The New Orleans Pelicans have lost three players from last season’s starting lineup and at least one of those spots is still up for grabs.
It’s likely that Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte’ Graham will take the center and point guard positions left vacant by the trades of Steven Adams and Lonzo Ball.
That leaves Eric Bledsoe’s spot at shooting guard and the Pelicans have a number of options.
We could see some more new faces in the starting lineup, but it’s more likely to be occupied by one of two players from last year’s roster who are looking for expanded roles.
Pelicans starting lineup: Keep Kira Lewis Jr. on the bench
There have been widespread reports that one of the reasons Stan Van Gundy was fired and that the Pels were turned down by one coaching option, is that David Griffin insisted that Kira Lewis Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker be inserted into the starting lineup.
This was reported by Bleacher Report among others, but I have no idea if Griffin actually made those demands or not.
I think there are compelling reasons to bring Kira Lewis Jr. off the bench, primarily that he doesn’t yet seem ready for an greatly expanded role.
He has shot the ball poorly both last season and in Summer League and Devonte’ Graham offers a much more experienced hand in addition to better shooting around Zion Williamson in the starting five.
That still leaves starting shooting guard and there are two guys who will battle for that spot in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart.
New Orleans Pelicans starting lineup: The case for Josh Hart
I think it’s fair to say that Nickeil Alexander-Walker has the higher ceiling of these two players, but Josh Hart still has a compelling case as a starter.
He played starter’s minutes last season even though he came off the bench and was a key part of the Pelicans’ rotation. The Pels’ chances at the play-in tournament were essentially over when Hart injured his thumb and had to miss the final 25 games of the season.
Hart is a versatile defender who can cover several spots, so he can take on tough small forward assignments if necessary.
He is also one of the best guard rebounders in the NBA, which takes some the pressure off Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram on the glass.
Hart did not shoot the 3-ball well last season, but he is well aware of that and will spend this offseason working on his shot.
If Hart can hit closer to 40 percent of his long-range shots, he would be a perfect fit in the starting lineup, as he does pretty much everything else the Pelicans’ need right now.
But Hart could be equally effective off the bench and is used to that role, which is why you can make a case for NAW as well.
New Orleans Pelicans starting lineup: The case for Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Nickeil Alexander-Walker did not play starter’s minutes last season, averaging just 21.9 per game after in only 46 appearances after catching some DNP’s and having to miss time late in the season.
But NAW did start 13 games and put up big numbers, giving him a line of 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a starter in his career.
Those are numbers that could make him the Pels’ third scoring option, and there are signs that NAW is primed to have a breakout season.
He played with Team Canada in the Olympic trials and was one of the key ball handlers and scorers.
He had some big games last season for the Pelicans and has shown that he can make tough shots, but he needs to improve his shot selection and decision making.
Playing more minutes with Zion and B.I. will help, as they will create gravity that should get NAW good looks.
I think you can make an argument for either Josh Hart or Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but I lean towards potential. NAW is ready to seize a bigger role and Hart will still play big minutes off the bench.