Here are our player scouting reports and 2015-16 analysis for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Projected starters
Jrue Holiday
Position: Guard
Experience: 6 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Playmaking guard whose Pelicans career has been hampered by leg injuries
+ Good pick-and-roll player who is a threat to shoot, drive or pass but rarely gets to foul line
+ Strong defender with good size and quickness for point guard
Analysis
When on the court, Holiday has been the productive point guard New Orleans expected after paying a heavy price (two lottery picks) to get him from the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2013 draft. But Holiday hasn't been able to stay on the court because of the lingering effects of a stress fracture in his right tibia suffered during his first season with the Pelicans. Last year a stress reaction in the leg cost him almost the entire second half and his minutes will be limited to begin 2015-16 starting at just 15 per night.
While he was an All-Star his last season in Philadelphia, 2014-15 was Holiday's most productive on a per-minute basis. He cut down on his turnovers dramatically and increased his 3-point attempts, a good development for a 37.6 percent career shooter. Despite the improvement in his true shooting percentage (.522, his best since 2010-11), Holiday was still worse than the league average. That's tough to understand given his skills. The biggest culprit is Holiday's inability to draw fouls. Among players who averaged at least 12 points per game, his free throw rate (5.1 percent of the plays he used) was the third-lowest. And though Holiday can get to the basket off the dribble, he's a relatively poor finisher around the rim. As a result, Holiday is better off driving to pass than to score.
The Pelicans missed having a healthy Holiday during their series with the Golden State Warriors (he played, but was limited to 55 minutes total) because he would have been their best defensive option on Stephen Curry. Holiday has good size for a point guard at 6-foot-4, quick hands and the lateral movement to contain opponents.
Eric Gordon
Position: Guard
Experience: 7 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Oft-injured shooting guard who stayed healthy and productive during 2014-15
+ No longer a major threat off the dribble, but sees the court well and is a good outside shooter
+ Has seen defensive potential sapped by knee issues and stature now makes him a liability
Analysis
Early in 2014-15, Gordon looked like he might be finished as a productive player. Gordon, who has battled knee injuries since coming to New Orleans as the centerpiece of the package for Chris Paul, averaged just 9.6 points in November before missing 21 games with a torn shoulder labrum. Gordon opted against surgery, and returned to post the best season of his Pelicans career. He chose to play out the final year of his contract, which pays him $15.5 million, and will be one of next summer's most fascinating free agents based on his health and production in 2015-16.
Once a well-rounded shooting guard, Gordon struggled to get to the rim last season because of the quickness he's lost to the knee injuries. He also finished poorly on those rare occasions, making just 46.4 percent of his shots inside three feet, according to Basketball-Reference.com, far and away the worst mark of his career. Add in Gordon's penchant for taking long, pull-up 2-pointers and he shot a dismal 38.0 percent inside the arc. Gordon compensated by taking more 3-pointers than ever before -- nearly half of his total shot attempts -- and making them at a career-best 44.8 percent clip. He's unlikely to repeat that, having never before shot better than 39.1 percent beyond the arc, but can still benefit from the increased volume.
Alas, Gordon still rated as a below-average player by ESPN's real plus-minus because of his poor defensive rating (minus-1.9 points per 100 possessions, 67th among shooting guards). Early in his career, Gordon was able to compensate for a size disadvantage most nights with his effort and quickness. That's no longer the case, which could limit Gordon's value on the market.
Quincy Pondexter
Position: Forward
Experience: 5 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Classic 3-and-D role player who thrived after midseason trade to New Orleans
+ Rarely creates his own shot and offensive value dependent on making 3-pointers
+ Determined defender, but a tad small against bigger wings, which limits him as a stopper
Analysis
After parlaying a breakthrough 2012-13 into a four-year, $14 million extension from the Memphis Grizzlies, Pondexter struggled to maintain that level of play and clashed at times with new head coach Dave Joerger. Pondexter was a bit figure when the Grizzlies sent him to the Pelicans as part of the Jeff Green deal, but he emerged as a starter in New Orleans. He's got a chance to return to that role after being cleared following offseason surgery on his left knee that is expected to keep him out through mid-November.
