Jeremiah Fears came up two rebounds short of his first career triple-double Thursday night. But his performance against the Sacramento Kings may have given the New Orleans Pelicans something much more important than another statistical milestone.

A reason to rethink how they use their young point guard.

With Dejounte Murray unavailable following the birth of his child, Fears took on greater responsibility and responded with 22 points, a career-high 13 assists, eight rebounds, four blocks, and two steals in a 132-120 victory. It was New Orleans' first win after four consecutive losses, and arguably the clearest demonstration yet of what Fears can offer when he's allowed to direct the offense.

He made nine of his 16 shots, including three of five from beyond the arc, and committed just three turnovers in 29 minutes.

For a team still searching for an offensive identity, those numbers deserve attention.

A different look at the offense

The Pelicans entered Thursday with real questions about their backcourt.…