The New Orleans Pelicans have found something that works, and there’s no good reason to mess with it right now.
Over the last two games, this group has looked nothing like the version that opened the season. Maybe some of that comes down to weaker competition than the first four opponents, but that kind of argument falls apart if you’re only checking the box score and not watching the flow of the games.
What’s been clear on the floor is that the lineup of Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matkovic has given the Pelicans a different pulse. It fits the up-tempo style of play that Jamahl Mosley has said he wants, and it does so in a way the earlier starting group never quite managed.
The fit is cleaner. Jones, Williamson, Murphy and Fears all have enough playmaking ability to help others without stepping on each other’s toes.
That’s a big change from the two-point-guard look the Pelicans started with, which led to too much overlap and too many breakdowns in communication. Mosley has talked plenty about understanding roles, but that message hadn’t really shown up through the first few games.
Matkovic has been part of the answer for more than one reason. He brings energy, sure, but he also gives the Pelicans something they need: real spacing. He’s the only big on this roster defenses have to respect from three, and that matters because any hesitation in the paint opens the door for Williamson to go to work.
Williamson has been excellent regardless of who’s around him this season, but this version of the lineup gives him better support. He and Fears, in particular, are starting to click.
There was one sequence where the sophomore set up Williamson for a dunk, and then Fears took pride in the playmaking on the next end. He has looked more at ease making the right reads.
Jones has been impossible to ignore, too. People were already asking for more of him in the first couple of games, and this outing showed exactly why.
After the win over the Sacramento Kings, Mosley called Jones a “winner” who makes the right play. He’s been the connective tissue for this team for years, and he shouldn’t be leaving the starting five again.
Murphy, meanwhile, can fit just about anywhere, but even he has been searching for a clearer lane in this offense. In this game, he brought plenty of hustle, and it started to show up late as he settled in and found his rhythm.
The biggest shift, though, is Fears. He looks far more comfortable when he’s the lone point guard on the floor.
The ball moves better, the spacing makes more sense, and the confusion that showed up early has faded. That only works if Fears keeps finding the open man, and he’s done that well enough to pile up 20 assists over the last two nights.
In Other News...
Pelicans Finally Found A Lineup That Changes The Conversation
The Pelicans have spent much of the season searching for a combination that could steady the rotation and change the tone around the team, and Thursdays win over Atlanta offered a convincing case that they may have found one. New Orleans rolled past the Hawks 121-99 for its second straight victory, with Saddiq Bey providing a major spark off the bench and the group around him looking far more connected than it has at other points this year.
Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matkovic gave the game a different shape from the start, as the starting unit all finished on the positive side of the ledger. Dejounte Murray sat out for rest, but the Pelicans did not need him to control the night, which is exactly the kind of development that can make a coach rethink how the pieces fit once the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Are Finding Answers As Murray's Absence Tests The Rotation
Jamahl Mosley has been forced to juggle the rotation a little earlier than expected, with Dejounte Murray away for the birth of his son and Jordan Poole dealing with an ankle injury. The Pelicans responded by leaning on their depth, and Herbert Jones stepped into the starting lineup while Jeremiah Fears kept showing he can handle a bigger load when the opportunity comes.
The results have given New Orleans something to build on, with consecutive wins and a bench that has looked increasingly comfortable in expanded roles. Mosley has liked the effort and energy his group has brought through the adjustment period, and Murray was around for the second game even though he did not play as the team chose to keep him on the sideline a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Fears Is Forcing A New Pelicans Backcourt Conversation
Jeremiah Fears has turned a quiet stretch into a real conversation for the Pelicans, and it is happening fast. In his last two games, the rookie guard has looked far more like a steadying force than a player finding his way, piling up points, playmaking and activity on both ends while helping New Orleans beat Sacramento and Atlanta.
The most striking part is how quickly the discussion around his role has shifted. Coaches and analysts have started to talk about him as more than a promising young guard, with his recent play opening the door to a starting lead-guard case and even some early Most Improved Player buzz, which is not the kind of momentum a team can ignore for long. [Read more 🡒]