New Orleans Pelicans: Stan Van Gundy must improve his outdated offense

The New Orleans Pelicans lack offensive creativity under Stan Van Gundy

Van Gundy has awakened New Orleans’ defense, even if it still snoozes off here and there, but he has not found an effective offensive groove.

To say the Pelicans lack an identity on attack would be misleading because they absolutely have one. It just has no creativity currently. More often than not, an offensive possession for the Pels devolves into pick-and-roll action with Ingram handling the ball and Steven Adams screening for him. Sometimes, Zion Williamson might get to face-up his defender and try to make something happen.

The Pelicans’ offensive limitations due to bad spacing are natural, but the unimaginativeness is harder to explain. Van Gundy has a legit NBA primary option (Ingram), a once-in-a-generation prospect (Williamson), one of the league’s most inventive passers (Ball), and an all-time great shooter (Redick). Ingram aside, it’s tough to argue that anyone else’s skillset has been maximized.

Ball operates for long stretches essentially as a spot-up shooter, Redick has played poorly (something which Van Gundy has admitted is due to coaching decisions), and Williamson is basically relegated to always creating his own offense in the post. These are all baffling decisions.

I agree with what Van Gundy’s use of Ball implies: he should not be used primarily as a half-court point guard. His best stretch of basketball is still arguably at UCLA where he was used alongside other ballhandlers, but Ball then was a strong cutter and an incredible transition threat—not someone who sits idly on the corner or the wing waiting for the ball to reach him. Ball is one of the players most affected by the Pelicans’ snail-slow pace.

Redick arrived in New Orleans after a great stint for the Philadelphia 76ers where he had one of the best two-man games in the league with Joel Embiid. Van Gundy is yet to run those types of plays for him this year. Redick has the ability to either kickstart one of the worst benches in the league or add much-needed spacing to the starting five.

Finally, Williamson’s unique skillset is wasted when he is used as a one-dimensional player. Williamson is a menace getting downhill. His rolling gravity can produce the spacing the Pelicans so sorely need. He is much more fluid with the ball than his stocky build suggests. There are myriad ways to use him far more imaginatively than how Van Gundy has.

Van Gundy needs to get the Pelicans firing on offense again to make a real playoff push. There are decisive Western Conference games against top-tier opponents towards the end of January. The Pelicans must polish their attack and look improved by the time those games arrive.