New Orleans Pelicans: Better or worse? A breakdown of each position
New Orleans Pelicans: Are the Pels better or worse at small forward?
Small Forward
2019-20: Brandon Ingram
2020-21: Brandon Ingram
Probably the most disappointing part of the Pelicans’ offseason was their failure to address the wing.
This was a big area of weakness for the Pels last season, as they had no one to complement Brandon Ingram and were killed by nearly all of the big wings in the West.
The Pels’ biggest need going into the offseason was to acquire a defensive wing and it is still their biggest need after the draft and free agency.
Small forward has emerged as the most important position on both ends of the floor. Ingram is a gifted offensive player, the best the Pelicans have, but he doesn’t defend the position well and they still have no one else.
Undrafted rookie Naji Marshal will get a shot and he could be one of the gems of the draft if he shows he can defend at a high level.
Josh Hart will play some wing. Thornwell can play there too, but both are a bit undersized for the position, especially if they are being asked to defend guys like Paul George and LeBron James.
The Pels need to shore up their small forward position with a defender, preferably one with size who can shoot a little.