Back when Pondexter began his career in the Big Easy, his jump shot was a work in progress. He shot 39.5 percent beyond the arc in 2012-13, fueling a bigger role, but made just 26.2 percent of his 3s between then and his trade. With the Pelicans, Pondexter shot a sizzling 43.3 percent. His true ability surely lies between those extremes; Pondexter's shot distribution didn't really change much before and after the trade, suggesting the difference is probably mostly noise. More than half of Pondexter's shot attempts were 3s, and a good percentage of his 2-point attempts came in transition. He rarely creates his own shot off the dribble.
Pondexter filled an important defensive void in New Orleans. While he's too small to be an elite defender, Pondexter is strong -- he played power forward regularly at the University of Washington -- and works hard against more talented scorers. One disappointment, given that background, is what a non-factor Pondexter has been on the defensive glass from the wing.
Anthony Davis
Position: Forward
Experience: 3 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ On the cusp of superstardom after making important strides during his third season
+ Has progressed quickly as a scorer. Accurate outside shooter whose quickness allows him to make plays off the dribble
+ Improving defender. Great weak-side shot blocker who was more regularly in position to offer help last year
Analysis
If Davis' NBA career were a movie, we'd still be in the montage of him working to develop his game. Though Davis led the league in blocks for a second consecutive season, finished in the top 10 in scoring (fourth), rebounding (eighth) and field-goal percentage (seventh) and was named to the All-NBA First Team, the best is yet to come. What exactly the peak looks like for a player who has reached such heights before his graduating class finished college should be terrifying for opponents and thrilling for the Pelicans, who signed Davis to a five-year, maximum extension minutes after he became eligible for one.
During his first three seasons, Davis has gone from using 21.8 percent of New Orleans' plays as a rookie to 25.2 percent in year two and 27.8 percent last year -- all while improving his efficiency in the process. The Pelicans reworked Davis' shooting form, and the results have been incredible. His 241 2-pointers beyond 10 feet ranked fourth in the league, putting Davis in the company of lethal pick-and-pop threats such as LaMarcus Aldridge and Dirk Nowitzki. The next step may be turning those long 2s into 3s; Davis made just one triple last season in 12 attempts, but that shot -- to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder at the buzzer -- turned out to be the difference in New Orleans making the playoffs.
Because Davis can make the jumper off the dribble, slower defenders must play up on him when he faces the basket. That allows Davis to use his quick first step to get by them. When that happens, it's over. Davis is one of the league's premier finishers because of his long arms, athleticism and unusual flexibility that allows him to score from a variety of angles. Those same factors make Davis a premier finisher above the rim on pick-and-rolls.
Before last season, Davis' poor rating in ESPN's real plus-minus suggested his league-leading block totals overstated his defensive value. They came closer to matching up in 2014-15, as Davis ranked seventh in the league in defensive RPM. It's still frustrating how much time Davis spends away from the basket on D, but improved awareness put him in better help position. Besides swatting shots, Davis' freakishly long arms allow him to contest otherwise unblockable fadeaway jumpers from the likes of Aldridge, helping him compensate for his strength disadvantage against bigger opponents -- something that may be a thing of the past after Davis added 12 pounds of muscle this offseason, per the Pelicans' website.
Omer Asik
Position: Center
Experience: 5 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Defensive-minded center whose value may be limited by the NBA's move away from traditional big men
+ Non-threatening offensive player with poor hands but is a threat on the offensive glass
+ Intelligent defender who doesn't block a ton of shots and was less effective on D last season
Analysis
Six months after his Warriors team ran Asik off the court, new Pelicans head coach (and former Warriors assistant) Alvin Gentry is tasked with finding a way to keep other teams from doing the same thing. Despite a disappointing season, New Orleans re-signed Asik to a five-year, $60 million deal (with the final season non-guaranteed) because of limited options in free agency. He figures to start next to Anthony Davis in a traditional frontcourt for the foreseeable future.
