The New Orleans Pelicans will have a very different look next season, especially at point guard.
Both Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe are gone, so the Pels will roll with a new starting five that has more versatility and lineup options.
I think the Pelicans will use a variety of backcourts in the starting lineup and off the bench, and there are pros and cons to each of them.
Kira Lewis Jr. is poised to have an expanded role this season. Newly acquired guard Devonte’ Graham has the most experience and may be a better fit than Lonzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker has played some at the point as well.
We also have to keep in mind that Zion Williamson is likely to be the real point guard and shoulder a lot of the ball-handling duties, so whoever is paying the “point” is going to be playing off the ball as well.
Here are a few different backcourt combinations the New Orleans Pelicans could try this season and what I like and don’t like about each.
New Orleans Pelicans: Devonte’ Graham and Nickeil Alexander-Walker
If I had to guess, I’d say that Devonte’ Graham and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be the starting backcourt when the Pelicans tip off the regular season.
Graham is used to playing off the ball, so shouldn’t have a problem playing alongside Zion and NAW is ready to make a big leap this season as a starting shooting guard.
This combination offers plenty of scoring, as Devonte’ Graham is very good at catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and NAW has the ability to break defenders down off the dribble.
Graham is not as good as Lonzo defensively, but he isn’t terrible, so the Pels’ overall defense shouldn’t take too big a hit.
This is the most likely option, but I think there are some other interesting combinations that will get consideration.
New Orleans Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Another option would be to bring Kira Lewis Jr. into the starting five, making Devonte’ Graham the first player off the bench.
Lewis Jr. has shown that he can get where he wants to on the floor and has been very good at setting up teammates though he has struggled knocking down his own shots.
He is a better on-the-ball defender than Graham and would give the Pels a very fast starting five that could run some teams off the floor and build big leads.
He and NAW already have some chemistry after playing together last season and would give the Pelicans a good defensive backcourt to start the games.
There is also a lot to like about Graham as a sixth man, as he would be able to come into the games and be the primary or secondary scoring option at times. He and Zion could have a deadly two-man game and he is going to play more minutes than Kira either way.
This spreads the talent around a little more and gives the Pelicans a really dynamic bench unit that has both scoring and defense.
New Orleans Pelicans: Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Trey Murphy III
This combination might seem odd, as NAW is not really a point guard, but like I said, the Pelicans aren’t going to be a traditional team with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram doing most of the playmaking.
Trey Murphy III has already shown that he can knock down 3-point shots and defend the perimeter, which he did in their first Summer League game on his way to 26 points.
This would give the Pelicans a HUGE starting five, as Murphy III is 6-foot-9 and can cover for some of Ingram’s limitations on the wing.
This would give them two big guards on the perimeter, which would somewhat make up for the fact that Zion and Ingram are still not the greatest defenders (to be nice).
The downside is that the bench unit would be small with Graham and Lewis Jr. but they would also be super quick, explosive and could offer a change-of-pace look that helps the bench build and hold leads.
I think we’ll see Willie Green tinker with the lineups quite a lot this season and he has a more versatile group to do it with. I’m really looking forward to seeing how all of these new pieces fit.