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The New Orleans Pelicans (16-11) are on a four-game win streak, with three of those coming on the road. Now Willie Green's squad is headed home for a five-of-six home game stretch in the Smoothie King Center. Green is in the giving spirit this holiday season as well, revealing the blueprint that has New Orleans surging up the standings.
Everything starts with healthy rotations of course. This is still the Pelicans after all. Well, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have been relatively free of injury through the first 27 games of the season. Williamson and Ingram are learning how to better share the offensive burdens and the supporting cast is stepping up when needed.
“It's always helpful when you know night in and night out these are the 10, maybe 11, guys that are going to play. These are our rotations,” Green shared on the benefits on normal routines. “They get into a better rhythm because they understand what times they're going to be on the floor, when they come out, substitution patterns, and stuff like that.
“It's been really good to be in that place,” Green continued. “We're hoping and praying we can stay there.”
Pelicans still looking to prove a point
There is no resting on laurels for a young team still looking to shake negative narratives with a long NBA Playoffs run. They've already made the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals, though admittedly that went poorly. The embarrassing defeat ensured Green's message landed with an attentive audience.
The third-year Pelicans coach is stressing that the Pelicans must be hungry.
“We know we've won four in a row and we know how we've won these games. Our mindset now is to go win the next game. What does it take to do that? We have to start the game off well,” Green said. “We have to start with a defensive mindset. Finish possessions. Rebound, which we've talked about a number of times.”
Furthermore, Green stressed the importance of offensive efficiency.
“Offensively? Trust each other…(The Pelicans) are getting stops first. That ties directly into us being a highly potent offense,” Green said. “Then the trust that we have. We had 38 assists last game. It does not matter who is scoring just make the right play. Make the simple play over and over again. That's when basketball is fun and it's beautiful to watch.”
It's a beautifully simple blueprint for success. Credit the Pelicans' front office for building a deep, versatile roster and Green for getting the locker room to buy in. The basketball talent portion of the process is near-complete. Now, comes another few months of hopes and prayers for health.
