The New Orleans Pelicans’ bench was outscored 26-17 by the Suns last night, something fans are probably used to by now.
If you only looked at the statistics of the starting lineup, you’d think the Pelicans might be in the playoff hunt, as their five-man group of Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte’ Graham, Herb Jones and Josh Hart has been really good together.
Unfortunately, bench stats count too, and when the Pels have to go to theirs, things often go south fast.
Is the New Orleans Pelicans’ bench the worst in the NBA?
Here are some numbers that stand out:
- The Pelicans’ bench is 26th in minutes
- 24th in points
- 27th in field goal percentage
- 27th in 3-point percentage
- 21st in Turnovers (incredible considering how few minutes they play)
- 28th in plus/minus
Not only is the Pelicans’ bench terrible at basics like shooting and taking care of the ball, but they play so few minutes that they are putting extra strain on the starters, who have had to carry a huge workload, not easy when you are battling nagging injuries or coming back from illness.
Coming into the season, it looked as though the Pelicans’ bench would be better, as they had jettisoned some of the dead weight and guys like Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall looked ready to contribute.
So what went wrong?
Injuries
Obviously, losing your best player has a ripple effect. Zion Williamson has been out all season so other guys have been forced into his role, which has taken talent off the bench.
Normally we’d see either Josh Hart or Devonte’ Graham coming off the bench, but both have been forced into the starting lineup because of injuries.
Losing Kira Lewis Jr. was also a lot more painful than we might have imagined, as he was at least giving them consistent minutes.
The Preseason flukes
Count me as one of the people who thought the New Orleans Pelicans would get a lot more out of Murphy III and Marshall.
Yes, Trey Murphy III is just a rookie, but he was a 3-year college player who entered the league with more experience than most. He has barely been able to get off the bench and has watched everyone from journeyman Garrett Temple to hardship acquisition Gary Clark get minutes while he sits and watches.
Same for Naji Marshall, who looked ready to make an impact as a defender, playmaker and spot-up shooter but instead has warmed the pine and been pretty awful when he wasn’t. He’s shooting 11 percent from 3-point range this season and averages as many turnovers and fouls as he does made shots.
The lack of development
Raise your hand if you are getting sick of hearing about the potential of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaxson Hayes, both of whom have been wildly inconsistent and just flat-out awful at times this season.
These were the two guys the Pelicans were counting on to carry the bench along with Josh Hart, who has been great in the starting unit.
Hayes has been playing more of late, but has mostly lost his minutes to Willie Hernangomez, who isn’t half as talented but at least looks like he has a clue, which Hayes often doesn’t.
NAW might be the most frustrating player I’ve ever watched, as he oozes talent, but refuses to change his style of play, choosing to launch an absurd number of 3-point shots even though he can’t make them and has a solid game in the mid-range and around the hoop.
The complete lack of bench contributions has taken its toll. Good teams often have a couple of bench guys who can step up from time to time and win a game, but that has not been the case for the New Orleans Pelicans, who rely entirely on their starting lineup.
Whether it’s a trade for a bench upgrade or some shifts in the rotation, the Pels have to do something to get more out of their second unit.