To land the job as the next coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, Alvin Gentry told team vice president Mickey Loomis and general manager Dell Demps that the Pelicans' star, Anthony Davis, was being underutilized offensively. Gentry even brought the graphs and charts to prove it.
Alvin Gentry brought in to boost Pelicans’ offense, but defense needs fixing
Taking advantage of Anthony Davis’ offense is paramount, but the same goes for his defense.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Because of Gentry's resume -- as an associate head coach, he helped lead the Golden State Warriors to one of the best offenses in the NBA this season -- he got the job.
Gentry was brought in to implement a faster-paced offense to take full advantage of Davis. But here’s the thing: the Pelicans need help on defense, too.
The Pelicans only gave up 98 points per game, but that’s because they played a plodding pace. New Orleans ranked 27th in the league, averaging 93.7 possessions per 48 minutes. The Warriors, on the other hand, averaged 100.69 possessions per 48 minutes and still had the top-rated defense in the league.
The Pelicans ranked 22nd in the league defensive efficiency last year, giving up 104.7 points per 100 possessions despite having Davis, who was a second-team All-NBA defender and fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, as a defensive anchor. They did improve throughout the season at least, their defensive efficiency dropped from 105.8 prior to the All-Star break to 102.8 in the games that followed.
But it still should have been even better. Playing alongside Davis all season was Omer Asik, who has a great defensive skill set. Even with two great defenders down low, opponents took more than 32 shots per game from inside 5 feet, the most in the NBA.
When either Davis or Asik was off the court, the defense slacked noticeably -- especially when Ryan Anderson was on the court. As Mike Prada pointed out in the Pelicans' playoff preview, Anderson was a defensive liability. Teams attacked him:
Because Anderson brings a lot to the table offensively, he needs to see the court. Gentry will have the tough task of finding a way to cover for him defensively. The Warriors have great defensive players like Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut, but one of the biggest reasons they have such a stingy defense is because each player knows his role. It will be important for Anderson to develop better defensive footwork and tendencies, but if the Pelicans can build better strategies, Anderson shouldn't be left out to dry like he was above.
While Gentry's offensive prowess was a selling point, the Pelicans know they need help defensively, too. That Gentry was also part of a Warriors staff that oversaw the league's top-ranked defense this season was important in the hiring process, ESPN'S Marc Stein reported.
Most of the Warriors' success on the defensive side of the court can be attributed to Ron Adams, though. Adams worked with Tom Thibodeau in Chicago and is one of the most admired defensive minds in the game. Who Gentry hires to help out defensively could be the most important decision he makes.
For all his offensive genius, Gentry needs to improve the Pelicans’ defense to turn New Orleans into contenders.
All stats from NBA.com/stats.
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