Since Jan. 1, New Orleans (26-33) has nine players averaging at least eight points per game, which means on many nights over the past two months, multiple scoring threats have emerged from the team’s bench. That’s been one of the bigger but perhaps least discussed aspects of the Pelicans completely turning around their season, as players like JJ Redick (14.3 ppg since Jan. 1), Josh Hart (9.8 ppg), Nicolo Melli (8.8) and E’Twaun Moore (8.3) have consistently provided a spark in the second unit.
Redick won’t play Sunday vs. the Lakers (7 p.m., ESPN, Fox Sports New Orleans, ESPN New Orleans 100.3 FM) due to a hamstring strain, but the group will try to continue to provide a boost against the Western Conference’s first-place team.
“It definitely helps when you have JJ out there, shooting 45 percent (from three-point range) and getting 15 (points) a game, but it’s been good,” Hart said of the reserves, following Sunday’s morning shootaround. “We’re all coming in giving energy, playing our roles, finding little ways to impact the game. It’s always a positive when your bench is a plus.”
Speaking of plusses, Redick is a plus-59 when he’s on the court since New Year’s Day, while Melli is at plus-29, followed by Hart (26) and Moore (2).
“Having that consistency come off the bench has been great,” starting guard Jrue Holiday said. “We know we have firepower on our starting group, but really good teams have a bench that puts pressure on other teams. We’ve been able to do that.”
Other notes from shootaround at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie:
While the Pelicans may have two players in the conversation for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, one of the most improved rookies from the start of the season to now has been Melli. The Italian forward has registered four straight games of double-digit scoring, his longest such stretch of the season.
“He’s really understanding his role and what we need him to do,” Hart said of Melli. “When you do that and have the freedom in Coach (Alvin) Gentry’s system, to make plays, shoot the ball and be involved, a lot of times you’re going to find success. It’s been good to see him do that. He went from playing a little bit in the beginning of the year, to not really playing too much, to the last three or four weeks, he’s been killing it. It’s been really good to see him do that.”
Melli’s bread-and-butter on offense may be three-point shooting, but lately he’s been doing damage off the dribble, something that rarely took place early in the season.
“For sure – he’s got a couple dunks,” Holiday said. “You don’t see that a lot from him. I feel like him shooting with confidence has him able to get to the basket a lot easier, or just make plays. He gets to the paint and he can pass the ball pretty well.” …
New Orleans committed 20 turnovers in Tuesday’s 118-109 loss to the Lakers, one of the decisive factors in a game that was evenly played through three quarters (L.A. led 88-86 entering the final 12 minutes). Hart credited the Lakers’ aggressiveness at the defensive end, saying the Pelicans need to make some adjustments to what they saw when they tried to get to the basket against a very big frontline.
“They do a great job of packing the paint, forcing you to drive in,” Hart said of the Lakers. “You think you have a driving lane, but the lane closes down. We’ve got to make sure we know that’s coming and look for kickouts, or dropdown passes to our bigs. We’ve got to focus on taking care of the ball, keeping them off the glass and playing our game.” …
Holiday on Ball helping Holiday defensively by taking on some of the tougher perimeter assignments, something that was almost exclusively a Holiday job in the past.
“It’s fun,” Holiday said of Ball thriving with New Orleans. “I like to see other people succeed. Seeing Zo do what he does, he looks pretty happy out there playing, he looks healthy. It’s good for me.”
