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In Amongst The Trees
With the NLL season rapidly approaching, GM Blackmajestic and the New Orleans coaching staff must start to really analysis their talent and determine who will gel to form the front court for opening night. Depth doesn't seem to be the issue for the Pelicans, but more whether they have big men that canrise to the challenge and become that unstoppable force that they are desperately crying out for, either on the offensive or defensive end of the court. Today's piece will run through a vast variety of scenarios and see if we can't determine who is the best fit in The Big Easy.
The most likely player that will be in the starting lineup on opening night is Jahlil Okafor, but will that be at Centre or at the Power Forward position? After getting drafted third overall in the 2015 draft, Jahlil Okafor had an indifferent year. Okafor was able to produce respectable averages of 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game when he was on the court, but constant off court dilemmas and nagging injuries restricted him to just 54 games on the year. Okafor's advanced offensive skill set combined with his tenacious rebounding, leaves Okafor with all the minutes he can handle inside, though being paired with a defensive juggernaut would be the ideal scenario.
Last season, Gm Blackmajestic brought in Al Jefferson before opening night to form a formidable one, two punch offensively with Okafor. That decision backfired, with both bigs being too similar, clogging up the paint and not allowing driving lanes to open up for the guards and wings. So with Jahlil Okafor all but locked in a starting gig, depending on how his knee reacts to contact drill, the best bet may be to pair him with a big man that can spread the floor. New Orleans has a number of options on their roster, that can be used to open up driving lanes for the quick guards.
The two most obvious players to fill that role would be Jared Sullinger and Markieff Morris.
Jared Sullinger has been a target for GM Blackmajestic for an extended period of time now and eventually he got his wish, as Sullinger was brought into the New Orleans program mid season and started in all 49 games that he suited up for. With his big frame, aggressive rebounding and ability to spread the floor, Sullinger is a rare specimen and is a player that the New Orleans coaching staff hold in high regard. Averaging a double double and a steal last season for the birds, Sullinger enters this off season as a resticted free agent. With rumors bouncing around that a move might be on the cards, the New Orleans front office has made it clear that Sulliger is an important piece of the puzzle and no stone will go unturned to bring him back to the big easy.
Less of a rebounding threat than Sullinger but more of a scoring threat, Markieff Morris has a real opportunity to imprint himself on the league and insert himself into the starting line up next to Jahlil Okafor. On the cusp of breaking out at the start of last season, Morris' off court actions prevented him from doing so and a fresh start away from Miami was best for Markieff and the Heat franchise. In a trade mid season, that saw multiple players in different uniforms, Morris showed in limited minutes that he still has the ability to empose himself on the basketball court. Standing at 6 foot 10 and with the ability to hit shots from beyond the arc, Morris can be described as a defenders nightmare.
The most likely player that will be in the starting lineup on opening night is Jahlil Okafor, but will that be at Centre or at the Power Forward position? After getting drafted third overall in the 2015 draft, Jahlil Okafor had an indifferent year. Okafor was able to produce respectable averages of 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game when he was on the court, but constant off court dilemmas and nagging injuries restricted him to just 54 games on the year. Okafor's advanced offensive skill set combined with his tenacious rebounding, leaves Okafor with all the minutes he can handle inside, though being paired with a defensive juggernaut would be the ideal scenario.
Last season, Gm Blackmajestic brought in Al Jefferson before opening night to form a formidable one, two punch offensively with Okafor. That decision backfired, with both bigs being too similar, clogging up the paint and not allowing driving lanes to open up for the guards and wings. So with Jahlil Okafor all but locked in a starting gig, depending on how his knee reacts to contact drill, the best bet may be to pair him with a big man that can spread the floor. New Orleans has a number of options on their roster, that can be used to open up driving lanes for the quick guards.
The two most obvious players to fill that role would be Jared Sullinger and Markieff Morris.
Jared Sullinger has been a target for GM Blackmajestic for an extended period of time now and eventually he got his wish, as Sullinger was brought into the New Orleans program mid season and started in all 49 games that he suited up for. With his big frame, aggressive rebounding and ability to spread the floor, Sullinger is a rare specimen and is a player that the New Orleans coaching staff hold in high regard. Averaging a double double and a steal last season for the birds, Sullinger enters this off season as a resticted free agent. With rumors bouncing around that a move might be on the cards, the New Orleans front office has made it clear that Sulliger is an important piece of the puzzle and no stone will go unturned to bring him back to the big easy.
