New hair, a big 4th quarter and a bench boost in Pelicans win over Bulls

Larry Nance Jr. gives the Pelicans veteran leadership off the bench

It was only Larry Nance Jr’s first appearance for the New Orleans Pelicans, but you can already see how he is going to affect the bench.

After the Bulls got an early lead, it was the defense of the bench behind Nance Jr. and Alvarado that brought the Pels back.

Nance Jr. was calling out instructions, communicating on defense and already showed himself to be a leader on that end. He was in the game well into the 4th quarter and had a huge block on Tristan Thompson to stop an easy bucket.

He finished the game with nine points and four rebounds but also added some intangibles that the Pels have been missing off the bench.

He is going to be a big factor down the stretch, as he is versatile enough to play with any group and gives the Pels a smart team defender to solidify their bench unit.

If this team is ever back at full strength they are going to be very good, especially with Nance Jr. anchoring the bench.