The New Orleans Pelicans are perhaps the hottest team on the planet regardless of sport.
They have 16 wins by double-digits in the last two months and many have not been close. Coach Willie Green's group has run out to 20, 30, 40 and even 50-point leads over expected playoff contenders in just the past two weeks. This squad has looked far more focused and serious since leaving Las Vegas with a 44-point In-Season Tournament semifinal loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the books.
The Golden State Warriors were the latest victim, Steph Curry proving helpless to stop a 141-105 rout by the visiting Pelicans.
“It's really a credit to the character in that locker room,” Green said after the teame. “(It's) realizing we are a ‘work' team. We will continue to be honest about the things we are doing well and be positive about it but there are some things we can improve on. The guys are dedicated to getting better. We come in every day with that mindset. It's hard to win in the NBA; it's hard to win on the road. We don't take this for granted but this is a big-time win for us.”
The focus has been more on internal development and setting consistent standards than anything else, per the Pelicans' third-year head coach.
“It's more about proving it to ourselves and the standard we want to set for ourselves,” Green continued. “Vegas wasn't it and we were honest about that. That was a poor performance on our part. We played with a lack of energy but I don't want to continue to go back. Let's stay positive. We had some honest discussions about it and we want to hold ourselves to a certain standard. The last 10, or 15 games since Vegas have been more of what we are about. That's the goal. Continue to move forward.”
Pelicans counting on one big blessing all season
There is of course an elephant in the Pelicans' facilities that deserves some thanks as well.
“Health matters man,” CJ McCollum admitted postgame. “It matters for game plans. It matters for practice. It matters for camaraderie, chemistry, and execution. You have to get used to playing with guys to get the results that you want. I think we are getting there.”
The results are definitely there for New Orleans in 2023-24, and the good vibes travel well. The Pelicans are 14-6 since a Thanksgiving trip to visit the Utah Jazz, not to mention sporting overall records of 12-8 at home and 11-7 on the road this season.
Williamson appreciates the way the supporting cast has been stepping up. This month-long run of great results has not required Williamson, Brandon Ingram nor CJ McCollum to constantly pour in 30+ points to sustain the offense.
“We got a lot of depth. Our bench is deep so in games like this where you can have eight people in double-figures, that's big time,” Williamson said. “Games like this, down the line, it's going to open up and give B.I. and me more space to operate…On a night like tonight, we feel unstoppable. But there's going to be nights where we are not hitting shots and our defense is going to have to carry us. I feel like the more we are consistent on defense the better we are.”
“I think that's the growth factor for us. There are going to be nights where (Williamson) may only have 12,13, or 14 points,” Green stated. “Same thing with (Ingram) and we're okay with that. You know, when we're winning games and the double-digit scoring is seven, eight, nine guys we're okay. We're just having a solid night and this was a growth moment. The guys were happy in the locker room, happy for each other, and that is what it's about. It's a team win.”
Lastly, Green is counting blessings and keeping the players wise to effective game plans.
“I'm blessed. We're blessed and grateful to have games like that where we start off dominating. It's hard to do against two teams that move and shoot the ball the way (the Warriors) do. They can guard and have guys that can play different positions but credit to coach Jaren Collins and coach J.B. (James Borrego) who worked on this scout tonight. We really worked on it at practice, we worked on it in film and the guys went out and executed the game plan.”
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