Hoops Habit
Fansided

New Orleans Pelicans: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 7, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and guard Eric Gordon (10) during the a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Warriors 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and guard Eric Gordon (10) during the a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Warriors 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 9
Next
New Orleans Pelicans
Mar 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Bulls guard E Twaun Moore (55) reacts after making a three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Bulls beat the Raptors 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

More For Moore

Solomon Hill was an inflated surprise signing, but he filled a position of need on the wing. So too is the case with E’Twaun Moore, though he was brought in to help with the Pelicans’ backcourt depth.

On a four-year, $34 million contract, Moore will get the chance for the first time in his NBA career to take on an expanded role for a team that just lost Eric Gordon to free agency and will (at some point) try to move on from Tyreke Evans.

Entering his sixth season in the league, all of Moore’s signs of promise have failed to create any traction. He spent his first season barely playing in Boston and right when he was starting to build momentum in Orlando, he hit free agency and signed with the Bulls.

https://twitter.com/MasonGinsberg/status/758749785796915203

Moore had a few eye-opening games filling in for the injured Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler over the next two seasons, but once again, he never found any lasting success. In New Orleans, he’ll look to change that and expand upon the 7.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game he averaged last season.

More from New Orleans Pelicans

Moore has the versatility to play both guards spots if New Orleans’ horrible injury luck continues, but he’ll most likely be used off the bench behind Buddy Hield…or possibly ahead of him if Hield is not ready…or possibly even behind Evans if the Pelicans continue to pretend he needs minutes.

Either way, there’s a real chance for Moore to strengthen this backcourt, and as a career 36.9 percent shooter from distance, he’ll help spread the floor as well. His defense is also a key reason this signing works, since NOLA was one of the NBA’s worst defenses last year.

This is a bit more money than people were expecting for a guy like Moore, especially for a team that needed to make bigger waves this summer, but it’s not necessarily a bad signing in and of itself.

Grade: C+

Next: Getting Galloway

Home/New Orleans Pelicans