New Orleans Pelicans: How signing Gabriel & Thornwell helps the roster

Sindarius Thornwell returns to the New Orleans Pelicans after joining them in the NBA bubble and he could become a solid depth guard for the team

Sindarius Thornwell- Guard

Man, when Sindarius Thornwell was coming out of college, I thought for sure he’d be a reliable rotation player in the league after having a stellar career at South Carolina. Unfortunately, it hasn’t panned out that way for Thornwell.

Thornwell has bounced around since being drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017. He spent two seasons with the Clippers alternating from being on their active roster to playing for their G-League affiliate before ultimately leaving for Cleveland and then playing for the Rio Grande Vipers, the Houston Rockets’ G-League team.

However, Thornwell did catch on for a minute with the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA bubble. Appearing in two games, he actually gave the Pelicans some reliable minutes and showcased effort and hustle on the floor. That’s probably why he’s earned another contract from the team.

At 6’5″, Thornwell is still a bigger wing player who has some potential as a shooter and team defender. He lacks the upside that Gabriel does, but he can probably be a solid emergency option if either Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart goes down at any point.

Just like that, the New Orleans Pelicans rotation is filled. Although Wenyen Gabriel and Sindarius Thornwell aren’t the players many Pelicans hoped the team would add to their bench, they do have enough upside that they could contribute when placed around some of the team’s high-end talent.