New Orleans Pelicans: Grades for close win vs. Kings

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Kings: Grades for the wings

Wes Iwundu got his first start in a New Orleans Pelicans uniform and played pretty well.

I thought this was the best Iwundu has played for the Pels so far. He was active on both ends of the floor, using his length and activity to make things happen on defense while cutting and slashing on offense.

Iwundu is an interesting player because he has a lot of tools that work in his favor, but also lacks a lot of the things that would get him regular game time in the NBA.

He’s a solid defender, but not special enough where you have to put him on the floor. On attack, Iwundu is very capable off the ball and can even handle the rock a little, but his inability to shoot doesn’t create many openings for him.

Against the Kings, Iwundu made three of his four shots, including one three-pointer, and got to the free throw line five times. He helped seal the game for the Pelicans with two important defensive rebounds in the contest’s closing moments.

Naji Marshall came off the bench after two consecutive starts, presumably to help the Pels’ second unit.

The former Xavier man was once again solid, albeit not as positive as some of his recent performances. Marshall has really impressed since Josh Hart got injured, but he had a quieter game against Sacramento.

Marshall didn’t attempt any shots during his 21 minutes on the court. He had a trifecta of rebounds and assists, but not much else. On defense, his high motor was on display, but he also fouled out of the game.

I like what the Pels’ wing brings to the team, but he needs to learn to pick his spots better on defense. The game hasn’t slowed down for him too much on that end of the floor yet, so he can sometimes pick up unnecessary fouls.

James Johnson played just 15 minutes, his lowest tally for the Pelicans since he joined the team, before leaving the game with right wrist soreness.

Stan Van Gundy later explained that Johnson’s wrist was already sore coming into the game and that he almost did not suit up at all. Because of that, it’s tough to grade Johnson’s performance. He was really quiet, only shooting once and getting a couple of assists.

It is still uncertain whether Johnson will be available for Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks. If the veteran is unable to play, that could either shorten Stan Van Gundy’s rotation or open up minutes for Wenyen Gabriel or new 10-day contract signing James Nunnally.