The New Orleans Pelicans suffered their second consecutive blowout loss, falling 106-124 to the Golden State Warriors in the first game of a back-to-back in San Francisco.
Making matters worse, the Pelicans held a 20-point first-half lead before a total reversal over the final three quarters.
The Warriors, playing without Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and De’Anthony Melton, were able to cut the lead to four at the half and took the lead with a 40-point third quarter. Golden State pulled away behind a huge performance from former Pelicans’ first-rounder Buddy Hield.
New Orleans was outscored 110-75 over the final three periods.
The Pelicans and the Warriors will face off again on Wednesday in the final game of the current four-game road trip.
Takeaways
Something in the Water (Does Not Compute): Though there were several bad statistics in the box score from this game, the one that was the most obvious was the disparity from behind the three-point line. The Warriors nearly made more threes (21) than the Pelicans attempted (22) and outscored the Pelicans by 36 points beyond the arc. Things have been trending in the wrong direction since opening night.
The Pelicans attempted 37 three-pointers against the Chicago Bulls, 32 and 29 against the Blazers before last night’s 22. That’s an average of 30 attempts per game, 10 fewer than Willie Green’s goal of 40.
It’s deeper than the Pelicans not having Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III available. This team has not bought into the offensive philosophy, and after yesterday’s loss that couldn’t be more clear. Missing three major components of their offense, the Warriors were able to stay true to their game plan. Why couldn’t the Pelicans?
At an even more basic level, where was the pride of this team? The Pelicans had their three best players active and were run off the floor. The Warriors were quicker and more aggressive and the Pelicans seemed to have their collective spirits broken by halftime.
That’s on Green. He failed to make the necessary adjustments in strategy and personnel to keep the game competitive. If the Pelicans can’t decide who they are and how they need to play, Willie Green should find himself on a very hot seat.
Fallen stars: Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram combined for 61 points on 24-of-36 shooting (4-of-8 3PA). There haven’t been many games when they’ve both gone off. Last season, they scored 30 in the same game only once.
But their individual success didn’t make their teammates any better. They combined for only five assists, and committed 10 turnovers (seven by Williamson). They didn’t have much impact on the defensive end either. The Pelicans need more than just points from the pair. They need the two of them to play like an elite duo, something that hasn’t happened enough over the past five seasons.
Ingram scored 30 or more in 10 games during the 2023-24 season. The Pelicans were 6-4 in those games, but Williamson only played in eight. Zion averaged 19.0 points per game in those he did appear in, scoring under 20 points four times.
Williamson topped 30 points in 13 games last season, with the Pelicans going 8-5 when he did. Ingram appeared in 10 of those, averaging 17.8 points per game, and scoring less than 20 points 6 times.
After five seasons, the fit between them still seems awkward. It’s hard for the Pelicans to play a “modern” NBA offense with two stars who are volume scorers from primarily inside the three-point line, and who play their best when the other is on the bench.
Zion thrives when surrounded by shooters, and the Pelicans just don’t have that many. A problem that has persisted since his rookie season. Williamson is also still limited by his offensive repetiore, though he did make his first three-pointer of the season against the Warriors. The Pelicans’ over-reliance on him as a creator can lead to high turnovers, like the seven he had on Tuesday. His defense is still a night-to-night work in progress.
Ingram has done a better job this season in taking three-pointers by number, but he hasn’t utilized them when his team is trailing. Instead he goes back to attacking from the mid-range. He hasn’t gotten to the free throw line very often, with only nine attempts after four games. His 2.3 free throw attempts per game are the lowest average of his career, as are his 3.5 assists. With Murray out, Ingram has to be a facilitator and he has to get to the line.
The Pelicans will only go as far as this duo carries them. At this point of the season neither has lived up to their responsibilites as leaders.
Bench support (or lack thereof): The Pelicans love to tout their depth, but it hasn’t shown up in the last two games. The bench has been outscored by 20 points over the last two games.
Jordan Hawkins was a non-factor against the Warriors, attempting only six shots with none of those being three-pointers. Jose Alvarado hasn’t shot the ball well all season, and Javonte Green doesn’t excel in half court sets.
Outside of the rookie Yves Missi, who continues to play beyond his years, the Pelicans have no height on the second unit, so rebounding and interior defense continue to be weaknesses.
The Pelicans should have had an advantage on the bench Tuesday, but they didn’t. At that was primarily because the Warriors’ bench played with purpose and an understanding of their roles. Their gameplan complements their skill sets.
That isn’t the case with the Pelicans.
If the second unit can’t at least hold its own, that’s a major setback for a team that considers itself a viable contender in the Western Conference.
Who are the New Orleans Pelicans? That’s a question that remains unanswered, but it shouldn’t require a healthy roster to know what this team is truly capable of. The Pelicans will win games this season, because they’re just too talented not to. However, meaningful success while playing this inconsistently will remain elusive.
Something has to change.
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