Is Pels Front Court Now Elite With Addition of Asik?

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After finishing the 2013-14 campaign with a 34-48 record, the New Orleans Pelicans are wasting no time trying to turn this roster into a playoff participant. It won't be easy in the Western Conference, but the latest move is certainly a start.

As first reported by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans are set to acquire center Omer Asik from the Houston Rockets in exchange for a protected future first-round pick, per Zach Lowe of Grantland.

The motivation for the Houston Rockets is obvious enough. They're looking to create cap room that would be used on an additional superstar such as LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony.

New Orleans' ambitions aren't quite so grandiose.

But from the Pelicans' perspective, this is a shrewd move all the same. The organization needed a center to complement increasingly rangy power forward Anthony Davis. Asik can take on the responsibility of banging in the paint with other teams' interior presences. He's a strong 7-footer with well-known defensive pedigree.

Paired with a shot-swatter like Davis, the move would immediately propel the Pelicans defense in a big way.

https://twitter.com/JonesOnTheNBA/statuses/481986846059024384

Asik himself isn't a dominant shot-blocker, but he plays with sound fundamentals. He's the guy who bodies up with the other team's best post-scorer. Davis will be the one flying in from the weak side to tally all the blocked shots.

The 21-year-old Davis averaged an eye-popping 2.8 blocks last season to go along with 20.8 points and 10 rebounds per contest. He's quickly established himself as a dynamic two-way player, capable of defending all over the floor and scoring in kind.

Though not quite a stretch 4, Davis has become a reliable mid-range shooter, making his athleticism and ability to get to the basket all the more dangerous.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2110171-is-new-orleans-pelicans-frontcourt-now-among-nbas-elite-after-omer-asik-trade

 

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