Offensively, Asik doesn't present much fear to opposing defenses unless he's right under the basket. Asik is a good offensive rebounder -- he ranked in the NBA's top 10 in offensive rebound rate -- but not a great finisher in traffic. He also struggles at times to catch the ball on the move, making it difficult to involve Asik in the pick-and-roll game. And when Asik plays away from the basket, defenders can just back off and gum up the paint because he made just nine shots all season beyond three feet in 43 attempts (20.9 percent), per Basketball-Reference.com.
The Pelicans knew all those limitations when they gave up a first-round pick for Asik before last season. The hope was his defense would outweigh them, and that's where Asik fell short of expectations. New Orleans was quite effective with both Asik and Davis on the court, allowing 100.5 points per 100 possessions according to NBA.com/Stats (a top-10 rate), but the defensive rating ballooned to 109.0 with just Asik -- which would have ranked 29th in the NBA. Opponents made 51.1 percent of their attempts within five feet with Asik as a defender, per SportVU tracking, up from 46.8 percent the previous season in Houston.
Reserves
Tyreke Evans
Position: Guard
Experience: 6 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Ball-dominant player who started at all three perimeter spots but was most effective at point guard
+ Underrated pick-and-roll distributor who is weaker off the ball because of poor outside shooting
+ Not a committed defender who stretched trying to defend small forwards
Analysis
Evans had to learn plays for a variety of different positions, starting at each of the three positions on the perimeter throughout 2014-15. He began the year as a small forward, moved to shooting guard when Eric Gordon went down and ended up at point guard when Jrue Holiday missed almost the entire second half. As a starting point guard, Evans averaged 16.4 points, 7.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds. Expect him to continue to play multiple roles with Holiday and Gordon healthy to start 2015-16.
In truth, a lot of Evans' apparent improvement as a point guard was actually regression to the mean as a finisher. He's always been better at getting to the basket than making shots at the rim, but according to Basketball-Reference.com, Evans made just 51.5 percent of his shots within three feet through December. His 58.6 percent accuracy thereafter was more in line with his career mark (59.4 percent). Evans' playmaking as a point guard was a pleasant surprise. His 7.0 assists per 36 minutes were a career high, and that improved to 8.2 per 36 after Holiday's injury, putting Evans in the upper half of starting point guards. While his turnovers spiked too (to 3.5 per 36), Evans has demonstrated he can successfully run an offense, something that wasn't true when he played for the Sacramento Kings.
The Pelicans scored 110.8 points per 100 possessions with Evans at small forward, per NBA.com/Stats, a rate that would have led the league. Alas, New Orleans suffered a commensurate drop-off at the defensive end. Evans' size allows him to defend small forwards, but not well, and the Pelicans were too small on the wing with him playing next to Gordon. At guard, Evans improved as a defender with more size behind him, but he'll still never be confused for a stopper.
Ryan Anderson
Position: Forward
Experience: 7 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Pioneering stretch 4 whose production waned following scary neck injury
+ Prolific 3-point shooter. Wasn't accurate from beyond arc in 2014-15, but opponents must respect threat he poses
+ Weak defender and rebounding has declined over time
Analysis
After missing the final three months of the 2013-14 season following a collision with Gerald Wallace that caused a pair of herniated discs, Anderson was cleared for the start of training camp and played almost every game before suffering a sprained MCL in February. But Anderson wasn't the same player, creating questions about his long-term future in New Orleans.
