One word I wouldn’t use to describe Joe Dumars’ philosophy of team building since he took over the New Orleans Pelicans is modern. Since arriving, Dumars has preached toughness, physicality, and a defensive-first approach, all traits that have become less central to modern team building. However, at media day, he caught me completely off guard when asked about the Pelicans' starting center spot and why they didn’t improve that position.
“Usually in the league today, the center position is done by committee, it's rare that you can have a (Nikola) Jokic that you can put at center and you know you're going to be okay. Most teams have to do it by committee, and that's what we'll continue to do," said Dumars.
Like I said, being with the times hasn’t been a trend in the Dumars era. When you look at this roster, it’s very 2000s-style basketball, with a ton of ball handlers and a lack of floor spacing. However, the win-by-committee approach at the center spot is something we’ve seen become a real thing in the modern NBA. The Boston Celtics finished last season as the No. 2 seed out East, the Orlando Magic experimented with it at times, and a team like the Utah Jazz is expected to take that approach this season too.
A smart approach from Joe Dumars
When I look at what you’d want from a win-by-committee approach at the five, versatility is the word that stands out. Being able to have several bigs that have different skill sets can give a head coach a ton of lineup flexibility, and that is exactly what the Pelicans' center group offers.
In an ideal world, the Pelicans could have three players all rotate around the center minutes depending on the type of lineup Jamahl Mosley is trying to run at a specific point in the game. If the need is three-point volume and five-out spacing, he could deploy Karlo Matkovic, who shot 42.2 percent from three last season. If he wants his five man to be initiating from the point and have the offense run through him, then that’s Derik Queen’s time to shine. If they need blocked shots, an emphasis on crashing the glass and energy, you got Yves Missi to rock the rim on both ends.
Having three guys with all different skill sets splitting minutes at the five is a perfect way not just to keep opposing head coaches on their toes but to maximize their players' skill sets.
I’d assume Mosley still leans on Missi as his primary starting five man, because he appears to be the team's most well-rounded option, especially given the stuff we saw from him in international play this offseason. But that doesn’t mean you can rule out DQ or Matkovic starting depending on whether they're better suited for a certain matchup. The immediate one that comes to mind is Matkovic probably starting or playing the most minutes at the five against a team like the Charlotte Hornets that are so reliant on three-point volume.
I haven’t been quiet about how disappointing I felt this offseason was for the Pelicans, but if there’s one part of the Dumars plan I’m investing in, it’s their approach with the center spot.
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