NBA games are always about trying to find an advantage, which has made New Orleans’ midseason decision to use consistently bigger lineups a valuable change in strategy. Relying more heavily on the likes of 6-foot-11 Jaxson Hayes, 6-8 Trey Murphy III and 6-7 Herbert Jones has meant that the Pelicans are often taller than their opponents, while not giving up much or anything in the athleticism department. As Murphy explained after Thursday’s shootaround, with offenses around the league maximizing spacing by putting more shooting on the court, defenses are trying to match that by going to rangier players in lineups.
Pelicans shootaround update: Unique lineups providing NOLA with advantages at both ends of floor
