The New Orleans Pelicans do not have the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft but the front office is definitely on the clock. EVP David Griffin is under pressure to build a contender around Zion Williamson. By most accounts that roster revamp starts with finding a point guard and a big man to replace Jonas Valanciunas. The rumor mill has already fired up but the organization needs to hit pause on a few names.
Reports vary wildly but Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and Darius Garland are the three most-mentioned options for New Orleans. All three have flaws but Garland's shortcomings are the hardest to ignore. Brandon Ingram at his best is arguably a better passer just due to the height advantage. Zion Williamson is a better ball-handler driving to the rim. Trey Murphy III is a better off-the-ball shooter. CJ McCollum is a better slasher. Garland is a great young talent but this is more about where the 24-year-old would fit in the hierarchy.
Pelicans need a bigger point-of-attack defender
What? Bigger, better point-of-attack defender? New Orleans has Herb Jones, right?
Well, yes. The Pelicans do have NBA First-Team All-Defense Herb Jones. They also need him to be in a role that provides more defensive prowling freedom. Jones as the point-of-attack defender allows opponents to rub, screen, and switch the Alabama alum away from actions. New Orleans needs someone else to take up the point-of-attack position so Jones can roam where needed when needed. There is a reason Willie Green played Jones as a paint-patrolling five in spurts and the tactic was successful.
Running out a small backcourt of a 190-pound 6'1” Garland and McCollum would be asking to relive the mistakes of the Portland Trail Blazers. Dame Lillard and McCollum hit a ceiling and were swept by Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Even a healthy Zion Williamson cannot be asked to burst through those defensive limitations for a full season.
Not even with the help of Jones. McCollum would either have to be traded or asked to come off of the bench if Garland joins the team. That just creates more problems for Griffin's front office, which just lost GM Trajan Langdon.
Darius Garland not getting the same leeway
The price of acquisition versus opportunity costs equation just does not add up to the Pelicans getting the most out of Garland. Sure, Garland had a 39.9% assist rate in the 2021-22 season. He was named an All-Star for posting those numbers but then the Cavaliers acquired Mitchell. Cleveland still had fewer ball-dominant stars than New Orleans would have with Garland in the mix. Trey Murphy III is due for a bigger role and Zion Williamson will not be taking a back seat again anytime soon.
Garland would not get the same usage rate much less an increase, especially if CJ McCollum remains in town. He would not get the same leeway to make mistakes either. Willie Green likely has to finish in the top six in the Western Conference to remain employed past the coming season. Brandon Ingram might be gone this summer but Green would still quickly defer to still-chugging-along McCollum in tough times should the younger Garland falter.
Money is going to get tight
Garland is owed over $163,224,000 million over the next four seasons. Is over $40 million a year for Garland going to be a good deal in three years or will the Pelicans be looking to attach assets to shed another albatross contract? Well, not according to some media members who have watched Garland the most over the past three seasons.
The scouting report is out on Garland according to Fear the Sword's Tony Pesta.
The Cavaliers went 9-12 this season with Garland available but not Mitchell. Those lineups held just a +1.0 net rating (57th percentile) and directly contradict the notion that Garland needs a new home to return to his former self. Garland has a higher impact on winning when he is rolling next to Mitchell than when he is running the show on his own.
Garland is hyper-reliant on his three-point shooting. He’s an undersized guard who cannot put pressure on the rim. This is an easy problem for opposing defenses to solve. Even through his playmaking, Garland cannot always impact the game if his perimeter shot isn’t falling. This made lineups without Mitchell juiceless in a season where Garland struggled more than usual to establish an offensive rhythm.
That's not exactly a glowing endorsement. Garland does not fix the three-point attempt problems posed by Ingram either. Garland was in the bottom 50% in the NBA on catch-and-shoot three-point attempts with just 2.5 a game.
Pesta's report asked if “Cleveland’s coaching staff do enough to promote motion in the offense? Or does Garland simply lack the motor (or urge) to move without the ball? The answer is likely both — but this is an adjustment Garland has to make on his own, at some point. Handling the ball is the elite skill that made him an All-Star. The key to developing into a championship-caliber player might be learning to play without it.”
Fans of the Pelicans have heard a version of that story before. It's why Brandon Ingram admittedly had the worst season of his career. Garland brings the same baggage as Ingram just in a smaller frame. New Orleans needs to look elsewhere before possibly settling on Garland this summer. Murphy III's contract extension is a more pressing matter than settling for a second-tier trade target. With everything in mind, the money-crunching squeeze play that Garland brings just does not look like it's worth the juice.
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