Brandon Ingram scored 18 points in his first game action since April, and Jordan Hawkins added a game-high 20 points off the bench, but the Pelicans trailed from nearly start to finish in a 118-98 loss to the Houston Rockets in their preseason finale.
The Pelicans finished the preseason 1-2, losing to the Miami Heat and Houston after beating the Orlando Magic in their opener.
New Orleans played without forward Zion Williamson, who missed the game for rest.
Ingram, Hawkins, and Dejounte Murray (12 pts) were the only players to reach double figures for the Pelicans. Rookie Yves Missi gave another solid performance, finishing with nine points in 19 minutes.
As in the first two preseason games, the Pelicans could not find their offensive rhythm. They fell behind early and could not keep up with the Rockets, as shot after shot clanged off the rim.
The Pels limited their turnovers against the Rockets, but their pacing and spacing were poor, a consistent issue over all three games.
Defensively, the Pelicans couldn’t keep the Rockets off the glass, getting outrebounded 62-47. New Orleans’ lack of size and interior defense led to the Pelicans being outscored by 24 points in the paint.
Final score aside, this wasn’t the way the Pelicans wanted to finish the preseason. A preseason that may have left fans with more questions than answers about the team with the regular season a week away.
Preseason Takeaways
B.I. Is Back
At this stage of his career, the questions about Brandon Ingram have little to do with what he can do. Ingram looked like his old self while playing 21 minutes on Tuesday night. He handled the basketball and scored using a variety of shots from the mid-range.
He was 7-of-13 from the floor (2-3 3PA), scoring 14 of his 18 points in the first quarter, and posting the best +/- among the starters (0).
However, Ingram was playing his game. While it works for him, it wasn’t reflective of the player the public heard was dominating in training camp by attacking the rim and shooting more threes.
Again, the questions about Brandon Ingram have little to do with what he can do; they have to do with what he’s willing to do. Is Ingram willing to change his game to help the Pelicans play faster? Is Ingram willing to do more, with the ball in his hands less often? Is he capable of being a difference-maker as a rebounder and defender?
Those questions couldn’t be answered on Tuesday night but must be once the regular season begins.
Starters’ Failure to Launch
In three preseason games, the New Orleans Pelicans’ likely starting lineup didn’t see a single minute of action together.
| First 2 Games | Game 3 | Preseason | 1st Half Only (3 games) | |
| PTS | 102.5 | 98.0 | 101.0 (27) | 51.7 (27) |
| FG% | 45.2 | 37.5 | 42.4 (26) | 43.2 (25) |
| 3PM | 10.5 | 9.0 | 10.0 (27) | 5.3 (23) |
| 3PA | 38.5 | 37.0 | 38.0 (17) | 20.3 (11) |
| 3P% | 27.3 | 24.3 | 26.3 (29) | 26.2 (30) |
| ORTG | 99.5 | 94.2 | 97.7 (28) | 99.4 (27) |
| DRTG | 99.5 | 112.4 | 103.9 (11) | 112.3 (23) |
| NET | 0.0 | -18.2 | -6.1 (22) | -12.9 (27) |
| TS% | 55.0 | 46.8 | 52.1 (28) | 52.1 (28) |
| PACE | 103.00 | 104.50 | 103.5 (14) | 103.67 (19) |
For a franchise annually playing its “most important season,” that is a concern.
Dejounte Murray’s play fluctuated wildly during the preseason. He averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 20.9 minutes per game.
His shooting was inaccurate and he failed to assert himself as the lead guard with the ball in his hands.
The Pelicans rarely got into transition, neutralizing one of Murray’s biggest assets. Murray did lead the Pelicans in rebounds and assists.
CJ McCollum and Herb Jones did not shoot the ball well over the last two games. McCollum has had no problem embracing his role as a designated shooter, last season he set a Pelicans record for made threes, but he doesn’t seem to have a clearly defined role in the offense.
