Don’t look now, but the New Orleans Pelicans went 3-1 this week and have won three-in-a-row after their win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Pelicans are now just 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot and are hoping to turn their season around after a slow start.
It has been a week that has seen changes to the Pelicans’ rotation as a few guys have fallen out of favor while a couple of others have stepped up.
If the New Orleans Pelicans were a stock they’d be a volatile one but it appears things are mostly trending in the right direction.
Before we get to who is going up and who is trending down, let’s look at the players who are too soon to call.
New Orleans Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr. is in the rotation, J.J. Redick is hitting shots
It’s too soon to know if what we’ve seen from J.J. Redick is him getting his season on track. Redick has hit at least two 3-point shots in the last three games and looks a lot more comfortable.
The bench is still horrible and Redick has still been a negative overall but if he can at least start knocking down shots, it will drastically help the Pelicans’ bench.
Kira Lewis Jr. got his first regular rotation minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies and did his job, with six points, four assists and a steal in 19 minutes.
It’s too early to know if these are trends or not but Redick and Lewis Jr. are two guys to keep an eye on in the next week.
But who is trending up?
New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball is trending up
After weeks of trade rumors, Lonzo Ball finally took it personally and was fantastic this week.
He singlehandedly kept the Pels in the game against Indiana and made the game-winning play on the defense on the final play.
His shooting has been the big difference, as he hit more than 50 percent of his 3-point shots in the four games this week.
Lonzo Ball is turning the ball over less, getting more steals, playing lockdown defense and has emerged as the Pelicans’ third scoring option.
When Lonzo Ball is good, the Pelicans are a much different team.
Zion Williamson had a big week
Zion Williamson averaged just over 26 points per game in the Pels’ three wins this week but he is doing more than scoring.
He’s also added over two blocked shots per game, is passing the ball much better and has been the Pelicans’ best playmaker with the ball.
Zion’s numbers are up across the board this season but he has been particularly good of late.
New Orleans Pelicans: Willy Hernangomez has solidified backup center
This was also the week in which Willy Hernangomez entered the rotation.
Hernangomez is not great or flashy but he is solid. He makes good reads, is usually in the right spot, has adult strength and generally doesn’t make any huge mistakes.
The Pels’ win streak has coincided with Hernangomez’s entry into the rotation and he has helped solidify the bench.
Now let’s look at who is trending the other direction.
New Orleans Pelicans: Nickeil Alexander-Walker is out of the rotation
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was terrible this week and appears to have at least temporarily played himself out of the rotation.
I’ve been calling for this for a while, as NAW has been flat-out awful, takes horrible shots and turns the ball over too much, things that Kira Lewis Jr. doesn’t do.
NAW has to find ways to score without taking incredibly difficult shots. He also has to take better care of the ball or he is going to be out of the rotation permanently.
The Pelicans cannot afford to have a 28 percent 3-point shooter chucking 4-5 of them a game.
New Orleans Pelicans: Jaxson Hayes is on the bench
Jaxson Hayes lost his spot in the rotation to Hernangomez, which is a move that should have happened a long time ago, as Hayes has been terrible all season.
He needs more reps, which is why I suggested he play in the G-League bubble when it starts next week.
Hayes’ makes so many mistakes on defense that he is currently unplayable, as the Pels cannot afford to give up easy dunks when their defense is already suspect.
It was a good week overall for the New Orleans Pelicans, their best of the season, let’s hope they can continue to build on the positive trends.