Big-Role Player: The Rise of Naji Marshall
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If you asked fans of the New Orleans Pelicans which young player on the roster (not named Zion Williamson) would take the biggest leap from last season to this season, not many would have picked the name Naji Marshall.
Over his first two seasons in the NBA, Marshall had made the steady rise from undrafted free agent, to securing a two-way deal with the Pelicans and eventually earning a three-year deal with the franchise after just 26 games and posting rookie year averages of 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting a more than respectable 35 percent from three-point range.
Last season, Marshall saw a dip in his minutes and his production as he appeared in only 55 games and at times had difficulty carving out a space in the rotation with the emergence of Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III.
But, like most of his teammates, Marshall got his game going during the Pelicans pursuit of the postseason.
Over the season's first 60 games Naji played in 33, averaging fewer than 10 minutes per game.
Marshall was on the court for each of the Pels' final 24 games (including the Play-In), earning four starts as well, while nearly doubling his minutes (18.8).
New Orleans went 14-10 during that stretch with Marshall scoring in double figures in nine games.
Apr 15, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) moves to the basket ahead of Los Angeles Clippers forward Robert Covington (23) during the first half of the play in game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Though he wasn't a major contributor in the playoff series loss to the Phoenix Suns, Marshall had reestablished himself as an important rotational player for the Pelicans.
Over the first three games of this season, Marshall once again assumed his place somewhere between 11 and 15 on the Pelicans' depth chart.
But once injuries struck (including Marshall accidentally striking Brandon Ingram and sending him into NBA concussion protocols), Naji was thrust back into taking on major minutes.
He hasn't disappointed.
Over his last three games, all as a starter, Marshall has posted averages of 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 57 percent from the floor and 43 percent from deep.
He scored a career-high 21 points against the Suns, and followed that up with a stellar performance against the Clippers on Sunday.
The Pelicans were +17 with him on the floor as he made life miserable for L.A. defensively, and scored in both the half court and in transition as the Pelicans ran away with the lead in the second half.
With Ingram still not likely to return before the Pelicans host the Golden State Warriors at the earliest, Marshall will likely start against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Another performance like Sunday's would only serve to make the decisions for Willie Green more difficult when his roster is fully healthy.
There are only 48 minutes in a game. Multiplied by five positions, that total becomes 240. It's an unenviable task but a wonderful problem to have; allocating minutes for multiple players that can be trusted to get the job done.
No matter what, as long as he's healthy, someone is going to have to find room for Naji Marshall. Because, as Jose Alvarado said...
Yeah, Jose. He is.
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- Pelicans Not Quite Top-10 In ESPN's Futures Power Rankings
- Brandon Ingram Placed In Concussion Protocols
- Pelicans Season Predictions: Records, Awards, Playoffs
- Pels Have No Doubt Dyson Daniels Is Day One Ready
- Pelicans Finding Out Jose Alvarado Not Fooling Around
- Zion Williamson Draws Inspiration From The Notorious B.I.G.
- Willy Hernangomez Has Earned A Shot At A Bigger Role
