The Pelicans seemed to clearly acknowledge their lack of high level shooting on the roster, snagging UCONN guard Jordan Hawkins in the lottery of this past draft. Hawkins is at worst one of the 3-5 best shooters in this loaded 2023 draft class, burning defenses with savvy, technical off ball movement and shotmaking.
Hawkins’ shooting numbers over his college career are startling: 14.4 3pa/100 at 37.6% and 87.2% on free throws. A potent off-ball sniper, Hawkins squares his shoulders to the rim with great body control and balance with a release that is quick and high. That combined with his strong feel as a mover/spacer makes him dangerous to guard outside the arc.
Playing on an NBA style UCONN team, Hawkins has experience playing high-leverage minutes as an off-ball attacker. That’s what he will have to do, especially in the absence of Trey Murphy, operating as a spacer and winning off ball next to Zion, Ingram and McCollum. Those three force help with their gravity which Hawkins will punish with his shooting.
Elite shooting for Hawkins is all but guaranteed and that skill alone will help him stick on an NBA floor, but what else can he bring to the table. As a rookie, whether or not Hawkins will be able to hold up as a defender, dribbler and decision maker will determine how much playing time he ends up handling.
Most offensive role players need more than just shooting to thrive, though elite movement shooting like Hawkins has is a big compensator there. Off-ball shooters need the requisite handle to win when defenders run them off of the line and need to be able to make decisions well enough to exploit their own shooting graviity.
Hawkins is solid in these areas as a functional if not exceptional decision maker with high end shooting. Creation and interior scoring will be the main improvement areas, as Hawkins’ weak handle, burst and strength make it difficult for him to create his own advantages and get shots off on ball. He’s a poor finisher as well, limiting his play finishing value.
Defense likely will be a struggle early for Hawkins as it is for most rookies, in college, Hawkins was a sound team defender, consistently making solid rotations with good awareness and activity. As they do on offense, the athletic limitations hurt him defensively. Below average lateral movement, strength and wingspan hurt Hawkins on defense and limit his impact as an on and off ball defender.
Strength improvement will be critical for Hawkins to become a solid defender. That isn’t out of the realm of possibility all, which would likely make Hawkins a valuable role player. The offense will not be perfect in year one as physical and on-ball skill limitations could limit his impact. If Hawkins can improve as a creator or finisher, though, he could be an invaluable starter for a Pelicans’ core hoping to compete for a ring soon.
You can follow Ben Pfiefer on Twitter at @bjpf_
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The roster lacks a true identity imo. What will willie Green lean on mostly. Is it a power game with Zion playing bully ball? Or, relying on outside shooting? They still need more shooting outside of BI, CJ, and Trey. I expect J. Hawkins to get more run out the gate to build his confidence though. How do they play EJ is a question for me? He’s a tweener at 6’6 so is he big and strong enough at PF or good enough shooter to play SF 3 and D type? Dyson, Larry, Naji, can’t shoot so how do they play into the identity? Dyson is a poor ball handler, what is Naji position if he can’t make shots? Does Larry backup Zion and becomes the bully? Who gets the most run at PG out of Kira , Alvarado or even Seabron?