New Orleans Pelicans: Final Grades for Every Player in the Bubble

New Orleans Pelicans: Grades for the shooting guards.

E’Twaun Moore didn’t really do anything bad in the bubble, but he didn’t do much good either. He was used sparingly, which was surprising given the Pelicans’ inability to stop anyone. I thought Uncle E would get some run after that 49 point first quarter massacre against the Kings, but he didn’t really see the floor until the mop-up games. Moore has been a consummate professional in his time with the Pelicans, and didn’t whine or complain about his minutes. He handled his business like a pro and I’d like to thank him for that. If that was Moore’s last game with the Pels, which is likely, I wish him nothing but success in the future.

I really didn’t see enough of Sindarius Thornwell to give him a grade. He was used only in mop-up duty and didn’t even get much time in the final game. He was signed as a back-of-the-bench emergency player after Darius Miller couldn’t go. Thornwell runs the floor hard, is an underrated passer and has some of the qualities the Pelicans need in a guard, but it’s unlikely he’ll be back with the team, thus ending the fun I had saying his Game of Thrones-style name.

It was obvious from the start that J.J. Redick desperately wanted to keep his playoff streak alive, it’s just too bad his teammates didn’t get the memo. Redick was one of the Pels’ few “big game” players, and didn’t shy away from the big moment. He made three’s sure, but he also took charges, fired up the defense and motivated his young teammates. Redick did everything you’d want out of a veteran and there were a few games when I thought Genty left him on the bench too long.

For me, Jrue Holiday was the most disappointing player for the New Orleans Pelicans. Lonzo has taken a lot of the heat, but Holiday was equally bad, if not worse, and this is not his first rodeo. You can blame some of Lonzo’s poor play on the anxiety of being in a high-pressure situation for the first time, but there are no such excuses for Holiday. Holiday averaged almost as many turnovers per game (4.2) as he did rebounds (4.4) and assists (4.6) and shot just 20% from behind the arc. He wasn’t the defensive stopper that the Pelicans needed and basically played terribly in every other game. It was only a small sample, but Holiday is the team leader and best player the Pelicans have, so if he plays poorly, so will they.