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Pelicans expect to have ‘plenty of shooting’ after impressive 2019-20 from three-point arc

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Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: the New Orleans Pelicans don’t have enough perimeter shooting. If that sounds familiar to Crescent City basketball fans, that’s probably because it’s been a popular national preseason opinion about their favorite team – for two consecutive years. Entering the 2019-20 season – despite the addition of free agent JJ Redick – it was often speculated in previews and podcasts that a lack of overall three-point prowess would greatly hamper New Orleans. For a variety of reasons, including career-best shooting seasons by starters Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, that proved not to be the case.

The Pelicans finished last season ranked seventh among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage (37.0) and fifth in threes made per game (13.6), one of just four teams to place in the top seven of both categories (playoff teams Utah, Miami and Toronto were the others). Five different Pelicans players knocked down 120-plus trifectas over their 72-game schedule, making New Orleans one of the deepest three-point shooting teams in the league.

Among that quintet, everyone returns to the Pelicans’ roster in 2020-21 except for Jrue Holiday (122 makes, 35 percent), who was traded to Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Ingram (150 makes), Ball (148), JJ Redick (180) and Josh Hart (121) are back, as is Nicolo Melli (69). Eric Bledsoe (74) was added in the Holiday deal with the Bucks.

“To be quite honest, we have plenty of shooting,” Pelicans new head coach Stan Van Gundy said, before pointing out that the team’s numbers may look a bit different in 2020-21. “I don’t think we’ll make quite as many, because (last season) Zion (Williamson) only played 24 games. For a good part of the year, they were playing with four perimeter (players), with Brandon Ingram as the (power forward) and the floor spread out.

“The floor won’t be nearly as spread out this year as it was. So while we still have plenty of guys who can shoot it well and make people pay, a lot of times we will have one less three-point shooter on the floor. Our numbers in that area probably, at least in terms of number of shots, won’t be quite the same.”

So the Pelicans may not be as prolific in terms of firing from beyond the arc this season, but the quality of their attempts could improve with Williamson on the court more frequently. New Orleans being able to maintain its high percentage on threes, combined with better efficiency inside the arc – where Williamson shot a gaudy 59.0 percent – would help the Pelicans remain an above-average offensive team. New Orleans placed No. 15 in offensive efficiency (110.5) last season, despite its second-leading scorer being sidelined for 48 games.

Here’s a thumbnail look at some of NOLA’s most important three-point shooters, in order of how many treys they connected on last season:

JJ Redick

Last season (percentage): 45.3. Career: 41.6.

In his debut season with New Orleans, Redick finished second in the NBA in percentage, behind only then-Milwaukee guard George Hill (46.0). The Duke product has arguably been the league’s most consistent deep shooter over the past half-decade, connecting on at least 40 percent of his attempts in five of the past six seasons (the lone exception: 39.7 for Philadelphia in ’18-19).

Brandon Ingram

Last season: 39.1. Career: 36.0.

The NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2019-20 made more three-pointers (150) for the Pelicans than he did in his previous three seasons combined with the Lakers (127). Ingram initially showed promise in his second NBA season by shooting 39.0 percent from the arc, but that came in significantly lower volume, averaging just 1.8 attempts, compared to 6.2 last season. He began the ’20 preseason by going 2/5 at Miami.

Lonzo Ball

Last season: 37.5. Career: 34.1.

He’s gone from 30.5 percent as a rookie, to 32.9 in Year 2, to his career-best 37.5 last season. Ball also improved greatly in-season with the Pelicans, highlighted by a March four-game stretch in which he was a red-hot 21/36 vs. Minnesota (twice), Dallas and Miami. The streak shooter notched five separate games of making at least five treys.

Josh Hart

Last season: 34.2. Career: 35.3.

Hart has taken more threes with each successive season of his three-year NBA career, topped by firing 5.4 per game with the Pelicans in ’19-20. The aggressive reserve’s percentage was in the upper 30s last season prior to a dip in March and the Orlando bubble. Hart shot 40.2 percent in the 26 New Orleans wins he played in, but 30.8 in 39 losses.

Eric Bledsoe

Last season: 34.4. Career: 33.6.

There are probably a thousand impressive ways to slice up Milwaukee’s won-loss records statistically from last season – after all, the Eastern Conference club went a league-best 56-17 – but the Bucks were also 8-0 when Bledsoe canned at least three three-pointers. Coincidentally, his best night of last season from the arc came Dec. 11 in a blowout against New Orleans in Fiserv Forum, where he shot 5/6.

Nicolo Melli

Last season: 33.5 (NBA rookie).

The Italian forward took some time to adjust to the longer NBA line and had a forgettable Orlando bubble (4 of 26) as his role frequently alternated, but in between, he provided excellent stretches of accuracy. In January and February, as his minutes climbed, Melli was 37/77 on threes, highlighted by a 6/7 night at Golden State on Feb. 23. “I think he’ll shoot significantly better than he did a year ago,” Van Gundy said, alluding to what he’s seen on film and in practices of the 29-year-old so far.

Sourced from Pelicans

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