Fansided

New Orleans Pelicans may force guard Jrue Holiday to defend forwards

By Philip Rossman-Reich

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 29: Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives against Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Washington Wizards during the first half of a game at the Smoothie King Center on January 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 29: Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives against Kelly Oubre Jr. #12 of the Washington Wizards during the first half of a game at the Smoothie King Center on January 29, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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The New Orleans Pelicans roster is depleted at small forward. So much so, it seems Alvin Gentry will have to use point guard Jrue Holiday at forward.

The New Orleans Pelicans shocked the NBA last year when they opted to go big, acquiring DeMarcus Cousins to match with Anthony Davis. It is a big cost for sure but the big pairing gives the Pelicans a unique duo in a league that is going smaller. New Orleans is investing a lot in that working.

The problem is New Orleans has largely neglected the rest of the team’s roster. Jrue Holiday is the best perimeter player and he has had his moments. But Holiday has struggled to fight through injuries for much of his career with the Pelicans.

New Orleans’ lack of frontcourt depth will not help him, nor will it help Cousins and Davis.

The Pelicans are short on small forwards and wing players as the team prepares to open training camp. Solomon Hill is out with a torn hamstring. He will miss most of the season. That left the Pelicans without a quality starting small forward. The team signed Tony Allen, but the plan is to use a lot of three-guard lineups, potentially starting E’Twaun Moore, Jrue Holiday and Ian Clark.

The Pelicans are going to use plenty of small lineups, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry confirmed to Zach Lowe of ESPN.

"Gentry plans to use three-guard lineups featuring any of Rondo, Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, and Ian Clark, and he will ask Holiday to defend bigger wings. “The Paul Georges and Kevin Durants — we’re going to ask Jrue to guard those guys,” Gentry said."

Moore and Holiday are 6-foot-4. And Clark is 6-foot-3. The Pelicans are going to have a hard time matching up with bigger wing players like Paul George and Kevin Durant. Necessity is going to force the Pelicans into a difficult spot.

Without strong wing and guard play, it may be difficult for the Pelicans to get the most of their Cousins-Davis pairing.

Holiday is the best of that bunch. He averaged 15.4 points per game in 67 games last year. Holiday has always been a bit of a hybrid guard, able to score and get into the paint as a point guard. But he has sometimes struggled when moved off the ball and playing more on the wing.

The Pelicans will likely use some combination of Tony Allen and Dante Cunningham in their starting lineup. But it seems inevitable they will have to go to this three-guard lineup. And it will have its problems. It is just a small lineup. And if the Pelicans have to use this lineup often, it could spell trouble for their nascent playoff hopes.

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New Orleans, facing some decisions on whether their Davis/Cousins gamble can work, has not seemingly put together a roster to take the most advantage of them. Holiday will have the ball a lot to run pick and rolls with Davis and Cousins. But it will be more difficult if he has a 6-foot-8 forward defending him instead.

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