The dynamic between stars emerges as the critical question for any ascending team and the same is true for the New Orleans Pelicans. How Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram mesh is as salient as ever as the Pelicans push to make a deep postseason run. Across 849 minutes when they share the floor, Williamson and Ingram lineups posted a solid +1.72 net rating. But with Ingram and Zion on the floor individually, net ratings climbed. Lineup data is finicky and lacking in context, but is there anything here?
For the positives, offense isn’t an issue with the Pelicans’ two stars on the floor; their 118.8 offensive rating together would rank top seven across the league. Denying Zion Williamson’s paint scoring is difficult enough for most defensive units. When the Pelicans intentionally feed him down low, the offense runs smoothly. Adding Ingram to that equation makes that all the more threatening.
Working Zion and Ingram in action together only increases their potency. Zion’s passing (insert link to zion passing article?) has been stellar this season and New Orleans overwhelms defenses with Ingram as an off-ball threat next to Williamson.
Though Zion and Ingram draw significant defensive attention, there are some fit issues, namely the spacing. Too often, especially late in games, the offensive devolves into the two stars taking turns isolating from their spots. When Zion floats off of the ball, defenses freely roam and can impede Ingram’s drives and passing lanes.
Most of the issues with the Ingram and Williamson pairing come defensively, with Zion’s deficiencies standing out despite his improvement from early in the season. Their defensive rating together (117.1) would rank as a bottom 10 defense in the league. Especially given the limitations of CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas, Ingram and Williamson’s lack of defensive impact can make those lineups too offense-centric.
Ingram can make plays with his size and length, as his off-ball defense is solid. At the highest level, strong players overwhelm him with speed and size. Especially in the starting lineup, Herb Jones covers an immense amount of area to make up for the other players’ lack of effort and movement. Any missed time could spell disaster for New Orleans’ chances on that end of the floor with Zion and Ingram playing together.
Staggering Ingram and Willamson with other rotation pieces could fix some of these problems, especially defensively. In a playoff setting, staggering Ingram and Williamson would put constant pressure on defenses while maintaining New Orleans’ own defensive floor.
But the Pelicans must maximize Zion and Ingram as long as these two are on the roster. Star players win playoff games and championships. Tinkering with lineups to more frequently play those two with defenders like Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado and Dyson Daniels may be advantageous in the long run.
Analysis by Ben Pfeifer
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