The Complete Idiots Guide to Pelicans Misconceptions

Misconception #4: “The Pelicans don’t have enough shooters for Gentry to replicate the Warrior’s offense”

The idea that the Pelicans have bad spacing started as far back as the Tyreke signing. There’s no doubt Tyreke is a below average shooter, but the rest of the roster is stacked with elite long-range specialists.

Take a look at these two graphs below. The first one shows how good last season’s Pelicans were from deep (I added Alonzo Gee even though he joined the team this offseason, so I cheated just a little though) and the second one shows how good the ’13-’14 Warriors were before Kerr and Gentry transformed them with a motion offense.

The Pelicans had three 40+% three-point shooters, while the Warriors had just two. The Pelicans also have 6 shooters under contract who shot above league average (36%) while the Warriors once again had only two.

Gentry was able to increase many of the Warriors percentages the next season, and the Pelicans should receive the same benefit this upcoming year.

Feb 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; U.S. Team head coach Alvin Gentry of the Golden State Warriors instructs during the second half against the World Team at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The counter argument is that the Pelicans had extremely high percentages, but they were taking them at a smaller volume. This is true, so the question becomes whether Gentry can keep the team efficient, while also increasing their attempts per game.

My bet is yes; Anthony Davis will demand constant double teams, Gentry’s offense will continually have people receiving off-ball screens, and a year of continuity and good vibes always makes shooters more confident in their teammates.

That’s all bonus though. Even if the Pelicans didn’t improve their percentages at all under a new motion offense, we would still be one of the most deadly teams in the league from behind the arc.

Next: They Call Me A.D.