New Orleans Pelicans: 3 reasons to watch vs. the Clippers

New Orleans Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr.

Kira Lewis Jr. is not going to win Rookie of the Year or even finish in the top ten, but he has quietly had a very solid first season for the Pelicans, especially when you consider the challenges of being a teenage point guard who didn’t get an offseason.

What has stood out to me is how poised he is with the ball and how good he is at protecting it, which is a big deal for a team that has a real problem with turnovers.

Lewis Jr. has a 2.3/.6 assist to turnover ratio, which is outstanding for a rookie. There are a lot of veteran point guards who don’ have a 4:1 assist to turnover ratio.

He needs to get better at finishing around the rim but he’s shown that he can get there and set up teammates as well.

I think that Lewis Jr. has exceeded expectations in a lot of ways, as he might not have even played with the Pelicans had there been a full season of the G-League.

I hope that Stan Van Gundy continues to give him 20 minutes or so off the bench so that he can get more comfortable running the second-unit offense, which could be his role next season.

The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of flaws but also plenty to be excited about, so enjoy the development and watching one of the best young players in NBA history.