New Orleans Pelicans: My apologies to Willy Hernangomez

When the New Orleans Pelicans signed Willy Hernangomez this past offseason I personally thought it was a waste of a roster spot.

The Pelicans already had two centers in Steven Adams and Jaxson Hayes and were thin on the wing, so I was hoping they would use that roster spot to take a flyer on a guy like Torrey Craig, who also signed for a league minimum deal.

It just seemed like a waste of a spot for a guy who wasn’t likely to play much and didn’t fit what the Pelicans needed.

Though the New Orleans Pelicans have underperformed as a team, Hernangomez has been one of the pleasant surprises and has evolved into the exact type of backup center the Pelicans have needed.

New Orleans Pelicans: Willy Hernangomez has provided stability

Willy Hernangomez has been thrust into a more prominent role this season due to injuries to Steven Adams and ineffective play from Jaxson Hayes.

Hernangomez has been in and out of the rotation but hasn’t let it affect his play or production, which is exactly what you want from a veteran role player.

He has averaged 6.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in just 16 minutes a game, so he is giving the Pelicans efficient production off the bench.

He’s had some big games for the Pels, including six double-doubles and has played solid defense while not making many stupid mistakes, which is important for a team that stinks defensively and often kills themselves with errors.

His Per-36 numbers of 15 points and 9.1 rebounds make me wonder what he might be able to do in an expanded role.

Unfortunately, the New Orleans Pelicans will probably never find out, as he has played well enough to get a raise next season that they probably won’t be able to offer.

Given that he is making just over $1.7 million this season, Hernangomez has been one of the better value signings of last offseason and not a waste of a roster spot as I initially thought.