Jones, who flirted with a 50/40/90 shooting line last season, was even more lost offensively. There were no backdoor cuts or well-executed sets to create open looks for Jones.
It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that Ingram and Zion Williamson were the only starters without a negative +/- in the preseason. The rest of the starters, whoever they are against the Bulls, must find some cohesion. And they have to do it quickly.
Frontcourt Problems
After a solid debut, Daniel Theis’ limitations were on full display over the last two games. Theis scored 11 points against the Magic, but only six combined against the Heat and Rockets while shooting 2-of-7 from the floor. He had five rebounds and one block in 53 minutes.
His basketball IQ and fundamentals mattered little against bigger, stronger, and quite frankly, better bigs. If Theis is in the starting lineup on Opening Night, he represents a significant downgrade from Jonas Valanciunas on both ends of the court.
Yves Missi improved in each game, though he remains very raw. Missi showed he could run the floor and block shots, leading the Pelicans with six in three games. The reasons the Pelicans drafted him are evident. No one else on the roster is capable of doing what he does.
“(Yves Missi) is a huge bright spot for us,” Green said. “Yves was incredible, especially when we put him in with that starting group. He just opens the floor with his rim pressure. He’s a lob threat. He’s doing a great job of picking up all of our concepts pretty quickly.”
Based on need and current growth trajectory, Missi could be counted on for significant minutes very soon. For a team that says it expects to be a contender in the West, that’s a lot of pressure for an inexperienced young player. Missi’s ability to meet those expectations will have a greater impact on the season than anyone could have anticipated when he was drafted.
Karlo Matkovic was expected to provide additional scoring at the center position, but he played only eight minutes in the entire preseason, all against the Magic. Matkovic’s name was barely heard in camp reports, and he seems destined to put up numbers in Birmingham rather than for the Pelicans this season.
Reports indicate that Herb Jones will serve as the defensive center, though that seems to be a misappropriation of assets and an indictment of the front office’s team building.
Jordan Hawkins Needs Minutes
Hawkins scored 20 points against the Rockets, making buckets at every level. He led the Pelicans in scoring during the preseason, averaging 16.3 points per game, while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from three-point range.
No player was more consistently aggressive. No player put more pressure on the defense.
“Once he gets going, he’s hard to stop,” Green said. “His movement. His force. He does it all at a high level. So, it’s no coincidence that he’s going out playing with such confidence.”
Hawkins played in 67 games last season, including 10 starts, averaging 7.8 points per game. With Trey Murphy sidelined, he and CJ McCollum are the only volume three-point shooters on the roster. Hawkins has proven that he must be a factor this season for the Pelicans’ small-ball offense to have a reasonable chance at success.
Willie Green on the Hotseat
According to reports, Willie Green is one of the favorites to be the first coach to lose his job this season.
The Pelicans have improved their record every season with Green on the bench, climbing from 36 to 42 to 49 wins. However, the Pels have yet to finish higher than the eighth seed in the playoffs and have not won a series in the postseason.
Green has made defense his calling card, but adjusting his offensive principles has not come easy. He also has the difficult task of managing prominent players whose futures with the team have yet to be determined and a roster that may not be suited to executing his plans.
Unfortunately, that’s life in the NBA. Green has to make do with what David Griffin has given him. He also has James Borrego, a highly-regarded offensive mind and former head coach, waiting in the wings if things go wrong.
The Pelicans have been notoriously slow starters under Green, finishing 10-20 combined in their first 10 games over the past three seasons. In a highly competitive Western Conference, conceding too much ground to the pack could be a hurdle the Pelicans can’t get over late in the season.
Conclusions
After the preseason, it is obvious the Pelicans cannot end the season with the roster they will start with. If “small-ball” is Plan A, the Pelicans do not have a Plan B. The team has little margin for error. There is talent and there are major concerns.
But since 2019, when hasn’t that been the case?
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