Tyrese Maxey is off to the best start of his career
Everyone, including the GM, thought the New Orleans Pelicans' great start was a mirage, and sure enough, a series of injuries later, the swoon is officially in, and they've dropped to 5-5 following home losses to the Celtics and the Mavericks. Still, it's a remarkable turnaround from last season, even when they finally do settle into their expected lottery position.
The Good
1. Tyrese Maxey is in God Mode from 3.
Shooting 43.5% behind the arc and forming a Thunder and Lightning backcourt with Anfernee Simons has translated into a team-high 19.2 points a game, with work being done to push his volume shooting back up to his natural tendencies to take advantage of his stellar season.
2. Both the starting lineup and the second string when everyone is healthy are putting up positive Net Ratings.
Granted, it's at not necessarily eye-popping margins at +3.6 and +10.5 respectively, but it's still a remarkable turnaround from last season, where none of the bench combinations was anything beyond terrible, ruining the positive starting lineups and leading to losses. And of course, that has now been disrupted with the late-breaking trade of Anthony Gill, but more on that later.
3. Chuma Okeke has been the revelation of the season.
Originally a financial throw-in in the Cole Anthony deal, he's emerged as a star backup PF and the glue for the second unit. Proof? His +6.8 ON and +9.4 NET are both team highs and it's been rough sledding while he's been out with injury.
The Bad
1. Injuries have disrupted the early rhythm
In the 77-62 victory over the Clippers, perhaps the lowest scoring game in CSL history, four Pelicans went down with injury, and the team has struggled since with Okeke sidelined. He's back now, but another injury to Maxey will create additional problems that need to be resolved.
2. They're mediocre in every area but 3 point shooting.
Top 10 team in 3 point shooting, but the injuries that threw off the rhythm also tanked was a sterling defensive rating, and their net rating has consequently swooned to 20th.
3. Afernee Simons' shooting has stepped back to 40.9%.
Not great numbers, but his ability to get to the line has his TS% at a acceptably mid 49.7%. Still, if he could work his shooting numbers back a little more, that would make the offense that much more explosive.
The Ugly
1. Santi Aldama
Worst player on the roster.
2. Josh Jackson
Talented player, but he just does not fit in New Orleans' system. He didn't last year, and he hasn't this year. Look for him to go out of the rotation once everyone is back from injury.
3. 24th in steals per game
It's surprising that a team with this many people who can steal the ball has just 7.2 swipes a game. But it's a squad that doesn't want to commit to the pressure defense, given how weak their bench is at PG and CE once you get past the second unit.
***The Trade***
Anthony Gill and his beard are headed to Chicago
It's ironic - after being a starter before Jestor came in and promptly banished, Anthony Gill was drawing interest around the league. But the offers were all mid-level 2nds, something the organization wasn't interested in over the cap savings he presented. Then this season, he worked his way into the rotation and even got a couple starts after Aaron Wiggins was hurt, taking advantages of the opportunities he was given in preseason, though has struggled when handed backup PF minutes recently.
And now that he's earned the team's trust... he's been traded. To the Chicago Bulls for Mouhamed Gueye. It's a move that involves both teams dealing from positions of depth to address areas of need.
Gueye is an interesting player, but minutes at the pro level have been scant
There's a lot to like about the 21 year old Washington State alum - he's a ferocious offensive rebounder with a developing game that looks like plus-defense both on-ball and a stealer, and deadly 3 point shooting above the break as a stretch PF. To say nothing of exceptional passing out of the paint and some ability to get to the line.
But he's also an inconsistent asshole who has a mercurial personality, is foul-prone himself, and has a tendency to make boneheaded plays when he gets hot under the collar.
Still, considering Gill wasn't going to be around in the foreseeable future in New Orleans, it's a roll of the dice worth taking. Gueye will get backup PF minutes and an opportunity to show what he can do. "He's immediately our best offensive rebounder - better than Wemby, better than Zach Collins - and he'll allow us to move to Okeke to SF and banish Jackson again," said a Pelicans scout. "We'll pick up his fourth year option and consider putting some instructions into him if we have the space available - maybe push OMP's correction completion to next year. We'll see how it goes."
2020, 2023, 2027, 2035
