Pelicans Have Found a Gem in Bryce McGowens

Bryce McGowens has emerged as a nice rotation piece for the Pelicans amid a slew of injuries.

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans have been playing better in recent weeks, but wins have been hard to come by. The offense is flowing better under interim head coach James Borrego, but the Pels are still 1-10 in his tenure after dropping another hard-fought battle to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. Sitting with the worst record in the NBA at 3-20, the Pelicans are in the midst of a lost season. This injury-riddled season will be all about positive flashes and silver linings for the future. Lately, a big silver lining has emerged in New Orleans: Bryce McGowens.

McGowens signed with the Pelicans on a two-way contract over the summer, but has been playing a large role for the team in recent weeks. Amid injuries to Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, and Herb Jones, the Pelicans have inserted McGowens into the starting lineup in the last four games. The 23-year-old shooting guard averaged 30 minutes per game in those starts and has been a net positive for the Pelicans, putting up 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3 assists on 52.9% True Shooting.

Bryce McGowens' Emergence Has Been a Pelicans' Silver Lining

Those numbers may not be eye-popping, but for a two-way player who hasn't been able to establish himself as an NBA player until this year, that is way more than what the Pelicans expected before the season.

In McGowens' minutes, the Pelicans are +4.1 points per 100 possessions better than when he is off the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. His positive impact is especially felt offensively, where the Pelicans have an impressive 120.1 offensive rating with him on the court. McGowens makes his open threes, runs the floor, attacks the basket, and keeps the ball moving. That is exactly what you want from a complementary player who isn't going to have the ball in his hands all that much. McGowens has the size to defend, plays hard, and makes the right decisions.

The Pelicans' offense is trending up, but they lack true difference-makers on that end. It is a team led by two rookies and Trey Murphy after all. The biggest weakness is the lack of elite shooters outside of Murphy. McGowens doesn't have a reputation as a great shooter, but he has been comfortable taking them this year. He has made 8/19 so far this season, and if that continues, it will be hard to get him off the rotation, even when the Pels are healthy.

The complicating matter here is the fact that McGowens is on a two-way deal, and the Pelicans don't have a roster spot. This puts a cap on how many games McGowens can play this season. Players on two-way contracts are limited to 50 games in the NBA, which means that if the Pelicans want to use him in the second half of the season, they may need to make a few moves to open up a roster spot to sign him to a guaranteed contract. With how poorly this season is going, one can safely assume that move will come ahead of the February trade deadline.