In years past, the Pelicans' best basketball had come with Anderson at power forward and Anthony Davis at center. Though New Orleans still scored better with Anderson on the court, that wasn't the case in 2014-15, in large part because he shot a career-low 34.0 percent from 3-point range. With his quick release and good footwork that ensures he's in position to shoot, Anderson is a prolific 3-point shooter. And even when they weren't going in, that ability draws defenders to Anderson and opens things up for his teammates. He's also got a modest post game, relying on turnaround jumpers and one-hand floaters in the post against smaller defenders.
The trade-off for the spacing Anderson provides is that the defense suffers with him on the court. He's vulnerable to post-ups and not a particularly good pick-and-roll defender. Though Anderson executes the scouting report, he's not big enough to challenge shots in the paint, and his defensive rebounding has slipped badly with the Pelicans. Monty Williams tried playing Anderson at small forward at times because of the team's hole there, but that required Davis to defend wings because Anderson is not quick enough to do so.
Alexis Ajinca
Position: Center
Experience: 5 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Giant French center who's developed into capable backup in New Orleans
+ Surprisingly accurate midrange shooter with soft touch who can score in the post
+ Above-average shot blocker whose mobility occasionally is an issue on defense
Analysis
As a first-round pick by the then-Charlotte Bobcats, Alexis Ajinca was a disappointment. His second NBA stint with the Pelicans is showing more staying power. After a solid season and a half off the bench, Ajinca re-signed in New Orleans for four years and $20-plus million this summer. He'll continue to back up Omer Asik in the middle.
At a listed 7-foot-2, Ajinca was tied with Roy Hibbert as the league's second-tallest player last season after Sim Bhullar. So it's surprising that he spends much of his time on the perimeter and is effective doing so. More than 30 percent of Ajinca's shots came from beyond 10 feet, per Basketball-Reference.com, and he made a solid 48 percent of them after hitting 48.7 percent in 2013-14. That allows New Orleans to use Ajinca as a pick-and-pop threat. His touch is also useful in the post, where Ajinca's turnaround jumper is unblockable because of his size. When playing closer to the basket, Ajinca is a strong offensive rebounder with the ability to go over defenders using his long arms.
Given his size, Ajinca is a surprisingly average shot-blocker. He plays flat-footed, meaning if a shooter can avoid Ajinca as a stationary target he doesn't have much impact on the shot. He will also bite on pump fakes at times. Ajinca's top speed is low, which can be problematic in transition. However, he's fairly agile for his size and did OK against pick-and-rolls.
Dante Cunningham
Position: Forward
Experience: 6 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Undersized power forward who moved to the wing to fill a Pelicans need
+ Good pick-and-pop player whose range doesn't extend to 3-point line. Not a shot creator
+ Quick feet allowed him to defend small forwards. Effective pick-and-roll defender
Analysis
Cunningham began last season at home in part because of domestic assault charges from April 2014, while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Though the charges were subsequently dropped, Cunningham wasn't signed as a free agent until December. Former New Orleans coach Monty Williams, who had previously coached Cunningham as an assistant in Portland, gave him a chance. With the Pelicans in desperate need of wing help, they moved Cunningham to small forward for the first time in his NBA career. Cunningham saw more than 75 percent of his action at the position, and played well enough to earn a new three-year, $9 million deal from the team this summer.
Cunningham's outside shooting ability allowed him to play the wing without clogging up the New Orleans offense. Primarily a pick-and-pop player as a power forward, Cunningham spent more time spotting up as a small forward. Alas, his range doesn't include the NBA 3. Cunningham shot 1-of-10 beyond the arc and took almost 60 percent of his shots between 15 feet and the 3-point line, the highest ratio for any player with at least 250 shot attempts according to Basketball-Reference.com:
Despite hitting those shots at a decent rate (41.7 percent), Cunningham's specialization in the lowest-efficiency shot in the game has left his true shooting percentage below .500 each of the past three seasons. But he was able to keep defenders honest on the perimeter.
