to the Kings

New Orleans Pelicans: Player Grades for the power forward and centers.

Power Forward and Centers

Congrats to Melli for getting an “F” in a gloried scrimmage against the other team’s second unit.

Count me in the “100% OUT on Melli” camp. He only has one alleged NBA skill, which is shooting, but after going one for 10 again last night, that ship has sailed.

Melli has been broke since February, and if he can’t make three’s, he does not belong on an NBA roster. Maybe he’ll turn it around and consistently become the stretch-four who was effective at times for the Pelicans, but I’ve seen no signs of that in the bubble games.

Melli is 10 for 56 from long-range since February 23rd, which is just over 17% if you are counting.

One of the most important offseason additions has to be a power forward with power who can guard his position and rebound. I’d be shopping Melli for sure, as he is getting paid way too much for a guy who contributes so little.

Centers

Considering he’s only 20-years-old, I thought Jaxson Hayes showed some nice game in the bubble.

He played hard, was the Pelicans’ best rim protector (not saying much there) and is a threat when he rolls to the hoop.

None of these things were true of Derrick Favors, so even though Hayes didn’t play great, he played well enough to show he has a future with this team.

Hayes still plays out of control and had two more turnovers on charges last night, he is often out of position, slow to rotate and has no strength.

But Hayes has athleticism to burn and when he puts on some muscle, learns more about how to play defense and becomes a better shot blocker, he could be a force at the rim for the Pelicans.

I’m not going to get too excited about Jahlil Okafor putting up stats in a garbage game against a team that plays no defense. But considering the Pelicans couldn’t stop anyone anyway, would it have hurt for him to get some of Favors’ minutes?

At least Okafor can get buckets, as we saw last night. He is a force in the paint and one of the best post players in the NBA. Unfortunately, that is all he can do, and his back-to-the-basket style doesn’t really fit on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Okafor was unstoppable last night, scoring 21 points on 9-11 shooting and flashing some nice footwork in the paint.

Okafor probably won’t be back with the Pelicans, but he might have gotten himself a job somewhere else with that performance, and there is an argument to be made that the Peliocans would have been better off with him over Favors, as at least he can score.