In the NBA, there are a lot of defined roles. These are based on past performances of the player, and the potential they still hold. We’re going to breakdown every New Orleans Pelicans player’s skillset and define those roles. Up now is wingman E’Twaun Moore.
E’Twaun Moore has never been a star in the NBA. That hasn’t stopped him from being an extremely effective role player for much of his career.
Strength – Shooting
E’Twaun Moore doesn’t fill up the box score on a nightly basis. In fact, last season he averaged a career-high in points per game with 9.6.
While the numbers aren’t that high, he shoots at a strong clip for an outside scorer. Moore shot 45.7% from the field and 37% from three last season. Over his career, he’s a 43.5% shooter and hits on 36.9% of his threes.
Moore doesn’t really have a favorite or least favorite spot from behind the arc. He seems to hit from all over at a decent rate. This makes him a fantastic floor spacer, who should work well with Rajon Rondo, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins.
An underrated part of his game is his driving ability. While Moore isn’t elite, he can get to the basket and finishes well, shooting 60% from under the hoop.
Weakness – Consistency
Moore has yet to find a consistent game on offense. His shooting tends to come and go, with drastic fluctuation.
Last season, Moore shot 43.2% from three in December and 44.4% in January. In February, however, he shot just 31.6% while in March just 30.4%
The 28-year-old had five games last season where he made three-or-more three pointers. In the games immediately before and after those performances, he shot a combined 3-17 from three.
This type of inconsistency leaves Moore as a somewhat unreliable source of offense on a nightly basis. You’re never sure if you’ll get “Give-him-the-ball” Moore, or “Dear-God-please-stop-shooting” Moore.
Strength – Defense
One of the main reasons E’Twaun Moore got himself a solid contract with the New Orleans Pelicans was his defense.
Truthfully, he isn’t the flashiest defender, and won’t rack up the steals and blocks on most nights. While that may be the case, Moore is more-than-capable of covering his man.
Standing at 6’4″, he can cover either guard position and can handle 3s as well. This type of flexibility allows the Pelicans to trot out a lot of different lineups.
That was reflected by a career-best 1.5 defensive wins shares last season.
Next: Player Breakdowns: DeMarcus Cousins, The Linchpin
Overall, E’Twaun Moore is a great depth piece and fantastic role player for the Pelicans. He won’t fill up the stat sheet with a lot of rebounds or assists, but he won’t disappear in either category either. He’s a great defender and floor spacer that could have a strong year with the pieces around him.