Pelicans Addressing Body Language "Slippage" After All-Star Break
New Orleans, La.- The New Orleans Pelicans (30-31) had a ten-game losing streak in January and went into the NBA All-Star break losers of 17 of their past 24 contests. They've won only 7 games since New Year's Day. Worse, the team's body language in two road losses looked lethargic to start the post-break schedule.
When I asked specifically about the squad's body language, coach Willie Green did not shy away from the truth.
"Yea, we've had some slippage with our joy, our energy. Guys know that. We've had a tough month and a half of games. We're just going to have to put our heads down, continue to work, continue to stay together...Honestly, it is really simple."
As for any sense of urgency and wilting under pressure? Well, according to Green, "We have high expectations for each other, for our team goals. I think sometimes that can put more pressure on guys than it needs to be. We still have to go out with a sense of urgency but also free, and not try and go out to not make mistakes. I think we are kind of caught in between right now."
Green continued, "Those are some of the discussions we had today as a group but we'll be fine. This is a part of growth, a part of maturing, and teams go through it. I firmly believe it's going to make us better."
CJ McCollum addressed the urgency levels in the locker room after the morning shootaround, explaining, "I’d say it’s high. We had some good conversations today. We had a good shootaround. We understand what’s at stake for not only tonight but the rest of the season.”
Feb 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson watches the game in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Still, the is no panic, not yet. Not even with Zion Williamson and Larry Nance Jr. out indefinitely. McCollum shared that “Dialogue is good. You have to have constant dialogue through a season. There are times where you need to speak on things. There are times when you need to act on things. We’ve spoken on it. Now it’s time for us to act. Get off to a good start and put on a better performance.”
The Pelicans get the Orlando Magic at home before embarking on another three-game road trip through Portland, Golden State, and Sacramento. For a team that is 10-21 on the road this season, New Orleans needs to tighten up before they slip all the way out of the playoff conversation.
