Pelicans analysis at halfway mark: Good but not outstanding

We have reached the halfway mark of the NBA season for the New Orleans Pelicans.

There is a lot of good news and many positives to take away from what we have witnessed from the home team.

Beginning with the obvious, star players have largely been available and that has led to a solid 24-17 record, though that record could be and perhaps should be at least two games better, based on analytics.

Of course, that starts with Zion Williamson, who has played in 33 of 41 games and has avoided any significant injury.

The clear goal for Williamson was to play in at least 65 of the 82 regular season games scheduled. Williamson in on pace to play in 66 games.

Williamson has played well, though he has not been a dominant force.

Zion has averaged 22.2 points, which would be his lowest total of the four seasons he has played in if the season ended today. He is averaging a very modest four rebounds per game and that should be a little better. Williamson had just one rebound in the loss Monday at Dallas.

Williamson is shooting 58.9 percent from the field, down from his career average of 60.2 percent.

Williamson is averaging 4.6 assists per game, the same total he posted last season.

His free throw percentage of 65.8 is not good enough, down from 71.4 percent last season and from his career average of 68.5 percent. His shortcoming was evident in Dallas Monday, when the Mavericks fouled him intentionally in a very close game in the final minute and Williamson split a pair of free throws.

Though he will never be considered a standout defensive player, the effort Williamson has put forth on the defensive end has been ramped up.

Similarly, Brandon Ingram has been available, playing in 37 of the 41 games after missing 37 games last season.

Similarly, Ingram’s production has been good but not great and is down from last season.

Ingram is averaging 21.4 points per game, down a solid 3.3 points per game from last season. If the season ended today, it would be his lowest scoring average in six seasons.

Ingram’s rebounds (4.6) and assists (5.4) are down from last season’s averages of 5.5 and 5.8.

One of the elite mid-range shooters/scorers in the NBA, Ingram is shooting 49.1 percent from the field but his 3-point shooting is down from 39 percent last season to 34.1 percent this season.

Clearly, Williamson and Ingram have not been the best duo in the league as hoped for and stated by head coach Willie Green.

They are good, not elite.

CJ McCollum has played well but has missed 14 games.

McCollum is averaging 19.6 points per game, down from last season’s 20.9 average, but shooting the ball well, at 46.7 percent from the field (up from 43.7 percent last season).

Quite impressive is the 44.3 percent shooting from 3-point range for McCollum, placing him among the best long-distance snipers in the NBA and well above his career average of 39.8 percent.

Most impressive is McCollum having the best +/- ratio on the team at +133.

Jonas Valanciunas has been the solid rock, once again.

You can always count on Valanciunas for his durability, dependability and production.

While he is limited in space guarding on the defensive end, Valanciunas is a solid offensive player, passer and rebounder as he continues to make his case to remain with the organization after this season.

Valanciunas is at 14.1 points per game, same as last season, and at 9.6 rebounds per game, down from 10.2 last season. His field goal percentage of 57.1 is up from 54.7 percent last season. The same is true from 3-point range, where Valanciunas is at 37.8 percent, up from 34.9 percent, and his assists (2.3 per game) are up from 1.8 last season.

Valanciunas is third on the team with a +/-105 and he has not missed a game.

Herb Jones remains an elite defender, regularly taking on the task of guarding the top scorer, be it a guard or forward on the opposing team. Jones is the consummate glue-guy, a player you win with.

Offensively, Jones will never be a huge threat but he has worked hard to make himself a double-figure scorer, averaging 10.7 points per game (up from 9.8) while shooting 48 percent (up from 46.9) in 38 games.

The largest illustration of how hard Jones has worked on his shot is evident from 3-point range and at the free throw line.

Jones is shooting a solid 38.1 percent from 3-point range, averaging 3.3 attempts per game, up from 2.5 attempts a year ago. Jones is shooting 86 percent from the free throw line, up from 76.4 percent a year ago.

Trey Murphy III got a late start to the season due to a knee injury and has played in just 17 games.

Murphy is averaging 13.4 points per game (down from 14.5 last season). His rebounds are the same (3.6) while his assists are up from 1.4 last season to 2.1 this season. Murphy has the second best +/- on the team at +123.

Though the sample size is small, Murphy is down from 48.4 percent to 44 percent shooting from the field and down from 40.6 percent to 38.9 percent from 3-point range. Murphy is getting to the free throw line more but his percentage is down significantly, from an elite 90.5 percent last season to 82.2 percent this season.

Naji Marshall remains a solid, steady bench player.

Marshall does not have any one standout skill but is a hard worker on both ends of the floor and is a good reserve when he stays within himself. He is down (7.9 points) from 9.1 last season while his field goal percentage is up from 43.3 percent to 45.6 percent.

