Through five games, the New Orleans Pelicans are already sorting out which combinations work and which ones are getting buried. One of the clearest early snapshots comes from the lineups, where the numbers have split sharply between a struggling starting group and a much more effective bench unit.
The worst lineup so far has been Dejounte Murray, Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Yves Missi. In 24 minutes together, that group posted a -38.8 net rating, with an offensive rating of 114.3 and a defensive rating of 153.1.
The offense from that unit was only around league average, but the efficiency numbers were rough. It finished with a 49.1% true shooting mark, along with a 6.1% turnover rate and a 24.1% offensive rebounding rate. On the other end, the damage was obvious: opponents shot 67.7% true shooting against them, turned it over just 8.2% of the time and grabbed 47.4% of their own misses.
That group was the starting five from the first two games before Yves Missi went down, and the fit never really clicked. Rather than settling into defined roles, the lineup produced a lot of on-court conflict and shaky ball movement. Murray, Fears and Murphy have all graded out very poorly defensively so far, and the rebounding issues were baked in with Missi as the only true size presence on the glass.
The best lineup has no overlap with that group at all. The bench unit from the early part of the season has been the bright spot, putting up a +9.5 net rating in 21 minutes.
That group has been much cleaner offensively, with a 129.3 offensive rating and a 66.4% true shooting mark. It also posted a 13.6% turnover rate and a 29.4% offensive rebounding rate. Defensively, it held opponents to a 120.1 rating, a 55.5% true shooting mark, an 11.1% turnover rate and a 33.3% offensive rebounding rate.
The biggest difference in that unit was the ball movement from Poole compared with the other two guards. Herb Jones supplied the defense, Saddiq Bey has been steady, and Derik Queen has also gotten off to a nice start this season.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Fears Is Forcing A New Pelicans Backcourt Conversation
Jeremiah Fears has turned the Pelicans backcourt into a much more interesting conversation over the last few games. In a win over the Sacramento Kings and another strong showing against the Atlanta Hawks, the rookie has looked increasingly comfortable running the offense, creating for teammates and affecting the game on both ends in a way that has drawn notice from coaches and analysts alike.
The bigger question now is how New Orleans wants to handle what comes next. Fears has been praised as a potential starting lead guard and even a possible Most Improved Player candidate, which is a lot of momentum for a young player this early in the season. For a team trying to sort out its guard rotation, his rise has added both promise and pressure, and it is making the Pelicans think harder about who should be steering the offense moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Sent A Message In That Scuffle And The NBA Noticed
The moment the Pelicans and Hawks got tangled up in a late-game scuffle, it quickly became clear the league would take notice. New Orleans did not just absorb the contact and move on, either. The altercation drew in players from both teams, and Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosley came away praising the groups camaraderie after the dust settled.
The NBAs response arrived soon after, with Atlanta guard Kingston Flemings ejected from the game for intentionally elbowing Bryce McGowens. The fallout underscored how quickly a heated sequence can spill beyond a single possession, especially when a young roster is trying to show it will stand together in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Are Finding Answers As Murray's Absence Tests The Rotation
Jamahl Mosley has had to juggle the Pelicans rotation on the fly with Dejounte Murray away and Jordan Poole dealing with an ankle injury, but New Orleans has handled the shuffle better than expected. Herbert Jones stepped into the starting group and gave the lineup a different look, while the teams recent stretch has been defined as much by energy and effort as by the absences forcing Mosley to improvise.
Jeremiah Fears also gave the Pelicans a lift with one of the most productive games of his young run, adding playmaking and rim protection in a way that helped steady the group. New Orleans has now won back-to-back games, and Murray was around for the second one even if he did not take the floor, leaving the Pelicans with a rotation that is still being sorted out but has already found a few useful answers. [Read more 🡒]