Pelicans' New Starting Lineup Should Be Here to Stay

The New Orleans Pelicans snapped their three-game losing streak on Friday against the Grizzlies, completing an impressive fourth-quarter comeback in Memphis for their 11th win of the season. Herb Jones' return after missing 15 out of the last 16 games with an ankle sprain was a big factor in the win, highlighting his importance to the team. The most important takeaway from the game, however, should be about the new starting lineup from interim head coach James Borrego.

James Borrego's Big Starting Lineup Gamble Immediately Pays Dividends

With Herb Jones back in action, the Pelicans started the defensive stalwart next to Trey Murphy, Saddiq Bey, Zion Williamson, and Derik Queen. This group, which doesn't feature a guard, started for the first time this season and thrived in their minutes.

This meant that rookie Jeremiah Fears, who started the previous 44 games, moved to the bench. This also helped the 19-year-old, who played against backups and led the bench unit, finishing with 12 points, two rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block with no turnovers. The Pelicans won the 23 minutes he was on the court by five.

Every member of the starting lineup also had a positive plus-minus. Per Cleaning the Glass, in the 33 possessions the Murphy-Jones-Bey-Williamson-Queen lineup played together this season, the Pelicans have a +12.1 net rating. This means that Borrego needs to stick with this group as much as possible going forward.

Even more than Fears, it was Jordan Poole who was marginalized on Friday. The veteran combo guard only played 12 minutes in Memphis. He continued to struggle in his limited minutes, shooting 2/8 from the field. He gave Borrego very little reason to give him more minutes for the rest of the season.

There is an obvious lack of ball-handling and playmaking in this starting lineup. That will remain a clear weakness for the Pelicans. What this group has, however, is an intriguing level of size and versatility. The defensive shortcomings of the Derik Queen-Zion Williamson frontcourt pairing are hard to overcome with Fears or Poole also on the perimeter. With the Murphy-Jones-Bey wing trio, however, the Pelicans can hope to have a respectable enough defense. Plus, there is more shooting and off-ball ability to provide spacing around Williamson and Queen, making the offensive fit cleaner as well.

The Pelicans front office is signaling that they want to stand pat at the trade deadline. This suggests that Borrego will have a chance to build a consistent rotation with this group. Whether the Pels can be a more competitive team in the final stretch of the season remains to be seen.

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• Pelicans Trade Deadline Outlook: Predicting Who Will Get Traded By February 5
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