Will The Pelicans 'Small Ball' Approach Next Season Backfire on Them?

The center position will be one fans and the team heavily focus on next season.

Nov 7, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and guard CJ McCollum (3) fight for a rebound in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

With less than three months until the regular season starts, the New Orleans Pelicans have 14 roster spots filled, assuming forward Matt Ryan remains here when his contract guarantees on opening night. The Pelicans signed center Trey Jemison to a two-way deal on Friday evening. This leaves the Pelicans frontcourt in an interesting predicament. New Orleans currently doesn't have a bonafide sure-fire starting center on the roster.

Newly acquired center Daniel Theis is the most experienced big man on the team. Theis has played in the league for nine years, starting 151 regular season games. He's averaged 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds during his career. Theis is an undersized big, standing at just 6-foot-8 and weighing 245 pounds.

Trey Jemison started 14 games last season for the Memphis Grizzlies toward the end of the year. In March, he scored a career-high 24 points against the Washington Wizards. Memphis signed him to a two-way contract for the remainder of the year, before waiving him in the offseason. Jemison was a former undrafted player that the Pelicans picked up in 2023.

The other two big men on the roster, rookie Yves Missi and 2022 Pelicans second-round pick Karlo Matkovic have no NBA experience, but Matkovic did have a stint in the G League last season. New Orleans executive vice president David Griffin envisions a smaller, quicker Pelicans team this year.

"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."

Will that ideology work for New Orleans next season? The Pelicans always had a solid center in the middle during their recent history. They lost starting center Jonas Valanciunas to free agency this offseason after Valanciunas played in all 82 games last season. Jonas was by far the team's most consistent rebounder last year, recording 33 double-doubles and averaging a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game.

Overall, New Orleans was a middle-of-the-pack rebounding team last season, ranking No. 17 in the league. Without Valanciunas and any experienced size, the Pelicans will need to team rebound to compensate for its lack of size. That will undoubtedly put pressure on Zion Williamson to step his rebounding up.

Williamson had 12 double-doubles in 70 games last season. He was ripped earlier in the year by former Hall of Fame greats Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley for his lack of production on the boards. During a telecast on the award-winning Inside the NBA, Barkley did not mince words about Williamson's game in his eyes.

“I’ve told you, “I’ve been very disappointed. He’s averaging six rebounds a game. He’s only had two double-doubles all season,” Barkley said. “A big guy that talented should never get less than 10 rebounds. He should be averaging 11-12 rebounds a game. But he doesn’t run the floor at all.” 

To Williamson's credit, he improved his rebounding and overall conditioning for the remainder of the season. He was dominant during the home stretch of the year until suffering a hamstring injury during the Play-In Tournament that ended his season. That version of Williamson will need to be present most of the season for the Pelicans to have interior success next year.

The same goes for Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Dejounte Murray. Any small ball lineups including these players will require a concerted effort to rebound and defend the post. The Western Conference includes dominant bigs like Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis. There is also future superstar Victor Wembanyama who will be a threat for years to come in the league.

Conversely, the smaller lineup will improve the team's pace next season. New Orleans ranked 16th in average pace per game and a faster offensive speed will allow the team to get up more three-point attempts. New Orleans has been near the bottom of the NBA in three-point attempts over the past few seasons. Coach Willie Green wants his teams to attempt at least 40 three-pointers per game. With a smaller lineup next year, the Pelicans should be in line to achieve that.

New Orleans is $1.4 million over the luxury tax line. The Pelicans have never paid the tax, so it's extremely unlikely they sign another center. There are many options left, so any move to acquire a more experienced big man will have to take place via trade. If not, next season will be interesting how the Pelicans navigate their undersized and inexperience at the center position.