One of the best stories of last season for the New Orleans Pelicans was Bryce McGowens, who came in on a two-way deal and earned himself a standard contract spot through hard work and great play. McGowens offensively is that ideal off-ball connective piece that spaces the floor, makes the right reads, and doesn’t eat up a ton of touches. And if he’s telling the truth about where he focused his improvement this offseason, he has to be part of Jamahl Mosley’s everyday rotation.
“Really just tightening up everything. Starting with my defense, working on my strength. I think I gained 8 pounds this offseason,” said McGowens.
As mentioned above, McGowens already had the tools the Pelicans would want on the offensive end to be a good fit as a role player with this team, but his defense was kind of shaky at times. McGowens was prone to getting pushed around on the perimeter and bullied while trying to defend drives because of his slender frame. However, with added weight and an investment in improving as a defender, he has the tools needed to be a good defensive player this upcoming season.
If that translates, Mosley has no argument against being in New Orleans' every-game rotation.
McGowens may be perfect for Mosley's style of play
Last season Bryce McGowens averaged 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 40.9 percent from beyond the arc on 2.2 attempts in 21 minutes per game. He appeared in 42 games and was deployed as both a starter and reserve.
Given the Pelicans' depth, there were questions about where McGowens could find himself slotting in this upcoming season. For me personally, the connective style of play he has and his shooting alone made him feel like a real lock as an every-game rotational piece. The Pelicans finished as the team with the fewest made total threes last season, and with the front office not addressing that need, McGowens’ importance feels even larger to me.
A counterargument to my point is that he was only an okay defender, and with a coach like Mosley, if you aren’t good on the ball as a scorer/creator, you likely need to be effective defensively. However, with added muscle and defensive improvements, McGowens should easily become one of this team's most important bench pieces. With those changes, I’d put him firmly as the fifth guy off the bench behind Saddiq Bey, Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, and Derik Queen because he is such a portable player.
He’s always been a willing defender, but with improved technique and more muscle on his frame, his ceiling on that end of the court can be much higher than it was at the end of last season.
Because of his build as a 6-foot-6 guard and ability to handle the ball, rebound, playmake, finish plays, make threes, and now potentially be an effective defender, he can play in any lineup. Whether Mosley wants to go with a five-out lineup, a defensive group, big or small, McGowens has the tools to blend in like a chameleon in any lineup.
I was concerned McGowens might become a forgotten piece for the Pelicans in the 2026-27 campaign because of their overwhelming amount of depth. But after hearing him say that defense and strength were two priorities for him this offseason, fans should feel confident that he’ll become someone Jamahl Mosley really falls in love with as a rotation staple.
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