New Orleans Pelicans: Ranking the 5 best defenders on the roster
The New Orleans Pelicans must improve their team defense next season if they want to have a fighting chance at the playoffs.
They have made some big changes to the roster and hope that will be enough for modest gains on the defensive end.
The Pels will have three new starters, but none of the starting lineup project as lockdown defenders, so they are going to have to get it done with the their bench or go with a “jumbo” starting five with Brandon Ingram at shooting guard.
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The Pels are hampered by the fact that their two best players are not great defenders, so they will be counting on their role players to get stops this season.
I think this list will show that the New Orleans Pelicans still have some big question marks defensively.
New Orleans Pelicans best defenders #5: Didi Louzada
A common theme on this list is that the Pels are going to be relying on guys who are completely unproven in the NBA.
Didi Louzada is still very raw offensively, so he may not even be part of the rotation for the whole season, but he is still one of the Pelicans’ best on-the-ball defenders.
Defense is about athleticism, will and effort and so far it looks like Louzada has all three, and that he will be a guy who can defend guards as well as small forwards.
Will his defense be enough to get him minutes? That is yet to be seen, but that’s the way he can break into the rotation, as it probably won’t be with his shooting.