New Orleans Pelicans: Grades for another loss vs. Hawks

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Hawks: Grades for the bigs

A flat performance for the Kiwi center against the Hawks.

Early on, this game had all the makings of a good night for Steven Adams. He had Lonzo Ball back to help guard pick-and-rolls and all he had to do in the paint was contain Clint Capela, a like-for-like matchup.

However, Adams didn’t really impose his will on either end of the floor. He shot 2-of-6 from the field and turned the ball over a couple of times. That being said, he did crash the offensive boards well.

On defense, he was sluggish and generally did not help contain Atlanta. His plus-minus was the worst on the team.

Let’s see if his performances improve once Brandon Ingram is back. I still find it odd to some extent that Adams hasn’t really developed great chemistry with either Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe or Zion Williamson.

Jaxson Hayes was the best center for the New Orleans Pelicans against the Hawks.

His length and athleticism was an upgrade on Steven Adams defensively. When he was on the floor, I thought Hayes posed more problems for Atlanta, even if he wasn’t always getting a stop.

Hayes also made the most of his chances down the other end of the floor. In particular, I thought the former Texas big showed nice synergy with Lonzo Ball. The two connected on a few occasions, be it a lob in transition or a pick-and-roll in the half-court.

That duo could be a cornerstone for the Pels in the years to come, assuming Ball sticks around in the summer and Hayes continues his upward trajectory in terms of development.

Willy Hernangómez got the last few minutes of garbage time.

Again, his spot in the rotation is largely based on circumstance. If he needs to step in, then the Spanish big stays ready and he deserves credit for that. Otherwise, he tends to only feature during the last moments of a game.

Hernangómez will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. I don’t expect him to stick around in New Orleans, but he is a good third center option to have. However, I am guessing he would prefer a bigger role elsewhere.

That’s right. Even more Wenyen Gabriel minutes.

When the former Kentucky man steps on the court, you know that things are either going really well or terribly poorly for the Pelicans. Against the Hawks, it was the latter.

I don’t expect his role to change going forward, seeing as Gabriel was unable to crack the rotation even when the Pels’ injury crisis was at its apex.

During his short time on the floor, Gabriel made a three but also committed two turnovers. Gabriel’s turnovers are a little strange. In his last four games for the Pelicans, he has turned the ball over six times despite never playing more than 12 minutes.

Up next, the Pelicans continue their back-to-back with a game against the Brooklyn Nets.