Pelicans' E'Twaun Moore: Likely to start at shooting guard

Moore is listed as the Pelicans' projected starter at shooting guard for Thursday's game against the Rockets.

Analysis:

Though the acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins earlier in the week gives the Pelicans one of the league's most fearsome frontcourt tandems, it came at the price of sacrificing nearly all their depth in the backcourt, as Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway were packaged away in the deal. The Pelicans addressed the need for another shooting guard by signing Hollis Thompson to a 10-day deal, but Moore is the most logical candidate to slide into Hield's vacated starting role. Look for Moore to potentially flirt with a 30-minute workload Thursday with Thompson and Jrue Holiday perhaps offering spot minutes at the position behind him. While Moore's playing time will be on the rise, he still profiles as a low-usage player when he shares the floor with Anthony Davis, Cousins and Holiday, so he won't necessarily be in line for a huge jump in production.