Subscribe
Follow Us
The eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans managed to put up a fight in Game 1 against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns. Despite their gallant stand, the efforts of the underdogs still fell short as they succumbed to a 110-99 loss.
Chris Paul's heroics in the fourth quarter were a huge factor in lifting the Suns to a 1-0 advantage in the opening-round series. After seeing what transpired in the first game, Willie Green and the Pelicans must adjust their game plan in order to keep in step with their opponents and hopefully get a win come Game 2.
With that said, let's take a look at four adjustments that the Pelicans must make after their Game 1 loss in Phoenix.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Pelicans adjustments after Game 1 loss to Suns
4. New Orleans must find a way to defend the paint
The New Orleans Pelicans have a solid big man in Jonas Valanciunas along with younger contributors in Larry Nance Jr. and Jaxson Hayes. In Game 1, Valanciunas did most of the work in the paint after producing a huge double-double outing with 18 points and 25 rebounds.
Despite his production on the floor, the Pelicans still failed to put up a solid line of defense in the paint. Deandre Ayton came out with 21 points and nine rebounds, while the entire Suns team notched 50 points in the paint. Meanwhile, the Pelicans only managed to score 38 points in the shaded area.
Yes, the Suns have deadly backcourt and wing players, but the Pelicans can't forget about the opposing big men who can also create significant damage on the floor. Phoenix will surely be hard to stop given the overall talent on that roster, but New Orleans doesn't have a choice but to do a better job on defense.
3. The Pelicans need to be more accurate at the free-throw line
Another glaring shortcoming of the Pelicans in their Game 1 loss was their shooting at the charity stripe. They were only able to make 18-of-26 shots for 69.2%, while the Suns did a better job by completing 16-of-21 attempts for 76.2%.
Article Continues Below
Those missed freebies could've made a difference for the Pelicans, given that Game 1 wasn't a totally lopsided affair. Now facing a strong team like Phoenix, New Orleans can't afford to have that many misses at the line, especially while also struggling from the field.
If the Pelicans can find a way to fine-tune their free-throw shooting come Game 2, they will have a better chance of winning.
2. The team has to improve its overall defense in crunch time
Chris Paul was the main antagonist for the Pelicans down the stretch. The veteran playmaker scored 19 of his 30 points in the final frame, which allowed the Suns to increase their lead and run away with the win.
The Pelicans were right in the middle of the game after cutting down a huge lead built by the Suns. However, Paul's heroics were just too much to handle, which ultimately prevented New Orleans from mounting a comeback late in the game.
Given how stacked the Suns are, it might be a different player who will take over in the fourth quarter in the games to come. Nonetheless, the Pelicans must still try to put on the clamps on these steady Suns playmakers who are always ready to step up for their team when needed.
1. Brandon Ingram must take and make more shots
Realistically speaking, the Pelicans are not the most talented team out there. This becomes more evident when they're matched up against a more loaded squad like the Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
With that said, their main man in Brandon Ingram must take and make more shots in Game 2. On Sunday night, he only put up 17 attempts, which were less than what Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum each attempted from the field.
Ingram only made six of those 17 attempts for a total of 18 points to go with five rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes of action. Everyone knows that the former All-Star is the focal point of New Orleans' offense as long as Zion Williamson remains sidelined. Given that, he should take the lead on offense and be more aggressive in finding his shots on the floor.
Yes, the Suns played excellent defense on Ingram in Game 1, which limited his offensive production. However, he should've found a way to adjust or even set up plays for his teammates instead. Looking back on his career, he has always shown that he can put up big scoring nights despite lacking help from his teammates, which wasn't the case in their first game against the Suns.
Valanciunas put up a solid double-double performance while McCollum led the way with 25 points, though he shot just 9-of-25. Indeed, the Pelicans will have a hard time in this series if Ingram does not rise to the occasion.
