Pelicans need Jordan Hawkins to jumpstart NBA Summer League offense

The defensive work being done in the dark by Hawkins will come to light during training camp. Las Vegas is a different kind of lab. The 22-year-old NCAA champion out of UConn will be the pace-setting point guard for long stretches in Las Vegas. Hawkins cannot be timid either. Every open opportunity from beyond the arc should have a shot attempt associated with it. Shooting cannot be the only focus though. Here are a few other things the team will be charting in Sin City.

On point in Pick-and-Roll actions

Hawkins can shoot but that will not be enough going forward. He already had a tough time seeing the court for the back half of last season due to a one-dimensional game being exposed. The scouting report is out. Now Hawkins must show he can set new rookie big man Yves Missi up for success, especially if Antonio Reeves is doing everything right. Hawkins just saw the Pelicans push Dyson Daniels out of the door for an upgrade. Reeves was a 44.7% three-point threat at Kentucky working as a secondary ballhandler and comes at a far cheaper price point.

It’s getting that serious for the Pelicans and Hawkins. The Pelicans and luxury tax issues will be a topic for the remainder of Zion Williamson’s second contract extension. Hawkins has to create space for others with and without the ball. The 6-foot-5 combo guard will not be muscling anyone off of a spot soon. Maximizing a shiftiness to relocate and create more wide-open scoring opportunities is the next step in becoming a versatile, multi-level offensive threat.

Some of that space will be his to use. Unfortunately, the pull-up three-pointer was a shot opponents wanted Hawkins to take last season. Hawkins made just 28% of pull-up three-pointers as a rookie and was good for only a 40% pull-up clip on long two-pointers.

Ten-and-In finishing failures

Jordan Hawkins does not have to force any passes into the bigs. Missi has only been playing basketball for three years and will not see some angles against better competition. It is on Hawkins to keep the offense going when the first option does not pan out. Defenders will be draped on Hawkins once the pick-and-roll action implodes. Getting into the paint to pressure the rim and draw foul calls is the next step to dominating the Summer League runs.

The problem has been finishing off those opportunities. Hawkins played 66 games but only got a 10-foot-or-closer shot attempt in 39 games. Only 15% of his shots come anywhere close to the rim and Hawkins makes a below-average 42.6% of those attempts.

Finishing through contact and shooting well when defenders are nearby has been a problem. The difference between tight defense (20%) and a wide-open shot (41%) is a massive performance gap. Hawkins has to be better in the last ten seconds of the shot clock and when within 10 feet of the rim.

No off days on Willie Green’s defense

Thoughts of a Willie Green-led locker room not prioritizing defense would be the most foolish bet in Las Vegas. Hawkins admitted as much during the team’s exit interviews.

“Still working on things defensively,” Hawkins admitted. “Still want to be a lockdown defender.”

There is little use to rehashing where Hawkins fell short on defense last year. Those shortcomings are seen in the film review nightmares but the mistakes can be corrected. Hawkins is one of the most promising young talents to come through New Orleans.

The Pelicans have to find a way to harness the former lottery pick’s shooting ability. Zion Williamson will not be adding a three-point shot soon so Hawkins bringing another dimension to the team’s offense is crucial to getting value. However, for Hawkins to take the next step in his development an improvement in ball handling and overall defense is a necessity. The Summer League sessions provide the best live-action, low-pressure opportunity for Hawkins and the Pelicans to work on these improvements.