New Orleans Pelicans forward Matt Ryan (37) celebrates sinking a 3-point basket against Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) during the second half at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo by Scott Threlkeld, The Times-Picayune)
- STAFF PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD
2 min to read
Christian Clark
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The number 40 was scribbled on a whiteboard on the New Orleans Pelicans’ first day of training camp. It represented the amount of 3-point attempts the team wants to take every game.
Attempting 40 3s per contest has been one of the Pelicans’ goals in each of the past two seasons as well. So far, they have fallen short of it.
In 2022-23, New Orleans attempted 30.1 3s per game, the second-fewest in the NBA. Last season, the Pelicans got up 32.6 3s per game, the seventh-fewest league-wide.
“It’s manageable for the lineups we have out there,” Pelicans reserve wing Matt Ryan said. “We are going to have so much shooting. So much guard and wing play.”
The Pelicans signed Ryan to a two-way contract before the start of last season. He gave the team reliable outside shooting off the bench before a right elbow injury knocked him out of the lineup for close to two months. This season, Ryan is part of a group of bench players vying for minutes.
Pelicans coach Willie Green hasn’t revealed which combination of players he will start against the Orlando Magic in New Orleans’ first preseason game Monday. However, Ryan provided some hints.
“We basically have five guards out there,” Ryan said. “Z(ion) is a hybrid type of player that is position-less. With five guards out there, there is a lot of space. I think we are going to be very tough to guard.”
Green said throughout the Pelicans’ first week of training camp in Nashville that he is open to deploying a starting lineup that doesn’t include a traditional center. If he goes that route Monday, look for him roll out a first five of Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram and Williamson. There is no shortage of ball-handling, playmaking and scoring ability with that group. Rebounding is a different story.
“The biggest thing with that unit specifically is defensive rebounding,” Ryan said. “We are going to have to gang rebound. Gonna have to hit your man. And whoever can go get it, go get it. The beauty of it is whoever gets it, can push it. Those five guys, it’s pick your poison. Pushing it with space and getting into the action right away.”
Murray started out his career in San Antonio as a reluctant 3-point shooter. He made nine 3-pointers in his rookie season with the Spurs. His outside shooting has been a huge area of growth. Murray knocked 201 3-pointers last season in Atlanta, which was more than any New Orleans player from last year’s squad aside from McCollum.
“Dangerous for other teams,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said about his Murray-McCollum backcourt. “Both of those guys are seasoned vets. They understand how to get to their spots offensively. They are playing off one another.”
The Pelicans were a top-10 defensive rebounding team in each of Green’s first three seasons in charge. A lot of that was thanks to Jonas Valanciunas, the hulking Lithuanian who left in free agency over the summer. If the Pelicans do start a lineup without a true center Monday, they need everyone to pick up that rebounding slack.
Green said he plans to use his starters around 20 minutes.
“There are going to be times when we go position less,” Green said. “That could be to start the game. That could be at some point throughout the course of the game. But we are probably going to play more of that than in the past.”
Email Christian Clark at cclark@theadvocate.com.
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