Why Pelicans do it?
New Orleans Pelicans: Can Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have long-term success?
It’s undeniable that Zion is the alpha of the two. There have only been 20 seasons where a player averaged at least 27 points, 60% shooting from the field, and played in at least 60 games. One of those campaigns was achieved by Zion this past season when he was just 20 years old. He’s a generational talent that the franchise has already committed to for the long haul. To avoid the Pelicans from having an Anthony Davis déjà vu moment, the team has to surround Zion with talent that can help him succeed before it’s too late. Zion does most of his work near the rim, with over 70% of his career shot attempts from within 3 feet of the basket. That means that spacing the floor is critical when Williamson is on the court. It’s no surprise that this off-season the New Orleans Pelicans have already dealt Steven Adams, who was unplayable for the team due to his lack of an outside shot. Eric Bledsoe was also shipped off, who shoots under 35% from downtown in his career.
Brandon Ingram is far from poor beyond the arc, converting 38% of such shots this past season. You have to go beyond the surface to pinpoint that three-point attempts make up only a third of his shot attempts on offense. Ingram does most of his work from 10 to 20 feet, making himself regarded as one of the best mid-range shooters in the NBA. His specialty correlates with clogging the lane. Thus, Zion is not able to have the space needed to maximize his talents as a number one option offensively.
This synopsis might sound hyperbolic, but the numbers back it up. Zion played over 500 minutes with 5 players last season, and his partnership with Ingram ranked third in total points per 100 possessions. Teams have figured out they can outpace the two by shooting a high volume of threes. Even if the Pelicans shoot within the arc efficiently, it is impossible in today’s NBA to trade two’s for threes.
The offense might be clunky, but the defense is abysmal. Ingram was 163rd in defensive win shares and struggled to defend wings of similar or greater athleticism. His frame also makes him vulnerable when defending in the post, which is disappointing for someone with the length Ingram possesses. Zion is a much better natural defender but has struggled with defensive rotations for a large portion of his career so far.
Because of their shortcomings on the defensive end, the Pelicans finished 23rd in defensive rating. When the tandem struggles to get stops when they’re on the court together, coupled with their offensive flow being outdated at best, the writing should be on the wall.
Ingram is still young and possesses a ceiling of a top 25 player in the league. However, he is not a good fit next to Zion, which matters more than anything else.
Why Bogdan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson makes sense for pels?
Bojan is a great 3-point shooter, he can create, he’s a great scorer — especially in clutch situationsHe can attack the rim effectively with his quick first step, which allows him to beat his immediate defender quite easily. He has improved his defense considerably and his defense on kawhi can be cited as an example. He had a terrific olympic run aswell.
Jordan Clarkson
Not only is he the best bench scorer in the league this year, but he is also one of the better perimeter-oriented guards in the league. 57.3% of Clarkson’s total shots have come from beyond-the-arc this season and he is shooting 34.4% on three-point attempts. His three-point shooting percentage may not blow you away, but he is a much better shooter than his numbers may show. Not to mention, Clarkson is taking close to 9 threes per game on average.
The pels also receive 2 unprotected FRPS and they are able to get 2 3 pt snipers in to surround zion
Starting Lineup
PG - Devonte Graham
SG - Nickeil Alexander Jr
SF- Bojan Bogdanovic
PF - Zion Williamson
C - Jonas Valanciunas
sixth man - Jordan Clarkson
Why JAzz do this?
Ingram is more than capable of carrying an offense and has developed into an excellent point-forward. He can score from every level of the offense but has good playmaking skills as well. His defense fell off slightly last season, but he is a legitimate two-way player. Going on 24-years old, Ingram not only helps the Jazz immediately with their title aspirations, but he also gives them a long-term building block that can be the face of the franchise going into the future as well.
Jazz would have 4 all stars in their starting lineup with this trade.
PG - Mike Conley
SG- Donovan Mitchell
SF - Brandon Ingram
PF - Joe Ingles/Rudy Gay
C - Rudy Gobert