New Orleans Pelicans Focus Should Be Increasing Three Point Attempts Next Season

The Pelican's success could be predicated on the number of three-point attempts they have this season.

Apr 9, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) shoots the ball as Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (8) watches in the second quarter at Moda Center. / Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Basketball has evolved from the paint-dominant teams of the '90s and early 2000s to today's spacing three-point shooting teams. The New Orleans Pelicans have not adapted to the newer times lately, but they must to succeed this season. One of the primary reasons for low attempts from beyond the arc is that the Pelicans' best two players are not three-point shooters.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is a throwback power forward who commands the paint area for all his attempts. The former Duke phenom only attempted 18 shots from beyond the arc last season. Williamson has tried to attempt a couple of midrange shots per game, but he hasn't expanded his shot selection from deep.

Brandon Ingram is only a 3.7 attempts from deep player over his eight years in the league, and he was right on target with 3.8 attempts last season. With the Pelicans two leading scorers attempting less than a combined four threes a game, the team has been near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts over the last few years.

This season should be different because the Pelicans lack size in the frontcourt. New Orleans traded away Jonas Valanciunas, Cody Zeller, and Larry Nance, Jr. this offseason, forcing the team to play a quicker and faster brand of basketball. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations alluded to this during the summer.

"I know everybody thinks we have to invest in the center position a little bit," Griffin recently said during an interview during Summer League. "We are really excited about what we have now. We are excited to play small and fast."

The "small and fast" approach should include a willingness to attempt more three-pointers. Recent history shows that the last few NBA champions have been near the top of the league in attempts from deep. Three of the last four title holders were in the top 9 in 3-point shots attempted the year they won the championship.

Over that same stretch, New Orleans's highest three-point attempts came last season when they attempted 32.4, which ranked 24th in the league. The team finished 29th, 27th, and 25th the other three years, respectively. Those years coincide with New Orleans having a non-shooting center starting alongside Williamson, including Valanciunas, Steven Adams, and Derrick Favors. Without a true center, the Pelicans will employ more multiple-guard lineups in the game.

New Orleans acquired Dejounte Murray during the summer for his dynamic playmaking skill, but his three-point shot-making will also be key this year. The former Atlanta guard made over 200 three-pointers last year as a member of the Hawks. In Pelicans franchise history, only four players have made 200 threes in a season, and two of them are on the roster today.

CJ McCollum set a franchise record for three-pointers made last year when the veteran guard made 239 from distance. The year before that, Trey Murphy III made over 200 for the first time in his career, and the often-thought-of defensive-minded forward Herb Jones shot over 40% from downtown last year. New Orleans has weapons to shoot from downtown; the coaching staff must employ creative ways to attempt shots from distance.

The Pelicans won 49 games last season but barely snuck into the playoffs as an 8th seed. New Orleans may find more success in igniting their stagnant offense at times by attempting more three-point shots. We'll find out soon enough how the team plans to tackle this. The Pelicans open their regular season at home on October 23rd against the Chicago Bulls.