Rebounding Will Be The Key to Unlocking Zion At Center Lineups

The idea of Zion at center is intoxicating, but it will come undone if the Pelicans cannot reliably secure rebounds

For the second day in a row, Willie Green has broached the idea of Zion at center. For years, the Pelicans and media alike have flirted with this idea, but it hasn’t been able to materialize due to Zion’s availability. We’ve been told in the past that Zion doesn’t necessarily see himself as a center and he is quick to tell you that he was raised as a point guard. The Pelicans themselves have also routinely invested assets in the center position. Nevertheless, the idea of Zion in space with the freedom to attack without any other big on the court is tantalizing.

“We looked at our pick and roll numbers, with him (Zion) handling and him as a screener,” said Willie Green, “there’s many more opportunities when he is the handler. Now we want to get him as a screener as well because his numbers are off the charts in both. Feel like like that’s an area we can grow a bit. Getting him running in the screens, diving, catching it in the pocket and making plays from there.”

Sure enough, per Second Spectrum data provided to the esteemed Andrew Lopez, Zion generated 1.16 pts per chance as a screener, ranking him top 5 among players setting at least 150 screens. No matter how you slice it, Zion is an overwhelming force on offense. Getting him in more screening actions will only make the Pelicans offense that much more dynamic. However, as good as the offense has the potential to be, it’s the other end that leaves questions. Particularly with rebounding.

In 44 minutes with Zion at the 5 last season, the Pelicans were out rebounded 48-41, while giving up 18 offensive rebounds. Cleaning The Glass has the opponent offensive rebound rate in those configurations at a monstrous 37.5% - which would be tops in the league. The cause of this rebounding issue is more than Zion - it’s the wings and smalls that flock him. With Herb Jones and Trey Murphy as bottom quartile defensive rebounders for position, the Pelicans are at a severe disadvantage when Zion gets pulled out of the paint and switched onto the perimeter. Here is an example of this occurring repeatedly against the Utah Jazz in December last year.

Willie Green recognizes the importance of ending possessions with a board. “It’s important. I think that’s an area where we wasn’t at our best - especially when we were redding (switching) one through five. It’s something we are talking about right away - how important it is for us to secure rebounds. Our defense was top six, but the Oklahoma game that we lost - they had 25 second chance points or something like that…When we have a defense that can get stops, we gotta secure rebounds and that’s something that we are talking about for sure.”

So is it simply about putting bodies on people?

“A part of it is strategic,” says Green, “but it’s more a mentality. I’m not allowing my man to get it. I’m not gonna turn and look, I gotta turn and hit. And then bring the physicality part to it. So it’s a bit strategy, but really it’s mentality for us.”

Hopefully for the Pelicans, the collective can bring the right mentality to accommodate the intoxicating small ball units.