Brian Scalabrine pulled no punches when calling Monday night's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics. The NBC Boston broadcaster, an 11-year veteran sporting an NBA Finals championship ring no less, called out Willie Green's lineups. It's not the first time the Pelicans' lineup decisions have been under the microscope, and it came this time with a familiar, deflating conclusion for the team's fans. After holding a 17-point lead in the first half and up as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Pelicans eventually lost by six on the road.
The Pelicans are not panicking yet. The trade deadline is still a week away, after all. Green is still getting creative, but this locker room can't ignore the critical outside noise that grows louder as a result of the loss. Just a few feet away from the team's bench during his broadcast, Scalabrine shared his strong opinion with just over six minutes left in the first half.
“I’m going to be honest with you guys, this lineup for the Pelicans, we need to go like 15-2 against this lineup,” Scalabrine outlined. “This is not a good lineup.”
This comment was made following a mass substitution of all five Pelicans players at the 6:05 mark of the second quarter. Dyson Daniels, Herb Jones, Larry Nance Jr., and Trey Murphy took the court to support Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans held a nine-point lead before the lineup of Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Naji Marshall, Jonas Valanciunas, and rookie Jordan Hawkins checked out. New Orleans had an eight-point lead when McCollum checked back in for Daniels at the 3:44 mark of the second.
So, chalk up a point for Green's defensive-minded instincts? That group did well enough against Jaylen Brown, Jalen Tatum, and Derrick White to quell all questions, right?
Well, not exactly. A one-point swing is great, but that doesn't mean the lineup should be used often. Scalabrine was not wrong in his assessment. He was just a bit early.
Pelicans pick defense-first lineup down the stretch
The Pelicans again ran their questionable lineup midway through the fourth quarter on Monday night. Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum came off the floor in favor of Ingram and Jones with 6:14 remaining. Murphy, Daniels, and Nance Jr. were already on the court at the time. Murphy was the only respected shooter who was willing to fire away when the ball hit his hands. Ingram's All-Star campaign ended with a flicker, as he was 2-of-8 from the floor on the night and 1-of-5 shooting in the second half.
Daniels was on tired legs as well, having started and played the entire fourth quarter. Nance Jr. ended up checking in with just over eight minutes to go in the game. Scalabrine and his statement were now ringing true. The NBA is driven by offense over defense, and Green's grouping went from leading the Celtics 94-86 to trailing 104-98 within a handful of minutes left. The dozen-point swing brought the Boston crowd to life, and the Pelicans again wilted in crunch time.
McCollum and Williamson came back into the game to join Ingram, Murphy, and Jones with 4:06 remaining in the fourth. The Pelicans pulled within four with 2:51 left, but the Celtics kept the visitors at arm's length the rest of the way. In a game begging for more shooting, record-breaking rookie Jordan Hawkins logged just nine first-half minutes, and sharpshooter Matt Ryan never left the bench.
Scalabrine spoke for a lot of Pelicans fans last night. He also brought up more questions about Green's game plans and decision-making under pressure. Substandard second-half starts are bound to happen when the team's best floor spacer is sitting on the bench. Murphy is the team's most lethal, respected shooter, but he is currently in a shooting funk in the midst of a contract year.
The Pelicans lack second-half energy on most nights, so why not try to end the first half with more of an offensive-minded approach?
The thought process behind sending Williamson back in with only 90 seconds left in the second quarter and sitting Murphy needs further explanation as well. Williamson is opening up three-point looks for everyone, and Murphy needs to get back in rhythm. This issue was even more evident in the second half. Murphy replaced Williamson at the 5:23 mark of the third quarter, as two of the team's most talented, well-fitting players never get to play together.
Willie Green's rotations and in-game adaptability have been a work in progress going back to their six-game series against the Phoenix Suns in 2022. Even he admitted there are things to work on during press scrums.
Well, the Pelicans have eight games before the NBA All-Star break. Green has about 10–12 weeks to get the rotations dialed in and optimized for maximum playoff efficiency. The third-year head coach will not want subpar lineups to be called out during contract extensions, if and when they occur.