New Orleans Pelicans: First Term Report Cards
By Seth Nefsky
T2. Darius Miller: B+
Coming into the season, it was known that Darius Miller was a serviceable three-point shooter, as he had shot 35.1% from three throughout his NBA career, and had just come off a EuroLeague season shooting 41.1% from their shortened three-point line. But with that being said, NO ONE would have guessed that, through 23 games, he would be the second best three-point shooter in the league. Miller’s three-point shot has been incredible and his details have been even better.
For example, Miller is shooting 52.9% from three when wide open, 51.9% on the catch-and-shoot, 57.9% from the corners, averaging 1.67 points per possession on spot up shots (threes and twos) and has shot 55.1% from three in the past 15 games.
The reason this score is not an A though, is because of his defense, which has been worse than expected. His DRPM is sitting at a terrible -1.11, and he improves his individual matchup’s three-point shot by 3.1%.
His defense is likely the reason why he is just seventh on the team in minutes in the team’s last five minutes, when the score is within five points.
T2. E’Twaun Moore: B+
E’Twaun Moore‘s shooting numbers have been pretty spectacular so far in the season. 57.9% from two is Moore’s career high by 7.8% and his three-point percentage is at 42.4%, the second highest mark of his career. His true shooting percentage is also a career high by 5.7%, at 60.5%. He has also been shooting the ball at a 61.8% effective field goal percentage off of screens, which is far improved from his terrible 33.3% mark last year, and is shooting 53.1% from the corners.
The problem with Moore, as always, has been his defense. And once again, he has had trouble defending thee-point shooters, with players clocking in at 5.2% better than usual on Moore. His spot up defense, however, has gotten better, improving from 1.17 points per possession last year to .89 this year, but his three-point defense is still something to be very much improved.