Jordan Hawkins may not be a featured player on the 16-11 New Orleans Pelicans, but he's gotten a ton of early-season minutes which should bode well for his future, particularly from a preparation standpoint.
Hawkins, averaging 10.9 points per game on the season following a blowout win over the San Antonio Spurs, has seemingly understood - and embraced - his role right off the bat, leaning into his long-range shooting.
Coming into the Spurs game, 65.5% of Hawkins' shot attempts were from downtown, a shot he's hit at a reasonable rate of 35.9%.
But here's where the observation factor comes in. His efficiency should climb, and maybe even during this season. Hawkins, as is the case with most shooting guards coming out of UConn, has shooting mechanics that look like they were made in the lab.
It's a fluid motion, and one he gets plenty of lift on, which speaks to his potential as a floor spacer, especially one who can run around in semicircles, and bend defenses.
If Zion Williamson gets back to his usual ways, after what's been an inconsistent season on his part, that too would assist Hawkins simply having less attention on him. When defenses are keyed into Williamson, it's usually a free-for-all buffet for his floor spacing teammates.
Hawkins has played 632 minutes this season, even though he's lately been on the receiving end of inconsistent minutes. The Pelicans have won four straight, and it's clear winning is their main priority, which could mean a decreased opportunity for minutes, especially with Trey Murphy now back from injury.
However, this is where you could argue that pairing Williamson with both Hawkins and Murphy, not to mention Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum, could supercharge the offense in spurts, even if Williamson at center is a defensive liability.
Hawkins is clearly going to be primarily a spot-up guy in this league. That's not a knock on him, and it's not to argue he can't be more, but given how well his primary skill fits with the team's best player - not to mention just how absurdly value that skill is in today's NBA - it'd make sense for him to embrace that particular role, especially when paired with the above group of players.
As the season progresses, Hawkins streamlining his own role even more would be a major advantage for him, as he comes into Year 2.
Not only will he likely cement his own presence in the rotation, he'll also build himself a sustainable market for when he enters free agency in 2027.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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