New Orleans Pelicans: Grades for flat loss vs. Warriors

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Warriors: Grades for the bigs

Another night in which Willy Hernangómez lived up to his reputation on both sides of the basketball.

The Spanish center was typically good on offense. He went 5-of-9 from the field, finishing his shots around the basket, and was one rebound short of a double-double.

However, I thought Hernangómez might as well not have been there on defense. He couldn’t deal with the Warriors’ dynamic movement offense and just didn’t protect the rim at all. It will be interesting to watch Hernangómez’s NBA future over the next few months, as he has carved out a decent spot for himself in New Orleans but might be looking for a bigger role.

Much like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the last few games of the Pelicans’ season always had to be considered a lab for Jaxson Hayes.

This is a great chance for Hayes to get more minutes, flesh out his skills, and also try new things that are hidden in his repertoire. Against Golden State, for instance, he made a nice floater on a face-up attack but then also missed a pull-up three off the dribble. Nothing wrong with trying when nothing is on the line.

Hayes finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, five of which were offensive. I wish he would have been more impactful on defense, but he made up for it on the other end of the floor.

Overall, Pelicans fans should be incredibly encouraged by the progress that the second-year big has shown. I don’t think anyone expected Hayes to develop so quickly after a worrying start to the season.

Wenyen Gabriel continues to play well in his larger role.

I thought that Gabriel was going to have another game in which he shined on defense but struggled on offense after he missed a few threes and an easy dunk early, but he bounced back. After a relatively difficult start, Gabriel finished with three triples and a total of 14 points.

What I like the most about Gabriel is his activity. It’s a cliché, sure, but it is definitely true in his case that effort does matter.

The South Sudan forward plays with an incredible motor and then backs it up with his defensive versatility. Gabriel allows the Pelicans to switch at will and, in one defensive possession, you’ll often see him on multiple attackers.