At the end of the 1st quarter on Thursday night, the New Orleans Pelicans led the Los Angeles Lakers by the score of 30-29. It looked like we were due for a second consecutive nail-biter in the semi-finals of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament. And then, in the blink of an eye…
The LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers responded in dominant fashion to a 1-point 1st quarter deficit by turning the tables and going on a 104-59 run the rest of the way, securing a spot in the NBA In-Season Tournament Final vs. the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night with a 133-89 victory over the Pelicans. The loss was so deflating for the Pels that it forced head coach Willie Green to somberly discuss the state of his team in the aftermath.
“Tonight was a total letdown,” Willie Green told reporters, per Will Guillory of The Athletic. “A lack of competitive spirit. Tonight, we took a step in the wrong direction.”
I couldn't offer a more concise breakdown of the Pelicans' performance myself. It was disheartening to see a team led by two promising young guns, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, look so lifeless and lethargic in a big game setting like this one, compared to LeBron James, who is in year 21 and has played on the biggest stages imaginable.
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram combined for only 22 points and 5 rebounds on Thursday night against the Lakers, a serious dip from the combined 45 points and 11 rebounds per game the duo has averaged so far this season. Even those combined numbers, 45 points and 11 rebounds, doesn't stack up against the rest of the NBA's best duos.
Joel Embiid/Tyrese Maxey – 60 points, 16 rebounds per game
Devin Booker/Kevin Durant – 58 points, 13 rebounds per game
Giannis Antetokounmpo/Damian Lillard – 56 points, 15 rebounds per game
Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown – 49 points, 14 rebounds per game
LeBron James/Anthony Davis – 48 points, 20 rebounds per game
Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray – 46 points, 16 rebounds per game
Are Zion and Ingram a better, more promising duo than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren or Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns? (No)
Would you take them over Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in a seven-game series? (Of course not)
Would you even take them over Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle? (I wouldn't)
That's the tough spot the Pelicans are in. In all honesty, New Orleans should've cut bait on Zion a year or two ago when his trade value was much higher than it was now. And Brandon Ingram, for as talented as he is, is a tricky player to imagine leading a team to a title given the fact that he found himself buried on Team USA's bench over the summer.
Willie Green and the Pels are gonna have to look long and hard into the metaphorical crystal ball to decide if this is the foundation of a title team moving forward.
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