Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans year in review: Tim Frazier

By Charles LaRocca

Mar 31, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tim Frazier (2) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tim Frazier (2) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New Orleans Pelicans’ season was a massive disappointment; it was a season that failed to live up to expectations and the season would become a lost one. There was one positive development, though.

Despite a horrid season filled with misery and mountains of injuries for the New Orleans Pelicans, there may have been a silver lining deep inside a very dark cloud. That silver lining may come in the form of the unheralded Tim Frazier, or better known at Pelican Debrief as the Pelicans resident superhero.

Tim Frazier was signed to the Pelicans after a ungodly wave of injuries struck the guard rotation. Frazier was the latest of the Pelicans D-League extracts after previous call up Orlando Johnson failed to make an impact. Frazier previously played for the Portland Trailblazers and built himself a reputation as a fringe backup guard. However, the unheralded point guard immediately made an impact in his Pelicans debut by scoring 14 points while also kicking in 9 assist. It was just the kind of debut that Pelicans fans were hoping for.

His debut proved to be no anomaly; in his short Pelicans career, Frazier would go on to average 13.1 ppg, 7.5 assists while shooting an efficient 45 percent from the field and a surprising 41 percent from behind the arc. His advanced metrics with the Pelicans are even better, and he posted a 19.1 player efficiency rating and a true shooting percentage of 53 percent, which is pretty good considering shooting is one of his main weaknesses.

While the shooting numbers look nice, the Pelicans front office must question whether it is sustainable. Frazier’s Pelicans career spanned a mere 16 games, and while he undeniably looked good, it is a very small sample size. Frazier shot the lights out for the Pelicans, but he is a career 32% three point shooter. It is almost certain that his three point percentage with the Pelicans was inflated and not an actual representation of what he brings to the table going forward.

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Think Norris Cole from last year when it comes to Frazier’s shooting. Now, the good news is that Frazier is a more well rounded player offensively than Cole. The main strengths of his game stem from his ability to get others the ball and his willingness to push the pace offensively. Frazier exemplified the type of style that Alvin Gentry wants to run, an offense predicated on moving the ball and finding cutters. This is evidenced by Frazier’s near three to one turnover rate (2.92 to be exact), and his 38.8 assist percentage.

It is obvious that Frazier possess above average vision on the court and is frequently looking to get his teammates involved. This bodes well for the Pelicans, who have a roster that is lacking when it comes to creators. When you only have a 16 game sample size to evaluate a player, it becomes difficult to determine what is flukey, but passing the ball is something that can be relied upon game in and game out. Even more impressive when considering his passing ability is the fact that the three players Frazier passed to the most this season were Luke Babbitt, Toney Douglas, and Kendrick Perkins. This leaves room for optimism that, once Tim Frazier is placed next to better players, his assist numbers will look even better.

Next: Alonzo Gee year in review

His stellar play earned him a contract for the rest of the season, and he may even get the opportunity to solidify the backup point guard spot for next year. Frazier will likely be competing with Toney Douglas in regards to locking that spot up, but he will have the leg up in the competition if he chooses to play in the Las Vegas Summer League. The willingness to bring Frazier back is there for the Pelicans, and it may be entirely up to him if he chooses to return. Either way, Frazier proved in his 16 games with the Pelicans that he can play in the NBA.

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