New Orleans Pelicans: Grades for blowout loss vs. Mavericks

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Mavericks: Grades for the guards

Much like Naji Marshall, Eric Bledsoe was okay but it’s not like he helped his team win—or prevent a total blowout.

Bledsoe was really solid in the second half before things got totally out of hand. He scored 12 of his 15 total points in that period of time, getting into the paint and inflicting damage from there.

But besides that, there isn’t much to write about. He went 5-of-11 from the field and made just one of his five attempted treys.

Over the last ten games, Bledsoe is shooting 26 percent from three. His outside shot has deserted him over the second half of the season, showing that his ostensible improvement to start his Pelicans career was just a mirage.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker got the start because of Lonzo Ball’s injury and crashed back to reality after two great games.

The Canadian combo guard just failed to have an efficient outing in Dallas. He made only five of his 14 shots and, while he got three assists, he also turned the ball over twice. Alexander-Walker finished with 13 points, but he also encapsulated the Pels’ offensive problems against the Mavericks.

The Pelicans had no rhythm to their offense all night long. It seemed like players were just taking turns to see who would get the next shot. Alexander-Walker forced things at times and didn’t get his teammates involved as he has done in the previous two games.

Still, this is nothing to worry about and it’s better to focus on Alexander-Walker’s outings against the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies. Some might say I am being naive for not making much of this performance, but there was really nothing to play for. Plus, when you’re expected to provide shot-creation and shotmaking to a team, you’re going to have off nights.

Kira Lewis Jr. got going late in the game by scoring all of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, but it was already too late to make a real difference by then.

When the game was still competitive, the New Orleans Pelicans rookie struggled. He got downhill as he always does, but then could not convert his shots at the rim and looked bothered by the Mavericks’ length.

I expect to see Lewis get plenty of minutes in the Pelicans’ last games of the season. I maintain that he has hit the rookie wall, but any NBA reps will come in handy for Lewis as he gets ready to tackle his second year in the league in a few months.