When NBA fans and media debate the top second units around the league, they often cite bench scoring as a way to measure who’s most effective. However, that traditional metric drastically underrates the impact of New Orleans’ reserves, with the group ranked a middle-of-the-pack 15th, at 33.8 points per game. A better indicator of how Pelicans subs change games comes from their plus-minus – a statistic that places them second in the league, behind only Boston.
“We’ve got the best bench in the league,” backup point guard Jose Alvarado said after Tuesday’s practice. “We truly believe that. We’ve got guys who are hungry. We’ve got guys who want to show how good they are. I believe we have the best bench in the league.”
Jose Alvarado talks defensive success, bench depth | Pelicans Practice 3/12/2024
Relying partly on defensive-minded players such as Alvarado, Naji Marshall, Larry Nance Jr. and Dyson Daniels, the unit can also make a strong case for being No. 1 at that end of the floor, leading the NBA in steals from reserves (3.7 per game). In numerous instances this season, the team’s second string has completely reversed the momentum after a slow start to the first or third quarter. During a 3-0 road trip to Toronto, Philadelphia and Atlanta, New Orleans (39-25, fifth in Western Conference) outscored opponents by 67 points with sixth man Trey Murphy on the floor, causing NBA.com writer John Schuhmann to cite Murphy as the league’s plus-minus player of the week. Marshall and Alvarado were plus-61 and plus-56, respectively, while Nance was plus-44.
It’s helped that the Pelicans have a handful of reserves who’ve been together since the 2021-22 season, giving the lineup a level of continuity rarely seen in a league that’s constantly shuffling rosters, particularly at the edges.
“It’s big-time,” said Alvarado, who’s been a teammate of Marshall and Murphy for his entire three-year NBA career (Nance arrived in a February 2022 trade; Daniels was picked No. 8 overall in June 2022). “The whole team gets along. We want to win and go to the playoffs, and continue to try to build something here. That’s what our minds are on.”
“Coming in (to the NBA) as a young guy, that’s kind of your dream,” Marshall said after Tuesday’s practice of the subs ascending to elite-bench status. “That’s what (the team) kind of expresses (to you, that your job is) to make an impact off the bench. They already kind of have their core guys. Just to be able to do that, it’s unbelievable, a dream come true to be able to do that.”
Naji Marshall talks his offensive improvement, Trey Murphy's recent efficiency | Pelicans Practice 3/12/2024
Other notes from practice:
Alvarado, after being asked about Zion Williamson’s defensive impact (seven blocks on three-game trip): “He’s locked in. He wants to win. He knows how much defense matters to us. He’s doing his part. Everybody else has to do their part.” …
Third-year head coach Willie Green on Murphy (team-best 24.0 ppg, 18/34 three-point shooting on road trip): “It’s great to see Trey get on the floor and look like himself. I think that’s the important part for our (team). He’s such a big part of what we do, his ability to space the floor. Now, hitting shots, playing defense, rebounding, getting out in transition, it’s fantastic for us right now.”