New Orleans Pelicans: Grades for loss vs. Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Grizzlies: Grades for the guards

Lonzo Ball had a weirdly silent but effective night.

The New Orleans Pelicans point guard looked gassed on the second day of the team’s back-to-back road trip, but he put up a relatively solid performance. Ball finished with 12 points, missing just two of his seven shots, making all of his threes, and adding two blocks and one steal.

However, it was an atypical performance from the former UCLA Bruin. Ball has usually been a lot more aggressive this season, particularly from beyond the arc. It’s nice that he wasn’t forcing anything, but I think the Pelicans could have used more from him. Over the last two games, I have been left wanting more from Ball.

Defensively, Ball had some nice moments, but he also wasn’t the stopper that he can be. His team-low -13 isn’t truly indicative of how he played, but I also wish we would have had more chances to see him stifle Ja Morant or Dillon Brooks.

Eric Bledsoe did a bit of everything against the Grizzlies to finish another strong performance.

As has often been the case, Bledsoe started the game stronger than he finished it. Early on, he was dangerous getting downhill and then being patient enough to make the right decisions. Usually, that was either the correct pass or a short pull-up.

I also enjoyed what Bledsoe brought to the table in terms of playmaking. He played with his head up at all times and did a great job spotting and finding cutters. Bledsoe connected with the likes of James Johnson and Willy Hernangómez to great effect a few times.

With three games left in the season, let’s see what is in store for Bledsoe’s future. He had an awful start to his season, a disappointing middle, and now a bright end. I maintain that he is not the best fit for this roster, but I’m not sure what market exists for him outside of New Orleans right now.

Kira Lewis Jr. played well offensively and looked overwhelmed on the other side of the basketball.

Lewis was typically dangerous upping the Pelicans’ tempo and racing towards the rim. We know that he is at his most dangerous when he gets downhill and, once again, this was the case against Memphis. Lewis missed both of his threes, but he had some solid drives.

On defense, it basically boils down to Lewis not being a consistent playmaker on this end of the floor right now. He had one bright moment with a steal that led to a lay-up in transition, but that was it.

Lewis plays with great effort and competes, but the game can move too fast for him at times. This is natural for a rookie and I expect him to improve—we’ve already seen some positive flashes this season.