The move to the wing suited Cunningham just fine defensively. He's always been especially nimble-footed for a big man, and he was able to keep up with wings. The lone downside is Cunningham isn't able to make use of his ability to defend pick-and-rolls as regularly. And while moving to the perimeter meant Cunningham's rebounding wasn't a weakness, it wasn't a strength either. He was fairly average for a small forward on the glass.
Alonzo Gee
Position: Forward
Experience: 6 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Good transition player who's been miscast as a 3-and-D player in the past
+ Poor outside shooter who has some ability to create his own shot
+ Versatile defender, but teams have tended to defend worse with him on the floor
Analysis
Technically, Gee is returning to the Pelicans after signing a two-year, $2.7 million deal this summer. The Pelicans were one of five teams to briefly have Gee on their roster (Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston and Sacramento were the others) because his non-guaranteed contract helped facilitate trades. Finally waived by the Kings in September, Gee joined the Denver Nuggets and thrived in their up-tempo system. He then played for his seventh team in the previous 12 months after a deadline deal to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Cavaliers tried in vain to make Gee into a 3-and-D player. He's just not a good enough shooter for such a role, having made 33.2 percent of his career 3-point attempts. Last season, Gee's rate of 3 attempts dropped from 24.6 percent of his shots to 18.8 percent, about where it was his first two seasons. Not coincidentally, his true shooting percentage improved above league average for the first time since those first two years in the league. Gee's athleticism is more useful in the open court, as he's an above-the-rim finisher. Almost half his points in Denver came in transition, according to Synergy Sports tracking, and Gee will benefit if Alvin Gentry pushes the pace in New Orleans as expected.
A strong 6-foot-6, Gee defended point guards (with the Nuggets) and filled in at power forward (in Portland) last year, so he's versatile. Still, the "D" part of the 3-and-D role has also eluded him. ESPN's real plus-minus rates Gee as one of the league's weaker defensive small forwards.
Luke Babbitt
Position: Forward
Experience: 5 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Floppy-haired 3-point specialist who outshot Kyle Korver beyond the arc last season
+ One-dimensional offensive player who struggled as finisher in 2014-15
+ Doesn't really have a position defensively. Undersized as four, too slow to defend perimeter players
Analysis
Step forward if you're an NBA player who had a historic 3-point shooting season in 2014-15. Not so fast, Steph Curry and Kyle Korver. We're talking about Luke Babbitt, who became the sixth player in league history (a group that previously included Korver) to attempt at least 100 3s and make more than half of them.
Of course, 100 is a relatively low bar, and Babbitt didn't technically qualify for the league leaderboard in 3s. But for his career, Babbitt is now one of 42 players in league history to make at least 40 percent of his 3-pointers on a minimum of 500 attempts, per Basketball-Reference.com, showing his ability as an outside shooter.
Babbitt's one trick has been enough for him to carve out an NBA career, but not enough to make him a regular. Last year's 830 minutes (and 19 starts) were a career high, and Babbitt likely will fill a similar role after re-signing for two years at the veteran's minimum. Move him inside the arc and Babbitt is no longer as dangerous. Amazingly, he shot better last season on 3s than attempts within three feet (50 percent, per Basketball-Reference.com). And Babbitt is a defensive liability; he's too small to defend most power forwards but gives up too much quickness to defend on the wing. So his minutes will probably always be limited to stretches when he can be hidden on D.
Kendrick Perkins
Position: Center
Experience: 12 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Veteran center whose mobility has been compromised since a torn ACL during the 2010 NBA Finals
+ Strictly a screener on offense. Subpar finisher due to limited lift. Prone to offensive fouls
+ Immobile defender. Fancies himself an enforcer. Average defensive rebounder
Analysis
In less than a year, Perkins went from starting in the Western Conference finals to the end of the bench, signifying a new stage in his career. The emergence of second-year center Steven Adams in Oklahoma City brought Perkins' time as a starter to an end, and at the deadline the Thunder traded Perkins as part of their package for Enes Kanter. Bought out by the Utah Jazz, Perkins joined the Cleveland Cavaliers and got to the NBA Finals a third time mostly as a spectator. This summer, he signed a one-year deal with the veteran's minimum to bring his decade-plus of NBA experience to New Orleans.
