In the process of their rebuild this off-season, the Pelicans took on an identity as a team primed to have one of the staunchest defenses in the league. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram established themselves as two of the best young defenders in the league while Jrue Holiday is long-established as one of the outright best defenders in the league.
The acquisition of Derrick Favors solidified the backline of the defense while Zion Williamson provides the team with flexibility on the defensive end with the ability to play both big and small.
Ball, who will play a critical role in that defense, recently spoke about the team, how the defense could see its success and the pieces they have in place on both ends of the court.
“(As a team) we can do a lot of switching. We’ve got height, strength and speed. We’ve got everything you need to be a good defensive team. Now we’ve just got to put in effort. We have all the pieces we need. We’ve got shooters, bigs, people who can push the pace. I’m looking forward to this year.”
On that defensive end, the Pelicans could put out a five-man unit that could switch at will. The team will also have the ability to play small with Williamson at center or play big with a frontcourt of Williamson and Favors.
Offensively, they can play a load of different styles. With bigs that can shoot like Williamson or newly-acquired forward Nicolò Melli or players like Jahlil Okafor and Favors that are more traditional bigs, the team can play multiple ways.
With a roster full of diverse skillsets, the Pelicans figure to be one of the most intriguing and entertaining teams this upcoming season.
