NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans are slowly, but certainly making a climb up the Western Conference leaderboard.
Their current, four-game winning streak is their longest of the season thus far, and has the Pelicans seventh in the West, only two games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for second place.
At 16-11, New Orleans is five games above .500 for the first time since Jan. 22 when they were 26-21. That Pelicans squad was in the midst of a 10-game free fall, but this one is trending up and has good reason to believe that even better may be to come.
After sweeping that three-game road trip, New Orleans will play in front of the home crowd six times over its next seven games. The Pelicans face the Grizzlies (2x), Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and Brooklyn Nets at the Blender with only a road trip to Cleveland against the Cavs breaking up the stand.
While the Pelicans are 1-4 against those teams, they’ve only faced the Lakers with a roster as healthy as they one they’re putting on the floor right now. That loss to Los Angeles is also the only one this season with either CJ McCollum or Trey Murphy III in the lineup.
During the win streak, New Orleans has gotten a balanced offensive attack, with five players in double figures and eight averaging at least six points per game. Zion Williamson was nominated for Western Conference Player of the Week honors after posting 24.0 pts, 8.0 rebs, and 3.0 asts, on 64.4% shooting.
As a team the Pelicans have ranked third in the NBA in offense (125.5), while sitting in the top 10 in assist/turnover ratio, effective field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, and pace.
They’ve been even more impressive recently on the defensive end. Only the Philadelphia 76ers have a better defensive rating than the Pels’ 107.5 mark over the last four games. New Orleans sits right behind the Sixers in net rating as well (18.1). That effort has allowed the Pelicans to climb back into the top 10 in DRTG at 112.6, just .6 behind last season’s 112.0 overall rating.
They’re tops in the league in defensive rebounding percentage and total rebounding percentage, and are limiting opponents to a combined 18.8 second chance and fast break points (28.0 combined for the season).
Though the questions about consistency and health remain, the Pelicans have given the rest of the NBA a frightening look at what the combination of Willie Green’s defense-first mentality and James Borrego’s offensive philosophy can be at its best. The onus is on the Pelicans to keep things going by continuing to buy-in to what they’ve seen themselves accomplish and understand what they could be capable of as they get even better.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| Memphis Grizzlies | New Orleans Pelicans |
| G – Jacob Gilyard | G – CJ McCollum |
| G – Desmond Bane | G – Brandon Ingram |
| F – Vince Williams Jr. | F – Herbert Jones |
| F – Jaren Jackson Jr. | F – Zion Williamson |
| C – Xavier Tillman Sr. | C – Jonas Valanciunas |
Injuries
New Orleans Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr. (right rib fracture) and Matt Ryan (right elbow surgery) are Out. Naji Marshall (right ankle sprain) is Probable. Zion Williamson (illness) is Questionable.
Memphis Grizzlies: Steven Adamas (knee), Brandon Clarke (achilles), Luke Kennard (knee), Derrick Rose (hamstring), and Marcus Smart (ankle) are Out. Bismack Biyombo (back) is Questionable.
Who: Memphis Grizzlies (6-19) at New Orleans Pelicans (16-11)
Season Series:
- Oct. 25: Pelicans def. Grizzlies, 111-104
- Dec. 19: Grizzlies at Pelicans
- Dec. 26: Grizzlies at Pelicans
- Feb. 12: Pelicans at Grizzlies
Where: Smoothie King Center
When: Dec. 19, 6:30 PM CT
Where to watch: TNT
Where to listen: WRNO 99.5
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Zion questionable tonight with non-COVID illness
This game had a let down feeling coming into it. Doesn’t help having to fight against this ridiculous ref ball.
More BS from BI..forced two point shots, matador defense..drives me crazy
We made 22 three pointers against Spurs. So far, I think we have attempted 4.
DD really is a defensive stopper…
BI must have read my first comment… bwahahahaha
Why is Trey not playing? He has only played 20 minutes tonight?
32 seconds left tie game you must call timeout and go 2 for 1. Inexcusable.
Pelicans need to find an athletic rim protector somewhere. JV just cannot jump for shit
Willie Green should be fired immediately for not playing TM3 at all in 4th quarter. Had the perfect opportunity when he sat Val for a few minutes, and he brought in Cody Zeller? That is a fireable offense.
Also, Ja is terrific, but that was Herb Jones worst game I can remember.
Naji played almost as many minutes as Trey. Jordan Hawkins played not at all.
We got Monty version 2.0, folks. He is stuck in the way basketball was played 15 years ago. Well, maybe we should ship Willie up to Detroit to help his best bud Monty. Win-win.
Still have no idea what Willie was thinking in the 4th quarter. Ja owned Herb last night. Everyone knew that Ja was going to have the ball in his hands every effin time on offense. While the Grizz blitzed BI relentlessly in the last six minutes of the game, Willie did nothing to try to disrupt Ja.
Last night’s loss was inexcusable. And Willie had a very large starring role. Not playing Trey, not adjusting defenses, playing hideous lineup combinations. And the lapdog members of the Pelicans press corps (an oxymoron if ever there was one) will not press him to explain.
It’s fine to question Zion’s fitness, BI’s occasional ball-hoggery, the lack of a true rim protector, the lack of development of DD as an offensive threat. But the hand’s off approach to evaluating the lack of coaching is not fine.
Just saw Willie’s post-practice “interview” today.
Two simple questions could have been asked
1. Did you think about getting Herb help on Ja when he was being overrun
2. Why no TM3 in the fourth quarter
Those are reasonable questions he could have answered. So, why aren’t questions like that not being asked?
Not playing Trey was mind boggling. Bad coaching is going to be our Achilles Heal
Sorry for the double negative..I am just so frustrated by the usual narrative of the press–“Tell me Willie, what are your views on {this subject}?”… that is being a press agent, not being a reporter.
They are too scared to ask Willie the tough questions
I get it, but there are plenty of ways you can ask obvious questions, such as, “The Grizzlies blitzed BI ate int he game, did you consider measures to get the ball out of Ja’s hands?” Or, there have been a lot of fans who have been curious about the decision not to play Trey in the fourth quarter when the Grizz were so obviously packing in the lane. What was your thinking?”
Now the truth is, that Willie has a soft place in his heart for scrappy players like Naji and Jose, likely because Willie himself was a scrappy player. Heck, we all like Naji and Jose. But there are times when you have to lean into offense–and WIllie has been a slow and stubborn learner on that point.