National Basketball Association

New Orleans Pelicans Will Ask "Bigger" Role of Dante Cunningham

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With the New Orleans Pelicans’ focus on smaller lineups, it becomes likely the team will ask a “bigger role” of their combo forward Dante Cunningham.

Dante Cunningham is coming off a strong 2015-2016 season for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Cunningham averaged 6.1 points, three rebounds and one assist in 80 games played last year. With his average of 24.6 minutes per game, it’s clear to see just how big a role he played.

Dante saw a good mix of minutes, but his focus last year was flexibility. While he did play some small forward, the Pelicans wanted to use him at the power forward spot as well. It was a good balance for him.

He went through changes constantly last season. From guarding the likes of Kobe Bryant to Kevin Durant, he saw it all. The capability to swing from different defensive positions make him a great balance option.

However, fans will likely not see that balance this year.

The New Orleans Pelicans free agency has been focused on the idea of smaller lineups.

The free agent signings, including E’Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway, Solomon Hill and Lance Stephenson, can all play multiple positions at either guard or forward. The Pelicans want flexibility, as they have six guards on the their projected depth chart.

Now it is true some guards are they to lighten the load on time Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans will miss. Still, it seems like a certainty Head Coach Alvin Gentry will experiment a lot with smaller lineups.

With the small forward position deep with Hill, Quincy Pondexter, Alonzo Gee and possibly Chris Copeland, New Orleans will not need Dante Cunningham to fill that role.

He will not find much time at the three, because the Pelicans will need him at power forward. While the guard and small forward spots are strong in New Orleans, depth in the frontcourt is not.

The power forward position for the Pelicans includes Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones. That seems like enough to hold over. Still, Davis will play time at the center, due to the even greater weakness at that position.

Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca can not man the position in Gentry’s system. Asik’s goofy and uncoordinated play made him a disaster in constant transition. Ajinca’s inability to play consistent defense kills the bench unit. Together, it made a team already struggling with injuries a greater disaster.

With the Pelicans needing to play Davis at the center in order to succeed, it’s likely up to Cunningham to take the role of power forward. Off the bench, he’ll provide defensive flexibility and the grittiness to take on players bigger and taller than he is. His success in these position gives New Orleans a chance to be the team they want to be.

It’s not a given it will work, but the New Orleans Pelicans are in a spot where they’ll need to ask Dante Cunningham to take on a different role this season. Instead of splitting time from small to power forward, this season will see him focus on the four. The Pelicans inability to bring in frontcourt players to fit the system, until this year, has put them in this tricky spot. It’s up to Dante Cunningham to make it manageable for at least the 2016-2017 season.

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