Naji Marshall's 'Swiss Army Knife' Versatility Key to Pelicans' Success

Naji Marshall is the 'Swiss Army Knife' of the Pelicans and embodies the spirit of New Orleans in his play.

Terry Kimble | Dec 12, 2022

Naji Marshall's 'Swiss Army Knife' Versatility Key to Pelicans' Success /

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New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans, LA - Forward Naji Marshall may not receive national attention, but his versatility has been critical to the Pelicans' success. Marshall has the reputation of being the "tough guy," but he's much more for New Orleans.

The bench play of Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance, and Trey Murphy III has made significant contributions. However, its Marshall that has stood out from the rest.

"Naji is like a Swiss Army knife," Zion Williamson said in his postgame press conference on Sunday. "He can just do a lot of things very well." Lately, Marshall has been doing a lot of things very well.

Marshall scored in double-figures and averaged over 27 minutes in four of the last five games. He averages 13 PPG, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 steals on 68% shooting. Before this stretch, he had only scored three times this season in double-figures.

Naji Marshall with 16-5-5 off the bench in Sunday’s win. The 24-year-old shot 6-of-8 from the field including two huge buckets in OT. He does a little bit of everything and brings a distinct toughness every time he steps on the court. Averaging 15.6 PPG when he gets 30+ minutes. pic.twitter.com/ubHFQSB9eC
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) December 12, 2022

"I love, just love NOLA personally," Marshall confided to reporters. "Those people (fans) love us. You know you love NOLA, and they will love you back. They show it every night."

Every night Naji shows up with a lunch pal mentality full of grit and hard work. He embodies the work ethic and determination the city of New Orleans has. Coach Green spoke about taking on the personality of the city. New Orleans doesn't back down, and neither does Naji Marshall.

Ja Morant and Naji Marshall got into it and both received techs 👀 pic.twitter.com/isgZDmXEOv
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 26, 2022

Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones will soon return to the Pelicans lineup, and Naji's minutes will be limited. Being the hard worker he is, that may not matter much to him.

Zion noted, "He (Naji) is just a team guy. Whether he is sitting on the bench or he's on the court, if you need him to do something, he steps up. He's always bringing energy and physicality."

Like his swiss army knife comparison, Marshall is multi-dimensional and multi-faceted. Most of all, he does what needs to be done for New Orleans to win.

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