New Orleans Pelicans Grades: Pelicans Playoff Hopes End In Loss to Nuggets

69. Final. 134. 73. 131

C-. Tim Frazier continues to stay in the starting lineup, mostly due to a lack of a point guard that compliments Jrue Holiday’s move to the shooting guard. Frazier played just 16 minutes and put up two points and four assists. He is not providing the spark fans had hoped to see from last season. He is a good option in certain lineups. Seems clear this starting unit is not the place for him to shine.. PG. . TIM FRAZIER

B-. My gosh. It does not get more painful than that. Let’s start of with saying that Jrue had a pretty darn good game. 18 points, 13 assists and four rebounds is not a bad line. Add in the fact that before his two late-game turnovers, he had only one giveaway. This is a guy that, for most of the game, got what he wanted. He moved the offense around with ease and really made a mark. However, his defense has been taking major hits, since his move to shooting guard. He’s not making the game-changing plays we are used to seeing. His late game execution is a problem fans are clamoring about. A lot of questions come up with Jrue, especially after tonight. However, he did have a strong outing for 85 percent of this game.. SG/PG. . JRUE HOLIDAY

C+. Marksman form of Solomon Hill came out to play today. Hill made five of his seven attempts from behind the arc, accounting for all of his 15 points. However, his defense was close to non-existent. He always seems to bring one thing to the game for the Pelicans, yet has not found out how to round that out, to benefit the team overall. Sure, his shots went down and helped space the offense out. That still made him a one-dimensional factor tonight.. SF/PF. . SOLOMON HILL

A. Anthony Davis REALLY likes playing the Denver Nuggets. Davis looked in complete control on the offensive end all night. Without the proper bigs to defend him, Denver was left helpless. However, one thing stood out as a negative. Anthony only had five rebounds, in a game that he could have made a much bigger impact on the glass. He did have four blocks and seemed to make plays on the defensive end. Davis is certainly one of the last people to put blame on for this loss, which seemed more of a team defensive breakdown overall.. PF/C. . ANTHONY DAVIS

DeMarcus Cousins is so much fun to watch, when he and Davis are on the same page. Boogie almost finished with a triple-double and really showed his overall game tonight. Not only was his presence inside on both ends superb, but his passing really shined. His alley-oop dunks to Davis on the break got the crowd off their feet. He did foul out of this game, but two of those fouls came late in the game, to save clock for a possible comeback. Cousins was incredible, in a game that should have been a win for the home team.. C. . DEMARCUS COUSINS. A+

JORDAN CRAWFORD. C-. In one of the most under-discussed disappointments of this game, Jordan Crawford did not get into double-digit scoring. While the rest of the team flourished on offense, Crawford shot 4-9 from the field and 0-3 from deep for nine points. His defense is not a shining mark, for obvious reasons. When he’s not burying his looks, he can be a major liability. His team worst -15 rating on the floor is evidence of that.. SG.

B+. E’Twaun Moore got back into his rhythm tonight, against a Nuggets team that could not keep up with him. Moore finished 6-9 from the field (Nice!) for 13 points, to go with three assists and three boards. His overall effort, paired with his effectiveness attacking the basket makes him the steal of the Pelicans’ roster this season. His contract continues to look better and better, with each passing game.. SF/SG. . E'TWAUN MOORE

Dante Cunningham made one three-pointer in 19 minutes of play and did not put up another statistic in the entire game. He seemed to let the offense run through the stars, instead of looking for shots himself. It’s not a bad idea, however his lack of threat shooting makes it easier for defensive teams to double the stars inside. Cunningham should be moving more off the ball, to find space and passing lanes for shots. It’s the little adjustments that make the biggest difference.. PF/SF. . DANTE CUNNINGHAM. C

INC. Alexis Ajinca played just four minutes and got two rebounds. Not much to say, with such little time on the floor. How he has handled the situation all season is admirable, for a guy who thought he could be the starting center on this team in October.. C. . ALEXIS AJINCA