A Christmas Wish List For All Five Pelicans Starters

E’Twaun Moore: Continuity

If you don’t already know, you can probably guess from the picture above; E’Twaun Moore is a shooter. He is in the game to stretch the floor and hit his shots at a consistent rate. While he is very capable at other aspects of the game, the Pelicans rely on him heavily as a three-point specialist.

Predominantly throughout his career, Moore has been a role-playing/ bench option for each franchise he has played for. Coming into this season, that fact was not expected to change. That is, until Solomon Hill went “under the knife” to repair a proximal hamstring tear in his left leg in late August. After that, the Pelicans looked for a replacement option for their small forward spot. Moore came to the call.

Now, through his 29 games as a starter this season, the six year veteran is seeing career highs across the board including points (13.2 ), boards (2.7), steals (1.0) and, maybe the most impactful statistic, three-point percentage (46%). Never before has Moore seen such success from beyond the arc. This season, the 28-year old is ranked eighth in the entire league in that department. As a unit the Pelicans shoot 38% from downtown (seventh in the NBA). This is in large thanks to Moore’s consistent shooting.

If this success for E’Twaun Moore continues, both him and the entire franchise will prove to be very happy. If this success for Moore continues, the chances of him keeping his starting gig in New Orleans increases significantly, even when Solomon Hill finally comes back from injury.