With the lack of floor spacing the New Orleans Pelicans have, I’m not sure I can make it through 82 games. While the Pelicans' stagnant offense falls a bit on Jamahl Mosley, the majority of the blame should fall on Joe Dumars for the horrible collection of non-shooters they’ve given Mosley.
If I had a dollar for every time this preseason I watched a Pelican get shut off on a drive and kick it to the perimeter for the next guy to get shut off on a drive because they don’t trust their jumper, I probably wouldn’t be writing this article. The NBA is a game that has become heavily reliant on the best offenses being built around drive and kicks and the three-ball, yet Dumars and company built a roster like they’re trying to win a title in 2004.
Most teams around the league are generating nearly 40-plus three-point attempts per game this preseason—New Orleans is only taking 2.2 more than they did last regular season. They rank 24th in threes attempted per game, and while they are top-11 in percentage, they aren’t shooting enough. But WAIT, I may have the perfect solution in second-round rookie Jaron Pierre Jr.
Pierre Jr. has been a knockdown shooter in preseason, and despite being the 58th pick in this past summer's draft, he may have to be part of the New Orleans rotation this season.
Second-round pick SAVIOR
It may sound crazy to say that a second-round pick can be the savior to the Pelicans' spacing issues, and that’s because it is crazy, which is why I’m not saying that. But I do think he could help.
In his senior season at SMU, Pierre Jr. shot 37 percent from three on over six attempts per game, and that efficiency from deep and volume has translated well in his average 12.4 minutes per game this preseason.
Pierre Jr. leads the Pelicans in three-point percentage, shooting 60 percent from deep on 3.3 attempts per game and 70-plus percent of his field goal attempts and points have been threes. He’s shown an ability to play off the catch, off the dribble, as the trail man, and use screens to give him the window he needs to get a clean look from three. No matter the situation this preseason, Pierre Jr. has been ready to take and make threes when the ball hits his hands on the perimeter.
His ability to create from the perimeter, both on and off the ball would be really valuable to the Pelicans' second unit. I’m not 100 percent certain the rest of his tools are all NBA-ready, but what he’s shown in his limited minutes is encouraging. Pierre Jr. is fourth in defensive rating among Pelicans to appear in all three preseason games, second in player impact estimate, and eighth in plus-minus.
Sure, he's notched five turnovers over three games, but he’s also a second-round pick rookie, so it could be way worse.
I doubt that Pierre Jr. is one of the names Mosley brings off the bench come opening night against the Indiana Pacers, unless it comes in garbage time. However, this team needs shooters to help the flow of their offense, and at 6-foot-5, Jaron Pierre Jr. has proved he can bring value in that role without being a liability on the other side of the ball. Just saying he might be worth a second look.
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