The New Orleans Pelicans are home to All-Star player Anthony Davis, who is an MVP candidate. Davis is one of the best players in the league but what has been missing for him during his tenure with the Pelicans is the lack of a supporting cast, with the wing position being the most glaring weakness. E’Twaun Moore is having a breakout season for the Pelicans and is giving them a much-needed scoring option on the wing.
E’Twaun Moore Having a Breakout Year for the New Orleans Pelicans
Comparing Past Seasons
E’Twaun Moore was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 55th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. That season he only averaged 2.9 points per game. He then rose his average and scored 7.8 points per game the next season. The season after that, he averaged 6.3 points per game. By the 2014-15 season, Moore dropped down to average only 2.7 points per game.
This year, he is averaging 15.6 points per game. It is a career-high average for him, and he is looking like a good third option for the Pelicans.
Moore has improved his shooting percentage all over the court. He is shooting 55.7 percent from the field, 48.2 percent from three, and 59.1 percent from two-point range. Moore has been a sniper from mid-range, as Moore is shooting 62.5 percent from the mid-range.
The Pelicans, who have struggled to find wing help, are finally getting some production from Moore.
What Moore Means to the Pelicans
The Pelicans had DeMarcus Cousins alongside Davis last year. When Cousins went down, the team was left with just Davis, who was able to get them to the playoffs. The Pelicans won the first round in a sweep against the Portland Trailblazers but were eliminated in the second round by the Golden State Warriors.
Davis knows that he is the franchise player and that everything runs through him on the floor. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Davis said:
“A perfect example [was against the Warriors]. I don’t have a good game and we lose. So, I got to play almost perfect every night to give us a chance to win.”
With a lack of options on the floor, Davis has to be a double-double threat while playing All-Star caliber defense. With a player like Moore stepping up for the Pelicans, he can lighten the load on Davis.
Without Cousins, the Pelicans had Jrue Holiday to pair with Davis, but there needed to be more scoring for them to have a chance in the Western Conference. Moore has provided that for them. In recent games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers he has passed the 30 point mark.
In the game against the Sixers, the Pelicans were down 108-116 late in the fourth and Anthony Davis was having a bad shooting night (he only had 12 points). Moore made a floater, a layup and a three-pointer to cut the lead to just four. Mirotic made the three-pointer to get them within one.
If Anthony Davis is having a bad night Moore can be relied on as a microwave type player that can get hot at any time to keep the Pelicans in the game. Moore is the X-factor on the roster.
Moore Needs to Continue His Success
With Moore on the team, the Pelicans have that third option that they needed going into this season. They are currently ninth in the west and will need to keep Davis healthy if they are going to make a push for a better seed.
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