New Orleans does not have a player ranked in the top 30 of the NBA in blocks this season, with Jonas Valanciunas topping the squad with an average of 0.9 per game. Jaxson Hayes is the only other Pelican ranked in the top 50, at 0.8 bpg. Despite no top-tier shot-blocker at the rim, a collective effort has made New Orleans the NBA’s best defensive team since the All-Star break, holding its three opponents to 102, 95 and 95 points, for a league-leading defensive rating of 96.4.
The two-big starting lineup featuring the 6-foot-11 Hayes at power forward seems to be making a major impact, with Phoenix, the Lakers and Sacramento combining to shoot just 41.6 percent from the field and 24.8 percent on three-pointers, both the stingiest rates by a defense. New Orleans still has not blocked shots at a high rate during its winning streak (4.0 bpg, 20th of 30 teams), but the Pelicans have put the clamps on opponents for extended stretches, particularly during second halves. The Lakers coughed up 23 total turnovers Sunday; the Kings only scored 34 points after intermission Wednesday.
“I feel like we’ve done a great job as a team defensively,” Hayes said after Friday’s shootaround, ahead of a 7 p.m. home game vs. Utah (7 p.m., Bally Sports, 100.3 FM). "Everyone is picking up everyone’s slack. If somebody gets beat, somebody is there (to help). If somebody can’t box a guy out, someone is coming in and cracking their man. Our team defense as a whole has gotten really good.”
New Orleans is 6-2 in Hayes’ eight starts this season, with the only defeats being by three points at Cleveland and seven vs. Dallas. The third-year pro continues to make strides in several areas, including his defensive effectiveness. In his new role at power forward, his athleticism and agility come into play more as he guards opponents away from the paint.
“I feel like it’s getting a lot better,” Hayes said of his defense. “I mean, guarding guys one-on-one is never the problem for me. It’s just more once I get in the pick-and-roll, learning how to get through that (play). Me and Coach (Willie Green) have been working on it a lot, so I’m getting a lot better.”
Other notes from shootaround:
Friday’s game is a reunion for a few opponents. A close friend of Hayes, former Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker ended up with Utah after being traded twice in February.
“Definitely very weird,” Hayes said of playing against Alexander-Walker tonight. “We got dinner last night, so it was nice to see him. But (it will be) definitely weird seeing him out there in a different jersey.” Asked whether he’d rather dunk on NAW or block his shot, a smiling Hayes responded, “Blocking his shot, because he’s such a ‘bucket.' ”
Juan Hernangomez also plays for Utah, the brother of New Orleans center Willy Hernangomez. …
Hayes shared what he and Valanciunas are saying to each other when they successfully team up for an assist and basket: “We always laugh and start yelling to each other ‘Big guard!’ whenever we pass it to each other.”
UTAH SCOUTING REPORT
Offensive efficiency rank: 1 (116.2)
Defensive efficiency rank: 3 (109.5)
Net rating: 2 (+6.7)
Pace: 21 (97.96)
Streak: Won 3
Go-to guy: Shooting guard Donovan Mitchell has been on a tear since making his third straight All-Star appearance, averaging 32.0 points on 49 percent shooting from the field (46 percent on three-pointers) in three Utah wins. Mitchell had two uncharacteristically quiet games in November vs. New Orleans (16 and 21 points), but poured in 29 points on 11/19 shooting to help beat the Pelicans on Jan. 3.
On the rise: Since the All-Star break, reserve catalyst Jordan Clarkson is third on Utah in scoring (16.3 ppg), upping his efficiency from the field by shooting 50 percent. The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season, Clarkson turned in one of his best recent performances in Sunday’s road win at Phoenix, notching 22 points on 10/17 shooting.
PREVIOUS GAME STARTING LINEUPS
UTAH (39-22, 4TH IN WEST)
Wednesday win at Houston
Mike Conley Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert
Notes: This group is 26-9. As always, the Jazz have benefited from some of the league’s best chemistry and continuity. … The Jazz have been in the West’s fourth spot for an extended period and remain 2.5 games behind third-place Memphis, while also two games ahead of fifth-place Dallas. If the season ended today, the Jazz would host Game 1 of a first-round series against the Mavericks.
NEW ORLEANS (26-36, 10TH IN WEST)
Wednesday win vs. Sacramento
CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes, Jonas Valanciunas
Notes: This group is 3-1. New Orleans has used 17 different starting lineups this season, compared to 12 by Utah. … The Pelicans are one game behind the ninth-place Lakers (27-35), who host Golden State on Saturday. A New Orleans win tonight combined with a Los Angeles loss to the Warriors would move the Pelicans into the No. 9 spot. … If the season ended today, New Orleans would travel to Southern California to visit the Lakers in Crypto.com Arena for the 9-10 play-in game.
FANDUEL KEYS TO THE GAME
WHOLE SQUAD READY
Scoring balance has been one key to New Orleans’ success during a three-game winning streak. In their two most recent wins over the Lakers and Sacramento, six different Pelicans players notched double-digit points, including the entire starting lineup in both games.
SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE
New Orleans has the NBA’s best defense since the All-Star break by a wide margin, allowing just 96.4 points per 100 possessions (the Clippers are a distant second at 103.8). The defense’s biggest test post-All-Star takes place Friday – Utah leads the NBA in offense over the course of the entire 2021-22 season with a rating of 116.2 (Atlanta is next at 114.1).
MATCHUP TO WATCH
At center, Valanciunas and Gobert have faced each other a lot over the past 10 months. While playing for Memphis last season, Valanciunas averaged 15.0 points and 9.8 rebounds against Utah in five games of a first-round series between the Grizzlies and Jazz. Gobert averaged 17.4 points and 13.0 rebounds.