The New Orleans Pelicans front office took a unique approach to this offseason, doubling down on their roster from last year, with the only major change coming at head coach. That head coaching change was, of course, the hiring of former Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley. Mosley spent five years with the Magic and built a reputation as a real culture builder in Orlando, something he appears to be repeating with the Pelicans.
A lot of the Pelicans' roster showed out for the team's summer league opener on Thursday against Minnesota, including DeAndre Jordan. The NBA on Prime was able to catch up with him and get his thoughts on what Mosley is bringing to New Orleans. “He is super hands-on. He competes with the guys, he lifts with us, he does cardio with us... That has been great,” said Jordan.
The timing of Jordan’s comments was perfect, as a day later, Kris Chrisp (Zion Williamson’s trainer) shared a photo of Mosley leading and fully participating in a team workout outside in 109-degree heat.
With the Pelicans wanting to build a defense-first team, Mosley’s connection with his players is invaluable and was a crucial piece in Orlando's top defenses during his tenure.
Mosley’s leadership style is exactly what the Pelicans need
Over the last three seasons, the Magic were second in defensive rating in back-to-back years and then 12th this past campaign. That doesn’t happen by mistake. That happens because of Jamahl Mosley.
When looking at Orlando’s roster over the last several years, it doesn’t scream defensive juggernaut, but what made them one was having Mosley be their sixth defender. Any time you watch a Magic game, you can see the defensive advantage they have with Mosley on the sidelines, in a stance, communicating, clapping, and serving as something of an anchor on that end. He can’t step on the court and get steals or block shots, but just having him as a support system and a leader from the sidelines on that end propelled the Magic into being an elite defensive team.
With the Pelicans running back a similar roster to the one from last season and the year prior, a team that won a combined 47 games, the goal is to raise the floor. One of the strongest ways to raise a team's floor is by shifting the focus to one side of the game. Sure, Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson are good scorers, but they aren’t elite enough to carry this team to a top-10 offensive rating in the league.
That makes the defensive end the obvious focal point for this team, and Mosley fits that vision like a glove.
Seeing Mosley already building connections with this roster, not just through words but through actions, is an incredible sign for the upcoming season and will make it that much easier to get guys to buy in defensively. While I don’t generally agree with the Joe Dumars regime's lack of moves, if there’s a path to maximizing this current group of talent, it starts on the defensive end. And early on, Jamahl Mosley is already proving that he is the perfect guy to make that possible.
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