The New Orleans Pelicans are headed home to Smoothie King Center for a four-game homestand with three West Coast wins in their pocket. Going 3-2 while playing back-to-back sets and fighting late-night travel logistics should be seen as a win. That is a victory, all things considered, but the way the losses are piling up does not bode well for this team's long-term chances.
Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III were all available for the second game against the Dallas Mavericks. However, it was the same ol' story for the Pelicans in a 125-120 loss, and Luka Doncic did not even have to suit up: Another double-digit lead lost and another three-possession lead with seven minutes remaining squandered. These Pelicans (24-17) have the second-best halfway-point record since the franchise's rebrand, but they're also letting winnable games go by the wayside far too often.
New Orelans is earning a bad reputation as a team not to be feared, even if an opponent is down double-digits in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans will have to change that through the second half to churn up their confidence in those situations before the playoffs begin, where the pressure of a seven-game series has crushed the hopes of many young, untested teams.
Rivals simply not scared of the Pelicans
New Orleans would be a good bet to fall early in the postseason considering the team's already exposed weaknesses. The worst part? It comes down to first-grade fundamentals of simply executing plays and sinking free throws. And the consequences go far beyond the loss column. Opposing teams are not scared of being put away by the Pelicans, whereas some might let up just a bit easier when down double-digits t more proven squads.
Coach Willie Green's team is 24th in overall free-throw shooting percentage. However, New Orleans is dead last by a wide margin in free-throw percentage in clutch moments, converting only 59.2% of their attempts from the charity stripe with the pressure ramps up, per NBA.com/stats.. The Washington Wizards are a full 7.5% better when the game is within five points and fewer than five minutes remain on the clock.
Of course, teams sporting better playoff credentials have developed habits of closing out games. The causation/correlation may not be quite there for this locker room, but even Larry Nance Jr. admitted it's no coincidence that great teams do not let lesser ones hang around and steal wins. That's not to say the Pelicans were better than every team they lost to, but they were up double-digits in more than a few of their recent defeats.
The Pelicans have held a double-digit lead in the second half of nine of their 17 losses. Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies even had New Orleans experiencing deja vu.
Having 20-plus-point leads wind up being 12-point wins is no big deal. It just looks like a more respectable scoreline than those watching might suggest. Having those same deceptively comfortable double-digit leads turn into losses is not only demoralizing, it leads to other teams not being scared of being in the same situation.
New Orleans let a mixture of teams, from playoff competition to lottery-bound foes, naw away at big leads. The Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls have all mounted comesbacks after slow starts. The Grizzlies got the Pelicans twice in the Big Easy, both with sudden-death daggers at the buzzer. Green, Williamson and Ingram are usually left holding the bag of blame.
Willie Green still adjusting, likes progress of Pelicans
The meltdown versus the Mavericks was just a microcosm of the Pelicans' season. Think meltdown is harsh? New Orleans got caught up in trash talk up 111-104 with 6:05 left in the game. Seven points—at least three possessions barring an unusual four-point play. Dallas needed three stop-and-scores to put a stain on Williamson's 30-point night. Jason Kidd's team got more than required, holding New Orleans to just nine points in the last 7:18 of the game.
The Pelicans' offensive approach was a bit elementary (less movement, more iso ball) and their defensive rebounding discipline was nonexistent. Dallas converted offensive rebounds into made three-pointers. New Orleans coughed up turnovers after missed layups and hook shots. Ingram missed two late three-pointers, but the nail in the coffin was arguably Williamson failing to convert crucial free throws in the waning moments.
Green's starting and closing groups have to get better on both accounts, no excuses. Sure, getting to the hotel at 4 a.m. to end the Denver to Dallas leg of the trip was not ideal. The second line still went out and got a win in New Orleans' first matchup with the Mavs as Williamson, Ingram and McCollum sat, receiving all of the coach's credit.
“These guys are young but they have some experience playing in big games,” Green said after his shorthanded team's 118-108 win over Dallas on Saturday. “All of them played in big games in college. It's definitely something we look at. When (Dallas) went on a run, we did not panic at all. We know that it's a long game. Let's lock in. Let's execute. I wanted to make sure I used some of our timeouts to get some guys some rest. Give them the credit, all of our guys…They came in and executed over and over again. That's what it takes to win.”
The full-strength Pelicans did not execute in the back half of the baseball series in Dallas. Still, Green did not want to languish in the moment, emotionally draining as it was. The team was headed home in good shape, all things considered.
“I think it’s a lot of positives,” he said Monday. “I think our defense and offense is in a good place. Tonight, it’s kind of hard to reflect on that at the moment because we’re still in the emotion of the loss. Big-picture-wise, I think we are in a good place but we have room to continue to grow and improve.”
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