New Orleans Pelicans: How the Pels’ defense will improve this season

New Orleans Pelicans: The guard defense should be better

Guards

The Pelicans had two of the better defending guards last season in Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball, but after they traded Holiday their defense should take a big step back, right? Wrong.

People seem to forget that it was Eric Bledsoe, not Jrue Holiday, who made the All-Defensive team last season, and whether you think that is fair or not, Bledsoe can defend.

Yes, he was partially rewarded for being on the best defensive team and Holiday was punished because his team’s defense was terrible, but um… shouldn’t that matter?

You could argue that Holiday is the better individual defender but if you watched the games in the bubble, he looked cooked just like everyone else. Holiday is still a very good defender, but elite? That is arguable.

The same could be said of Bledsoe but he’ll be asked to do far less offensively than Holiday, so he should be able to focus his efforts on the defensive end.

Lonzo Ball should also take a step defensively and could evolve into a lockdown defender as soon as this season.

Kira Lewis Jr. has quick hands and could be a disruptive defender off the bench and J.J. Redick and Josh Hart should improve defensively in Stan Van Gundy’s system.

Pels’ fans who are worried about the guard defense post-Holiday should relax. Bledsoe will pick up that slack and everyone else should be better, so ultimately the Pels’ guard defense could improve and shouldn’t take a step back as some have predicted.

With a new coach and some new faces under the hoop, the New Orleans Pelicans should be able to improve defensively. How much they improve will likely determine if this is a playoff team or not.