Pelicans’ plan for starting center isn't nearly as scary as it seems

The New Orleans Pelicans entered the offseason with a lot of questions surrounding the franchise. What is Brandon Ingram's future with the team? When will Trey Murphy III get his extension? What's the starting lineup going to look like after the Dejounte Murray trade? Who's going to be the center for New Orleans this season?

Slowly but surely, some of those quandaries are getting answered, although those answers haven't always been concrete resolutions. For example, both Vice President David Griffin and Ingram's camp don't believe that they'll get a deal done before season tip-off. That let fans know what to expect for the remainder of the offseason but didn't really give any real indication of whether Ingram will be in the Bayou long-term.

One of the most pressing issues surrounding the Pelicans has been concerning their center rotation. With the only true centers on the roster being Daniel Theis and rookie Yves Missi, fans and analysts alike have pondered how New Orleans will find 48 minutes of reliable center play this season. Shams Charania recently went on the Pat McAfee and gave a huge update on the situation, stating that Herb Jones will act as the Pelicans' starting center this year. This news was met with a lot of raised eyebrows, as Jones has played a lot of shooting guard for New Orleans so far in his career, and he's undoubtedly been their most capable and impactful perimeter defender since his arrival. But, while these initial concerns are understandable, there's no real reason to worry about Herb Jones playing center for the Pelicans this season.

Herb Jones at center is a non-issue for the Pelicans

Shams Charania not only stated that Jones would be the center for New Orleans this season, but he also remarked on the common expectation that Zion Williamson would be the small-ball five for the Pelicans, reiterating Head Coach Willie Green's statement that Zion should not be considered a "five:"

"I'm told Herb Jones is essentially going to serve as starting center for the Pelicans... You look at CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, and Zion. A lot of people are like, 'Oh, Zion Williamson's playing the five', and Willie Green came out the other day and said that he's not the five, we're not talking about fives, we're talking about positionless."

There is reason to worry about Jones being named the Pelicans' starting center. According to Cleaning the Glass (subscription required), New Orleans had 53 possessions last season in which Jones was their anchor. That's a tiny sample size, but the results weren't pretty. With Jones at center, the Pels were outscored by 12 points per 100 possessions.

On the other hand, in the 630 possessions that Zion manned the middle for the Pelicans last year, they outgunned opponents by 10 points per 100 possessions. Herb Jones was in the lineup for 442 possession with Zion at center. With that configuration, New Orleans had a stellar 121.3 offensive rating and boasted a 109.7 defensive rating. Those marks would have made the Pelicans the second-best offensive and defensive team in the league last year.

Under Coach Green, the Pelicans have deployed a switch-heavy defensive scheme that relies on a lot of proactive help on drives, post-ups, and cuts. That's how New Orleans has been able to be a middle-of-the-road defensive team despite deploying cones like CJ McCollum, Ingram, and Zion regularly. There's no reason to believe that Green will suddenly abandon that scheme, especially since it'll help mask the Pelicans' weaknesses with their current roster construction.

Sure, maybe Herb will do all of the Pelicans' jump-balls, and he might even start off possessions matched up against the opposing center. But, this assertion that he'll be New Orleans's starting center along with Green's assertion that Zion isn't a five and that Pelicans will be focused on positionless basketball all feels like a red herring. I'm willing to bet that Zion will shoulder most of the center responsibilities whenever he's on the floor without Theis, Missi, or any of the other Pelicans' big men, even with Herb "starting center" Jones on the court. The data from last year supports this claim, and Herb's defensive impact on the perimeter is simply too imperative to limit him to just a paint protector.