James Borrego’s new starting line-up shines in 7 key areas

Zion Williamson‘s The New Orleans Pelicans have discovered the formula it breathes new life into it A dressing room led by James Borrega. Getting Herb Jones back to the wing enabled a switch to a large starting line-up built around Williamson and Trey Murphy IIIstrong points. Derrick Queen do what is comfortable and limit mistakes, while Saddiq Bey shines as a third offensive option.

This has seen the cellar dwellers make it three wins in their last seven games. It may be the best stretch of basketball for the Big Easy in the last 16 months. So, with apologies to those grumbling about the NBA’s relatively quiet trade deadline, Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver have something encouraging data to support adherence to the status quo. Borrego, who is 3-4 in his last seven games, may even be bragging rights forgiven on improvements around the world.

“The defense has shifted significantly,” Borrego began. “It’s more switchable. It’s more size, more physical on the ball. I think at the point of attack, we’re just better at the point of attack. We’re more physical and aggressive there, more size on the floor. We’re more switchable, so we don’t have to stay in coverage.”

“We have four guys, if not five, that can switch and can stay in front of the ball,” Borrego added. “So we keep the ball more. And then I think obviously, as long as we don’t turn it over, that group doesn’t turn it over. So we get our half-court defense, which allows us to guard. So in general, more physicality, more size, more rim protection and paint.”

Ball security was paramount to the transformation, which is a good sign that Borrego’s schemes are starting to stick. Since introducing the new starting lineup, the Pelicans have committed just 10.1 turnovers per game (1st), a dramatic improvement over their season average of 14.1 (9th). That’s essentially one less mistake per quarter, and the impact extends far beyond the frame.

Pelicans protecting the nest

That extra possession led to fewer easy opportunities for opponents. New Orleans allowed 18.2 points per game this season (18th). Over the last seven games, that number has dropped to 13.9 (3rd). The benefits extend beyond ball handling. The Pelicans, traditionally a middle-of-the-road rebounding team at 43.7 boards per game (17th), rose to 45.9 rebounds in the final period (10th).

Rim protection has also been dramatically improved. Opponents are averaging 52.7 points (24th) against New Orleans this season, but that number has dropped to 44.3 over the last seven games (6th). The Pelicans are now averaging 6.1 blocks per game (5th) during this stretch, a significant jump from their season mark of 4.7 (18th).

The active hands of the team remained a constant strength. Steals were already top-10 at 9.0 per game (9th) this season, and they kept that production at 9.4 (10th). Progress is evident beyond traditional statistics. Defensive rating jumped four points from 27th (118.4) to 17th (114.3). That correlated with a ten-point increase in opponent field goal percentage, from 56.4 (28th) to 54.4% (18th).

It remains an open question whether a big lineup is the long-term solution, especially against elite shooting teams that can stretch the floor. Still, in a season in search of structure, Borrego’s commitment to size and simplicity has at least given Zion Williamson’s Pelicans a defensive foundation to build on.