Pelicans: Have the Pels improved their shooting? A look at each position

New Orleans Pelicans: Shooting Guards

The Pelicans have mercifully jettisoned Eric Bledsoe and J.J Redick, so will have some new faces at shooting guard.

Neither shot the ball particularly well last season, so the Pelicans have a chance to gain some ground here.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker was an inefficient shooter last season and he has to improve in that area if he wants to make a leap as a player. He shot just 34 percent from 3-point range last season, same as Bledsoe.

NAW has always been pretty erratic, so I am not sure we can count on him to suddenly become an efficient shooter.

Trey Murphy III should be an upgrade, though I am sure he will play plenty of time at forward and maybe even some at center in small ball lineups.

He hit more than 40 percent from 3-point range in college and knocked down 6-of-9 in his first Summer League game, so he could potentially be an upgrade as a shooter.

Redick is one of the best 3-point shooters of all time even though he had an off season and was mostly hurt (his mouth still works though!), it is still a loss, even if at this point its a symbolic one.

But if NAW improves, 3M3 should be enough to give them a slight bump at shooting guard.

Verdict: Improved slightly