At this point, Perkins' on-court utility is limited. He's basically just a screener on offense, and his rock-hard picks frequently tend to be of the moving variety, leading to offensive fouls. Perkins isn't a threat anywhere but right near the basket, and he's not a particularly good finisher because he doesn't get off the ground. Defensively, Perkins has his uses as a stout post defender, but athletic centers can expose him away from the basket. Perkins' main contributions in Cleveland were hard fouls, and it's unlikely he'll play much for the Pelicans as the third center on a team that ought to play small with Anthony Davis in the middle on a regular basis.
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Position: Guard
Experience: 6 years
2015-16 projections
Scouting report
+ Highly touted college prospect who has embraced a 3-and-D role in the NBA
+ Enjoyed career year as 3-point shooter in 2013-14. Must prove that wasn't a fluke
+ Has committed at the defensive end and can defend either wing position
Analysis
Surprisingly, Chris Douglas-Roberts' breakthrough 2013-14 performance in Charlotte didn't translate into an NBA role last season. Douglas-Roberts played just 103 minutes for the Los Angeles Clippers before being involved in a midseason trade and waived. Douglas-Roberts appears to have a better opportunity in New Orleans if he can win a roster spot in training camp.
A big-time scorer playing for John Calipari at Memphis, Douglas-Roberts has adapted his game to a smaller NBA role. His 38.6 percent 3-point shooting was key to his success in 2013-14, and it's tough to tell from 132 attempts whether the improvement was real. Douglas-Roberts bought into Steve Clifford's defensive system and was effective enough that he frequently finished games ahead of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist two years ago.
Sean Kilpatrick
Position: Guard
Experience: Rookie
2014 draft profile
Scouting report
+ Undersized shooting guard who was a high scorer in college
+ Adequate 3-point shooter who can make plays off the dribble
+ Not a major defensive presence
Analysis
Kilpatrick's NBA debut was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. When the Minnesota Timberwolves were granted a hardship exception for a 16th roster spot, they were in New York to play the Knicks and needed a guard available on short notice. Enter Kilpatrick, playing for the nearby Delaware 89ers. He held his own in four NBA games before returning to the D-League. To stick on a more permanent basis, Kilpatrick will probably have to improve his shooting. A big-time scorer at Cincinnati who averaged 18.2 points in this year's Las Vegas Summer League, Kilpatrick won't have those opportunities in the NBA. He shot an average 34.6 percent from 3-point range in the D-League last season and must be a more consistent outside threat to make sense as an NBA role player.
Bryce DeJean-Jones
Position: Guard
Experience: Rookie
Player profile
Scouting report
+ Lanky wing whose hot shooting at Las Vegas Summer League was out of character
+ Below-average college 3-point shooter who played primarily with the ball in his hands
+ Has frame to excel defensively against shooting guards, but yet to buy in
Analysis
DeJean-Jones averaged just 23 minutes per game as a senior at Iowa State, but he parlayed a hot streak at the Las Vegas Summer League into a spot in training camp on a three-year contract. His 2015-16 salary has $50,000 guaranteed, per Eric Pincus of BasketballInsiders.com. Playing on his former campus, DeJean-Jones (who played at UNLV before transferring) made nine of his 18 3-point attempts in Vegas, offering a misleading impression of his shooting ability. DeJean-Jones shot 33.6 percent career from the shorter college line, and showed little improvement over the course of his career. He spent a lot of time with the ball in his hands rather than spotting up at UNLV, and his improvement playing for Fred Hoiberg was more about getting easy looks in transition and as a cutter than outside shooting. That makes it hard to envision DeJean-Jones developing into a true 3-and-D specialist, particularly because his defensive effort needs work as well.