The huge upside for Marshall is from 3-point range, where you must now respect and guard him. Marshall is shooting 38.5 percent beyond the arc, up from 30.3 last season. Marshall is a hard worker and willing defender.

Jose Alvarado has played in just 24 of 41 games due to injuries and has done what you expect of him, providing energy, hustle, enthusiasm, defense and occasional scoring, averaging 7.3 points (down from 9.0) and two assists (down from three). Alvarado is dramatically improved from 3-point range over last season, shooting 39.3 percent, compared to 33.6 percent.

Like Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr. has played in just 24 of 41 games due to injuries.

Upon his return, Nance made an impact, giving the Pelicans versatility at the 5-spot with the ability to spread the floor a bit more and to defend better on the perimeter.

Nance is averaging 5.8 points per game, down from 6.8 points last season. Nance is shooting 56.4 percent from the field, down from 61 percent last season, but he has been good from 3-point range at 44 percent, an outstanding number, up from 33 percent last season. Nance is at 5.1 rebounds per game, compared to 5.4 last season.

Dyson Daniels remains an elite on the ball defender, able to guard any guards and forwards in good fashion. His ability to get in passing lanes and get his hands on passes is among the very best in the league.

Still very young, Daniels has shown slight offensive improvement with is points average up to 6.0 per game from 3.8 last season. Assists are up to 2.8 per game from 2.3 and steals are a huge factor, now at 1.3 per contest, up from 0.7 last season.

The field goal percentage is up from 41.8 percent last season to 43.6 percent this season but his 3-point game is still lacking, with Daniels shooting just 28.4 percent from range.

Rookie Jordan Hawkins has clearly made his case to play and to play regularly. Simply put, Hawkins needs and deserves minutes from Green.

With Murphy down to start the season, Hawkins stepped into the void and filled it nicely, providing needed 3-point shooting.

In 36 games, Hawkins is averaging 10.7 points per game while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. His 34-point effort in the win at Dallas last weekend was a gem. He won the game for New Orleans as the Pelicans played without Williamson, Ingram, McCollum and Murphy.

Cody Zeller, Dereon Seabron, Kira Lewis Jr., E.J. Lidell and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl have been roster guys, not significant contributors.

New Orleans is in the top half of the league in scoring and rebound margin and is eighth in net rating (offense/defense combined) in the league.

Moving forward, Hawkins needs to play nightly, rather than having five DNP’s.

Barring injuries, that will likely impact Alvarado and Marshall the most in terms of playing time.

New Orleans is basically in a 3-way tie for fifth in the Western Conference with Dallas and Sacramento.

The Mavericks will get Luka Doncic, second in the league in scoring, back soon and they are a dangerous 3-point shooting team.

The Kings can score with anyone, led by De’Aaron Fox, though the Pelicans are 4-0 against them.

Minnesota has proven that you can win and win big with twin towers, an old-school approach and the Timberwolves have a closer in Anthony Edwards, an elite talent.

Denver is the defending champion with an elite player in Nikola Jokic.

Oklahoma City has an outstanding roster with dynamic young players, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, third in the league in scoring.

The Clippers are good, particularly when Kawhi Leonard is healthy.

You can expect Phoenix to make a run now with Bradley Beal on the floor, joining elite players in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Utah is playing great, with six straight wins, and is a tough matchup for New Orleans with Lauri Markkanen leading the way for a very long front line.

The Lakers are always a threat if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy.

Golden State is not the same but still has Stephen Curry and just got Draymond Green back.

The Pelicans should have no problem reaching the play-in postseason level again but that is clearly not the goal.

New Orleans has a real shot to reach the top six and avoid the play-in tournament, a goal, but it will not be easy with the depth in the conference.

The Pelicans do have a chance at reaching a top four seed and home court advantage to start the playoffs but that is an uphill climb.

As for winning the Western Conference, that is not impossible but the Pelicans are not at that level, at this point.

New Orleans has been poor in clutch situations.

As noted frequently, the Pelicans are 0-6 in games decided by three points or fewer, have a 4-9 record in games decided by six or fewer points and the Pelicans lead the league in losing games which they led at halftime, suggesting a lack of maturity, a lack of a few needed adjustments and, perhaps, the lack of a closer.

Williamson, the team’s top scorer, is 30th in the NBA in scoring while Ingram is 37th, hardly suggesting elite scorers.

Neither is a real threat from 3-point range.

While New Orleans is as deep and can play as long as any team in the league, New Orleans has lacked a closer and lacked toughness in game-deciding situations.

Still, at seven games over .500, this is a good team with room for growth for players like Jones, Daniels, Murphy and Hawkins.

This team has played hard for Green and there is apparent harmony between the players, as well as the players and coaches. The Pelicans have been good, not outstanding. The future appears bright but it is not a shining light just yet.