The New Orleans Pelicans have a trio of talented guards fighting for minutes and it is time to give some of them to Kira Lewis Jr. instead of Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
After NAW had his 37-point game the narrative for the New Orleans Pelicans became about whether he should start over Lonzo Ball.
Since then, Alexander-Walker has come back to Earth. He has continued to do some things well but his shot has been off, especially from 3-point range.
NAW has not been terrible. His defense and passing have improved this season and he is not taking as many bad shots, though his shot selection still leaves plenty to be desired.
I’m not suggested NAW be benched but since his 37-point outburst, he has shot 40 three-pointers and made 10 of them.
NAW’s game should not be based around the 3-point line, and though he has done some other things well, his shooting is hurting the Pelicans’ already struggling offense.
It would be nice if Kira Lewis Jr. could get a chance to earn some of these minutes while NAW’s shot is not falling.
New Orleans Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr. could be the playmaker the Pelicans lack
NAW has done a decent job setting up teammates, racking up five assists in the last game with a couple of slick passes.
But lately, he’s mostly just stood around the three-point line and the Pels already have guys who can do that and do it better.
The Pels need penetration and playmaking out of NAW, something he has not been doing much of in the last few games.
Part of the reason the Pels’ 3-point percentage has plummeted is that they don’t get enough open looks off dribble penetration and kick-outs.
Kira Lewis Jr. has shown the ability to get where he wants on the floor and set up teammates. He also makes correct reads and usually makes the right pass. He might not have the scoring chops NAW has but right now his playmaking could be more beneficial.
I’d love to see Kira Lewis Jr. get some run at the beginning of the second quarter to see if his playmaking can keep the offense from falling off when the starters sit.
New Orleans Pelicans: What is Kira Lewis Jr.’s assist to turnover ratio?
Kira Lewis Jr. has not played much this season but he has done an outstanding job taking care of the ball.
This is important, as the Pelicans are near the bottom of the league in turnovers and you can pretty much predict the outcome of the game based on that statistic alone.
When the New Orleans Pelicans move the ball and take care of it, their offense can be dynamic.
NAW has been better at taking care of the ball this season but his assists often come at the cost of several bad turnovers. He has turned the ball over at least two times on eight different occasions this season and has had as many as five in a game.
Kira Lewis Jr. on the other hand has turned the ball over ONE TIME this season to 11 assists. It’s a small sample size but the rookie takes care of the ball, which is something the Pelicans desperately need.
NAW had three more turnovers in only 20 minutes against the Suns in the Pels’ last victory. He’s been better but this season but Kira Lewis Jr. has been outstanding at taking care of the ball, especially for a rookie.
New Orleans Pelicans: Nickeil Alexander-Walker is shooting poorly
I’ve written many times that the reason I am not as high on NAW as others is shot selection.
NAW takes incredibly difficult shots, almost exclusively, and when he is knocking them down it is beautiful to watch.
But when he isn’t? They are just bad shots.
NAW has been better this season but he still takes several shots per game that make fans want to pull out their hair.
He should not be shooting step-back 3-pointers, ever. He should not be forcing shots at the rim when he has three guys on him.
NAW is shooting 28.2 percent from 3-point range this season and just 40 percent overall. A lot of this has to do with shot selection, as NAW still takes too many bad shots.
Kira Lewis Jr. hasn’t shot the ball well either but has hit 37 percent of his 3-point shots and even the shots he misses tend to be good ones. When he gets better at hitting the floaters in the lane, he has the chance to be a 20 point per game scorer.
He’s not there yet but 5-10 minutes of run per game will help get him there.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has improved but still turns the ball over too much and takes too many bad shots.
The New Orleans Pelicans need a playmaker who can take care of the ball and should be giving Kira Lewis Jr. a few of NAW’s minutes.