The New Orleans Pelicans shouldn't be searching for an offensive identity. The numbers already point them toward one.

New Orleans averaged 57.7 points in the paint last season, trailing only Detroit. Eleven teams scored at least 52 paint points per game. Seven (Detroit, Miami, Toronto, Houston, San Antonio, Cleveland, L.A. Lakers) finished with winning records.

The Pelicans were one of the four that did not. That matters because it shows that paint scoring alone is not an identity. It's the beginning of one.

Offense alone isn't enough

New Orleans averaged more paint points than six of those seven winning teams. The Pelicans also scored nearly 17 points off the break each game, slightly more than the winning group's average, while their second-chance scoring was comparable.

The problem was what happened at the other end of the court.

Those seven winning teams allowed an average of roughly 48 points in the paint each game. New Orleans gave up 53.1. The Pelicans also allowed three more fast-break points and two more second-chance points than the winning group.

The Pelicans' interior scoring advantage was erased because they couldn't protect the paint, control transition, or consistently end possessions with a rebound. They scored 115.5 points per game, but allowed 120.

Where Mosley establishes the identity

That should be the first lesson Jamahl Mosley teaches his team: defense must become the beginning of the offense.

The Pelicans should play fast, but not simply because Jeremiah Fears has speed or Zion Williamson is a freight train in transition. They'll need to create pace through Herb Jones forcing turnovers, Yves Missi challenging shots, Dejounte Murray pressuring the ball, and the entire lineup attacking the glass.

Running after made baskets isn't the same as creating efficient transition offense. The best scoring opportunities come from stops that leave the defense scrambling.

The second lesson is that paint pressure must generate easier shots for everyone.

The seven winning paint-scoring teams averaged nearly 28 assists. New Orleans averaged 25.1, good for 24th in the NBA. The Pelicans proved they could get inside, but those drives didn't consistently produce the next pass, the extra pass, or a clean shot from the perimeter.

That must change.

When Williamson, Fears, Murray, or Bennedict Mathurin reach the paint, the possession can't devolve into four teammates standing and watching. Players must cut, relocate, and screen help defenders.

Pressure on the supporting cast

Trey Murphy should be the primary beneficiary. Saddiq Bey must remain a dependable catch-and-shoot option. Jones can create value as a cutter, while Derik Queen must make quicker decisions when he receives the ball in the middle of the floor.

Queen may be key to fitting the pieces together. Instead of asking him to occupy the same space as Zion, Mosley can use him as a screener, short-roll passer, and secondary creator. If the opposing center hangs at the rim, Queen can take a short jumper. If the defense collapses, he must move the ball to Murphy, Bey, or a cutter.

New Orleans probably won't find ideal spacing this season, but smart ball and player movement can make the offense functional.

The Pelicans also have to address their problems from three-point range.

Fixing the 3-point deficit

They made only 11.1 threes per game last season while their opponents made 14.2. That's a nine-point deficit every night from behind the arc. New Orleans was outscored by only 4.5 points per game overall.

The answer isn't taking 40 threes every night. This roster isn't built for that type of volume.

The Pelicans attempted roughly 32 triples per game and made 34.7%. They need to improve either their volume, their accuracy, or both. More importantly, they can't keep giving up so many points from three-point range on the other end.

While opponents shot only 35% from three against New Orleans, they attempted more than 40 per game. Defending the three-point line isn't only about forcing misses. It's also about limiting attempts.

Being better at the point of attack on defense would reduce the number of rotations and long closeouts required from the rest of the lineup. Better rebounding prevents opponents from turning missed threes into another possession and another open shot.

The Pelicans' game logs offer a clear formula. In their 26 victories last season, they averaged 123.9 points, shot 49%, recorded 27.2 assists, and pulled down 48.5 rebounds. In losses, those numbers dipped to 111.6 points, 24.1 assists, and 41.7 boards.

Opponents shot 44% overall and 30% from three in Pelicans wins. In their losses, that jumped to 49% overall and 37% from deep.

New Orleans held foes below 35% from three in 22 of its 26 wins. It outrebounded its opponent in 19 wins and handed out at least 25 assists in 19 wins.

The Pelicans won when they defended, rebounded, and moved the ball.

That must become the identity.

Becoming a winning team

Build the offense around the pressure Williamson, Fears, Murray, Mathurin, and Queen can create in the paint. Keep Murphy connected to those lineups as the primary floor spacer. Use Jones as a defender and active cutter. Give Missi a defined role as a rim runner, rebounder, and shot blocker.

Jamahl Mosley must avoid lineups featuring three players whom defenses can ignore. Avoid groups with five players who all need the ball. Stop asking interior scoring to compensate for poor defense.

The winning paint teams didn't get that way because they scored more inside than the Pelicans. They made their paint points matter by shooting more efficiently, producing more assists, and stopping opponents from generating the same easy opportunities.

The Pelicans have the foundation of a style. Mosley's job is to connect these separate parts and turn that style into an identity.