Less of a rebounding threat than Sullinger but more of a scoring threat, Markieff Morris has a real opportunity to imprint himself on the league and insert himself into the starting line up next to Jahlil Okafor. On the cusp of breaking out at the start of last season, Morris' off court actions prevented him from doing so and a fresh start away from Miami was best for Markieff and the Heat franchise. In a trade mid season, that saw multiple players in different uniforms, Morris showed in limited minutes that he still has the ability to empose himself on the basketball court. Standing at 6 foot 10 and with the ability to hit shots from beyond the arc, Morris can be described as a defenders nightmare.
Labelled as the set of steak knifes in a deal that saw Mozgov move north to the Toronto Raptors, in exchange for a first round selection in the 2016 draft, Nemanja Bjelica has proved to be everything other than a salary filler. As farfetched as it may sound, Bjelica has as much as a shot to start as anyone else. With last season being his first in the NLL, adjusting to the new style of play was always going to be a problem but there is no question that the skill is there, with Bjelica winning the Euroleague MVP award for Fenerbahçe Ülker in 2015. Of all the Power Forwards on the Pelicans roster, Bjeelica is the best shooter from long range, so if floor spacing is what Alvin Gentry is seeking, maybe Bjelica is the man for the job, though what you gain on the offensive end of the court, you lose on defense and as a rebounding presence, as that is areas of Bjelica's game that need to be addressed.
All though in theory this floor spacing and outside shooting is an attractive idea, sometimes when it all comes together, it just doesnt gel the way it did on paper, so another option may be to slide Okafor over to the four and insert a big defensive presence inside at the five. The 2016 draft class wasn't everybody's cup of tea but to Blackmajestic, it was a gold mine of young talent, espically a Centre out of Purdue that stands at 7 foot 2 and goes by the name of A.J Hammons. With Hammons being as high as 20 on some expects big boards, when it got to the second round, Blackmajestic knew that he might be able to buy a pick and aquire the big man and thats exactly what happened, with OKC selling pick 39 to New Orleans for an outrageous 25 GM points. "Sometimes you just have to back your gut and go for it" is what GM BM said when asked about the trade on draft day. A genuine defensive presence, ferocious rebounding tenacity and an array of offensive tricks that were on show durring the NCAA season, it's actually being considered that Hammons may start at some point this season, if not of opening night.
With the five guys mentioned above to likely take up the lion share of the minutes of the front court rotations, Cheick Diallo and James McAdoo unfortunately wont be considered for the starting line up unless something dramatic happens between now and the start of the season.
Diallo was selected with the 40th pick in the 2016 draft and with bucket loads of upside, Diallo is still a very raw prospect that will have to take time to develop into the player that the New Orleans front office believes he can become.
James McAdoo was brought in to New Orleans mid season as part of a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and in very limited opportunities, he has shown signs that he can develop into a handy player to have in the rotation. McAdoo still needs to get more minutes under his belt, before he can be trusted with a significant role in the New Orleans club on a night in, night out basis.
All though in theory this floor spacing and outside shooting is an attractive idea, sometimes when it all comes together, it just doesnt gel the way it did on paper, so another option may be to slide Okafor over to the four and insert a big defensive presence inside at the five. The 2016 draft class wasn't everybody's cup of tea but to Blackmajestic, it was a gold mine of young talent, espically a Centre out of Purdue that stands at 7 foot 2 and goes by the name of A.J Hammons. With Hammons being as high as 20 on some expects big boards, when it got to the second round, Blackmajestic knew that he might be able to buy a pick and aquire the big man and thats exactly what happened, with OKC selling pick 39 to New Orleans for an outrageous 25 GM points. "Sometimes you just have to back your gut and go for it" is what GM BM said when asked about the trade on draft day. A genuine defensive presence, ferocious rebounding tenacity and an array of offensive tricks that were on show durring the NCAA season, it's actually being considered that Hammons may start at some point this season, if not of opening night.
With the five guys mentioned above to likely take up the lion share of the minutes of the front court rotations, Cheick Diallo and James McAdoo unfortunately wont be considered for the starting line up unless something dramatic happens between now and the start of the season.
Diallo was selected with the 40th pick in the 2016 draft and with bucket loads of upside, Diallo is still a very raw prospect that will have to take time to develop into the player that the New Orleans front office believes he can become.
James McAdoo was brought in to New Orleans mid season as part of a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and in very limited opportunities, he has shown signs that he can develop into a handy player to have in the rotation. McAdoo still needs to get more minutes under his belt, before he can be trusted with a significant role in the New Orleans club on a night in, night out basis.
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