The New Orleans Pelicans will be adding Zion Williamson to a team that finished 18th overall in points per game last season.
When at full strength, the Pels should have one of the best offenses in the league, as they have four guys in the starting five who can get you 25 points on any given night.
There are going to be times when Zion, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum score 80+ points between them, and these three will be a part of all of their best offensive lineups.
But who will the Pelicans go to when they are desperate for a bucket?
This may be the best offensive lineup that coach Willie Green has at his disposal.
New Orleans Pelicans: Best offensive lineup
There are a number of really good offensive lineups the Pels can deploy next season, and there are plenty of arguments to be had about which one is the best. Coach Green will be doing a lot of experimenting as the season goes on, but I do think we’ll see this lineup when the team really needs a bucket:
- CJ McCollum
- Trey Murphy III
- Brandon Ingram
- Zion Williamson
- Larry Nance Jr.
The first controversial choice would be Larry Nance Jr. who has never been a great offensive player, but can shoot the 3-ball at a decent clip.
Jonas Valanciunas is certainly a better offensive player overall, but I do feel like he’s going to clog the lane for Zion and BI at times and that the offense may flow better with Nance out there.
Nance is a better passer than JV, and won’t create spacing issues, as he can play on the perimeter on offense in the half court and provide much more of a lob and fast break threat in transition.
Trey Murphy III might be the key to this lineup, as his 3-point shooting will provide space for the Big 3, all of who like to work in the mid-range.
With three guys who can space the floor around Zion and Ingram, the two stars should have plenty of space to work in and targets to kick out to when the double teams come.
Willie Green has a loaded roster which is a “good problem to have” and will give him plenty of options for running out offensive units that are going to be tough to stop.