What’s going on with Jordan Hawkins? The Pelicans’ lottery pick strung together impressive shooting performances to begin the season. He scored 31 and 25 in single games during his first month as a pro, adding much-needed spacing to a paint-focused New Orleans offense.
But over the Pelicans’ last six games especially, Hawkins’ playing time has declined sharply. On the season, Hawkins averages 24.3 minutes per game. That number dips to 6.6 over Hawkins’ last five games including a coach’s DNP.
Defense is the main culprit, as Hawkins has hit the rookie defensive wall hard. Though defensive metrics can be noisy, they don’t view Hawkins’ start favorably. With Hawkins off the floor, New Orleans’ defensive rating jumps a massive nine points. Estimated plus-minus has Hawkins as a -3.3, good for the second-worst figure in the entire league.
The film tells a similar story, as Hawkins has struggled mightily on the defensive end aside from a few strong games early in the season. He’s hit the proverbial rookie wall, struggling to keep ballhandlers in front and overplaying drivers to allow paint touches. Though Hawkins is energetic and sometimes positions himself well, he isn’t big or strong enough to make impactful contests consistently.
The Pelicans ask a lot of their guards defensively given some of the issues their bigger stars have on that end. They have to keep up pressure, keep the ball in front and provide timely help from anywhere on the floor. It’s a lot to ask and even more for a rookie.
Hawkins’ strength and physicality are the primary issues. He’s one of the weaker players in the NBA, easily giving way to stronger players who drive into his chest and lower their shoulders into his. It’s far too easy for even slower creators to dislodge Hawkins and create easy shots.
Strength deficiencies are fixable, though, especially for rookies. Just 21 years old, Hawkins still has years and years of physical development to go through. One of the primary functions of NBA strength and conditioning programs is to build up physicality for young players and that takes time. Hawkins is unfortunately starting from a lower baseline than many of his peers as an older rookie who is frail by 21 year old standards, but improvement should be the expectation.
Jordan Hawkins will add strength. He’ll learn the ins and outs of positioning and rotational defense in the years to come. That plus his shooting — Hawkins already shoots 35.6% on nine threes per 75 possessions — will earn him a slot in the future Pelicans’ rotation.
Right now, New Orleans sits at seventh in the west. For a team with playoff expectations and beyond, it makes sense that they’re prioritizing wins over Hawkins’ optimal development. Though he isn’t contributing now, Hawkins has the skills to be a valuable rotation player in due time for New Orleans as he continues to grow and adjust. Most rookies are that way.
Written by contributor Ben Pfeifer.
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He is a better defensive rebounder than most of the other Pelicans.
But he’s by far the worst defensive player on the roster, and it hasn’t mattered who they’ve paired him with.
It’s OK to win with offense, and for sure the team could use more floor spacing