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The New Orleans Pelicans trade of Jrue Holiday brought in guard Eric Bledsoe and, with it, shook up the Pelicans starting lineup. While Bledsoe is similar to Holiday in many regards, he brings a new dynamic to the Pelicans’ roster.
It also raised some questions about Lonzo Ball’s future. While Bledsoe is 30 years old, he is a player who has been used almost exclusively as a point guard, particularly in recent years of his career. While the team, and Stan Van Gundy in particular, has said all the right things about Ball, the questions lingered.
In a media availability on Monday, David Griffin spoke about Bledsoe and how the Pelicans current rotation of guards will fit together this season. In discussing the fit, Griffin appeared to reveal that Ball and Bledsoe will be the starting backcourt this season.
“Well I think, for one, we envision being able to start Eric and Lonzo much the same way that we started Lonzo and Jrue. Eric is a similar player to Jrue in many areas. I think in terms of the way he approaches the game, there’s a little bit of a difference but they’re very similar in their ability to create off the dribble and to defend. So, we anticipate that those two can work very similar together to how Jrue and Lonzo worked.”
Last season, Ball spent the vast majority of his time on the court next to Holiday. The only teammate he played more than the 1,103 minutes he spent on-court with Holiday was Brandon Ingram, with who he spent 1,406 minutes alongside.
Bledsoe will be able to provide much of the defensive impact that Holiday did during his time in New Orleans. The former Kentucky guard made the All-Defensive Second Team this season after being a First Team honoree in 2018-19.
Much of the difference in Holiday and Bledsoe’s games come on the offensive end. For one, Bledsoe is a speedier player that excels in the open court. Only 10 players had more transition possessions than Bledsoe last season.
It’ll create an interesting dynamic for the Pelicans next season as they look to move into the future without Holiday.
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