New Orleans Pelicans Grades: Pels Race Past Wolves Late

86. 123. 69. Final. 109

TIM FRAZIER. B-. Tim Frazier got the start tonight next to Jrue and it was evident why. His statistics do not tell the whole story on how he played. His 1-3 shooting numbers are poor, but Frazier dished out eight assists with no turnovers. More importantly, he looked to push the pace and get into the offensive sets early.. PG. New Orleans Pelicans

JRUE HOLIDAY. A. Jrue Holiday was excellent against the Wolves. Playing more off ball, Jrue showed a decisiveness offensively that had been missing for awhile. His jump-shot falling made the difference, but it was nice to see his aggressiveness back. The team is going to need him to score from the back-court to win, like he did tonight. Jrue finished 8-16 from the floor, including 4-5 from three, to give him 21 points. He also chipped in seven assists, which raises the question of is he better suited as an off-guard going forward.. G. New Orleans Pelicans

B. Solomon Hill followed up his 30 point game with a very solid all-around game. He finished with 13 points, five assists and five rebounds, on top of playing great defense on Andrew Wiggins. This performance felt even sweeter than his 30 point explosion, because it seems sustainable. Hill needs to keep crashing the defensive glass. It allows him to get out and run, before the defense gets set. He did that a couple times tonight and good things happened. If Hill maintains production like tonight, then he will be worth the large contract he was given. Two consecutive good games does not erase a poor season, however, so don’t get too excited yet.. F. New Orleans Pelicans. SOLOMON HILL

ANTHONY DAVIS. A+. Anthony Davis continues his undefeated streak in the battle of the unicorns. Davis is now 5-0 against fellow Kentucky phenom Karl-Anthony Towns. It is evident that both of them feel a little something extra when it comes to the match-up. Davis, in particular, always seems to put on a show when playing Minnesota. Yesterday was no different. AD finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while shooting 11-16 from the field. The craziest thing about it is that it felt like a quiet game for A.D. Davis is making what should be jaw-dropping numbers appear normal. Absurdly good from the Pelicans superstar, who is determined to make this final playoff push.. PF/C. New Orleans Pelicans

DEMARCUS COUSINS. B. A very up and down game for Pelicans star DeMarcus Cousins. For one, he was in foul trouble for most of it, albeit three of the four calls were questionable. Secondly, the team is still figuring out the best way to utilize Cousins. They tried a number of new things against Minny. Some worked, some did not. Cousins posting up on the left block is a staple play, as it should be considering that’s where he was primarily utilized in Sacramento. <p>Where things get murky is the other players willingness to push the pace and Cousins not feeling the same way. Often times, Boogie would not even cross half-court before Minny was in possession of the ball. I am not sure if it is because he isn’t in good enough shape to run or if he simply does not have the desire to. Either way, it is something that will need to be addressed, because good teams will exploit that. But overall a solid game from Cousins, who defended the rim very well in the second half. His defense forced a number of missed layups. His final line of 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and four turnovers is solid and showcases all the different ways he can fill up the box score. Finally, Cousins had zero free throw attempts. That may be the craziest stat of the night.</p>. C. New Orleans Pelicans

B+. E’Twaun Moore had a solid game off the bench. It is a role that is becoming well suited for him and his herky-jerky style offense. Moore finished with 14 points on 6-11 shooting. That’s great bench production and his overall reliability is a big reason why he’s trusted on the floor at the end of games.. G. New Orleans Pelicans. E'TWAUN MOORE

A. The Minnesota Timberwolves got served some “Instant Grits” in the 4th quarter. The man formerly known as “Steezus” had himself a night. Jordan Crawford, with his parents in the building, exploded for 11 4th quarter points, including three long range buckets. He actually started off the game slowly, but when he got hot, it was on. Crawford made some ridiculous shots, shots that in all honesty he has no business taking. But forget it, they went and sunk the heart out of the Timberwolves. The addition of Crawford has added a little bit of fun to this team. Not only is his emergence a wonderful story, but it’s cool to just watch a guy go out and say “screw it”.. G. New Orleans Pelicans. JORDAN CRAWFORD

C. Dante Cunningham played 21 minutes and it is hard to remember a single one. That’s not a knock on him good or bad. For role players nights like this happen, but the team won and we’re sure Cunningham was probably just feeling down about the Villanova loss.. SF/PF. New Orleans Pelicans. DANTE CUNNINGHAM

INC. Donatas Montiejunas got some burn with DeMarcus in foul trouble. Outside of a couple hook shots, it’s clear to see why he is not in the rotation. His defense is a big liability and it’s easy to truly wonder if he regrets signing with the New Orleans Pelicans.. PF/C. New Orleans Pelicans. DONATAS MONTIEJUNAS

New Orleans Pelicans. QUINN COOK. INC. Human Victory Cigar!. G

INC. Human Victory Cigar #2. But yay, Chieck Diallo minutes!. C. New Orleans Pelicans. CHIECK DIALLO