Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said of a December 11 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, “The story was 40 free-throw attempts and 19 of them in the third quarter. I think 28 in the second half. So, a lot of fouling. A lot of foul calls.”
That's just the gameplan Pelicans head coach Willie Green dialed up in a return to the Smoothie King Center. In fact, though “it all starts with defense” according to Green, the free throws, three-pointers, and assists numbers have been telling all season.
Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram wasting free throws
Ingram shared postgame that “(Attacking the rim) has been an emphasis for us. They had a lot of guys out, so we were trying to make sure that we were attacking KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns). He gave us some problems early on, but we wanted to make sure that we were attacking some of their key players, taking their rim pressure away and just continuing to attack and try to get to the free-throw line. The difference of the night is we made more free throws than we have in the past.”
That's an understatement from Ingram. New Orleans is fourth-best at getting to the free throw line at 25.9 attempts per game and 19.6 turn into points. These Pelicans are 25th in converting (75.8%) from the charity stripe though. Williamson especially is walking over free money with a 65% free-throw percentage.
Consequentially, the Pelicans are letting winnable games get away. They are 11-6 on nights where they made at least the league average of 17 free throws but have won only two games when making fewer foul shots.
Constant rim pressure and converting free throws to build comfortable leads just makes everything easier. Unfortunately, Ingram's free throw percentage is the lowest it's been since joining the Pelicans. It could just be a small sample size affected by a slow start to the season though. Ingram has missed only six free throws over the last seven games.
Williamson (1-6 FT vs. Lakers) was downright dominant in attacking the paint versus Minnesota's top-ranked defense. The two-time All-Star converted 13 of 17 shots from the field and knocked down 10 of 12 free throws.
Williamson and Ingram forcing the issue makes help defenders forget about all of the other offensive threats the Pelicans have on the floor. Now they've just got to help get Trey Murphy III sighted in from deep.
Pelicans need quality not quantity from three-point range
While Green might stress getting up 30-35 three-pointers per game, the stats suggest it's more about the ‘makes' than the ‘takes' from beyond the arc. New Orleans is just 2-3 in games with 36 or more three-pointers taken. They are 7-3 in games with 30-35 attempts beyond the arc. However, the Pelicans are 11-6 when making at least 10 three-pointers.
Only three teams take fewer three-pointers but New Orleans needs to keep applying pressure on the paint. They cannot worry about a mandate to jack up three-pointers when just making 10 usually results in a win. The margin of error is too small to go away from the team's identity. The Pelicans are 20th in three-point percentage. Prioritizing attacks on the rim draws fouls, creates dump-off dunk opportunities, and opens up space for kick-out three-pointers.
The Pelicans are averaging just 10.8 three-pointers made in 30.5 attempts per game. Though Jordan Hawkins has been a healthy scratch lately, the return of Trey Murphy III should boost both of those numbers substantially over the next few weeks. The extra passes to Trigga Trey should also bump the Pelicans into the top 10 for assists. The Pelicans (26 apg) are 9-4 when dishing out at least 25 assists.
Green explains offense, praises last 10-game stretch
“The 10 games before (Los Angeles) we were playing at a high level. We want to get back to being that team,” Green boasted in the Pelicans postgame media scrum. “It all starts with our defense but once we get stops, we are off to the races.”
The defense has been a “collective effort” but the “key for us is our wings” was Green's evaluation of these Pelicans. Jonas Valanciunas will handle the low-block burdens. The rest of the team has to put pressure on the paint to open up space on the perimeter.
“It's really (McCollum, Ingram, Williamson, and Herb Jones) and our other wings that come into the game. They have to come in, crack back, and rebound the ball. Now when they catch it we have wings that can all bring the ball up the floor to initiate the break which allows us to play a bit faster,” Green explained.
Williamson agreed with Ingram after playing the Timberwolves, replying that the Pelicans “trusted each other and we executed…I mean, we've been through tougher moments. But we’re really resilient. I think that showed tonight and I’m just happy we got the win.”
The Pelicans (13-11) are now two games over .500 to start a three-game road trip against the Washington Wizards (3-19), Charlotte Hornets (7-14), and San Antonio Spurs (3-19). Williamson will lead them home from that jaunt to welcome the Memphis Grizzlies (6-16) on Ja Morant's expected season debut. New Orleans has a cupcake schedule set up perfectly for a run up the table so long as they continue playing up to their standards.
Follow Us
Subscribe