Stan Van Gundy’s development of Jameer Nelson is a good sign for the New Orleans Pelicans and Lonzo Ball
When the New Orleans Pelicans announced the hiring of Stan Van Gundy, many fans burst with excitement thinking about how Van Gundy will unlock Zion Williamson. I won’t lie, that was one of my first thoughts too when I first heard the news.
Now that I’m digging deeper into Stan Van Gundy’s history and scheme, I’ve realized that it’s not just Zion Williamson who’s going to benefit from Van Gundy’s presence, it’s also Lonzo Ball.
The reason I say this is because we evaluated Van Gundy’s offensive and defensive systems, I found that having a strong lead guard is just as, if not, more important than having an elite big man. That’s because the point guard does a lot in Van Gundy’s system.
After reviewing footage of Van Gundy’s teams in Miami, Orlando, and Detriot, you’ll find that the lead guard establishes everything on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end, he’s the facilitator who operates Van Gundy’s pick-and-roll heavy scheme and creates open looks for his teammates. Shift to defense, and you’ll see that the point guard spends a lot of time communicating to the team at the top of the play while being in charge of defending the opposing guard.
This is a big role for Lonzo Ball to fill, and some might question if he’s capable of handling that responsibility. That’s when I look to Jameer Nelson.
How Stan Van Gundy developed Jameer Nelson and how he’ll replicate that process with Lonzo Ball on the New Orleans Pelicans
When people think of Jameer Nelson today, they think of him as a steady and reliable point guard, but he wasn’t always that way. When Nelson was drafted in the 1st round in 2004, he spent his first season buried on the Orlando Magic bench and struggling when he saw the court.
Nelson’s play was a bit erratic, he’d look to make plays but then turn the ball over. When he’d try to score, it’d be even worse. Nelson was a below-average shooter who barely averaged 8 points a game in his rookie.
Nelson got better but his struggles continued until Stan Van Gundy was hired. When Van Gundy went to Orlando, he helped Jameer Nelson play the best basketball of his career. He taught Jameer Nelson the fundamentals of his offense and simplified the game for him to a single role.
The result? Jameer Nelson’s assist numbers went up, his turnovers went down, and he became a better scorer. Van Gundy’s staff worked on his shooting and abilities attacking the rim so when Nelson was open he’d take the shot and score. That’s why he became an All-Star under Stan Van Gundy.
I see Van Gundy doing the same thing with Lonzo Ball. Lonzo is right at the same level of experience that Jameer Nelson was when Van Gundy became his coach, and I think he’ll follow much of the same process.
Van Gundy’s goal with Lonzo will be to harness his elite passing ability and use it wisely, limiting turnovers. He’ll then encourage Lonzo to shoot when he’s open and continue the progression that his scoring has made in the past couple of seasons.
With Lonzo’s stellar talent level, he’ll likely become even better than Jameer Nelson was all those years ago under Van Gundy, and that’s exactly what the New Orleans Pelicans need to be great. Having Stan Van Gundy helming the team means that Lonzo Ball finally has a chance to reach his perennial All-Star potential.