NBA Play-In Tournament: Pelicans Bench Must Produce

New Orleans' bench production and team rotation must be productive for the Pelicans to have success in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

NEW ORLEANS - It's Deja Vu for the New Orleans Pelicans this season, as they are seeded ninth in the Western Conference and must win two games to qualify for the NBA Playoffs. Considering the circumstances, last season's position was a success; it's disappointing this year. 

Sunday's loss to the T-Wolves mirrors much of how this season has gone for the Pelicans. After a promising start and adversity in the middle, there's an inability to get over the hump by the end of the game. The one word to describe the 2022-2023 season is "inconsistency."

INCONSISTENT BENCH SCORING

The inconsistent bench production has negatively impacted the Pelicans' starters. New Orleans finished the regular season ranked 23rd in bench scoring (31.8 points) and 22nd in field-goal percentage (45.4%). By comparison, the three other teams in the Western Conference Play-In tournament (Lakers, Wolves, and Thunder) all rank in the Top-14 for bench scoring. 

In the previous 20 years, there have only been two teams to win the championship with bench production lower than the Pelicans. The 2009-2010 Los Angeles Lakers and the 2015-2016 Cleveland Cavaliers were those teams. However, two of the greatest players in NBA history, Kobe Bryant (Lakers) and LeBron James (Cavaliers), led those squads. 

Feb 10, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Richardson (2) sits on the bench during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

THE ARGUMENT AGAINST

Bench players compensated for the loss of injured Pelicans' starters, contributing to decreased bench production. Last season, Brandon Ingram had 55 games appearances, and Zion Williamson missed the entire year. Still, New Orleans' bench ranked five spots higher and one better in field-goal percentage than this season. 

THE PELICANS ROTATIONS NEED TWEAKING

Coach Green's rotations have come under question. On Sunday, he followed an unusual substitution pattern with an eight-man rotation that yielded eight points. 

Dyson Daniels usually is the first player off the bench in rotation; however, he logged his first Coach's DNP since February 27.

The same applies to the Pelicans starters. Despite Jonas Valanciunas logging a double-double of 11 points and 18 rebounds, he did not play a single minute in the fourth period. 

Coach Green noted in his postgame interview that it was challenging to go with Valanciunas because of the T-Wolves "going small."  

The decision was a mistake considering center Karl-Anthony Towns torched the Pelicans for 30 points and eight rebounds while being defended by Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall. 

If Jonas had been in the game, his defense could have countered Towns' production.

New Orleans is in a win-or-go-home scenario and can point the blame on its lack of bench production and inconsistent rotations. If the Pelicans are to advance like last season, those two things must improve during the NBA Play-In Tournament. 

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