NBA Insider Reveals Shocking New Orleans Pelicans Plan for Center Spot

What the New Orleans Pelicans have planned for the center position will shock you.

Feb 12, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) steals the ball from Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) as New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) defends during the second half at FedExForum. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Arguably the biggest storyline for the New Orleans Pelicans throughout training camp and the preseason leading into the 2024-25 regular season is what the team will do at the center spot.

Their enter depth chart from last season has been overhauled.

Jonas Valanciunas departed in free agency, landing with the Washington Wizards. Larry Nance Jr. and Cody Zeller were part of the trade package to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Dejounte Murray.

Atop the depth chart now is veteran Daniel Theis and rookie Yves Missi. Providing depth behind them are Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Karlo Matkovic and Trey Jemison.

That group doesn’t instill much confidence that they can get the job done.

As a result, the team has been involved in a ton of trade rumors. Brandon Ingram has been at the heart of some of those talks, as the team has been shopping him as well. In an ideal world, the former No. 2 pick would have been flipped for a big man.

It is fair to assume that those rumors will persist all season. However, the Pelicans sound like they already have a plan in place for the center spot.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN revealed that they are planning to have Herbert Jones operate as their starting center. The lineup, as long as Trey Murphy is sidelined, will be Murray, CJ McCollum, Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jones.

That is a shocking decision for several reasons.

At the top of that list is the lack of interior size. New Orleans is going to get crushed by opponents in the paint if that is the lineup they are going to be using for the most minutes out of the gate.

Another is that it weakens one of their biggest strengths; Jones’ perimeter defense. A stellar defender regardless of what he is asked to do, having him defend centers puts a ton of pressure on Murray as the only plus perimeter defender left in the lineup.

The Alabama product is one of the best defensive players in the NBA, but the size disadvantage he will be at playing the middle will be significant. A lot of swarming double teams and switches could be on deck, which complicates things in its own matter.

It is hard to fathom Willie Green, a defensive-minded head coach, going with such a small lineup. But, Charania is as plugged into NBA news as anyone in the world. If he is reporting that is what they will be doing, he has heard it from a reliable source.