Pelicans Top 5 Takeaways From 2-Game Win Streak
New Orleans, La.- The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a 10-game losing streak with two wins over California-based rivals this weekend as part of a back-to-back set of games on the schedule. Willie Green kept the coaching staff focused on their priorities and the locker room never lost focus of the team's bigger picture goals.
First, they denied LeBron James a history-making night in the Smoothie King Center with a nailbiting, come-from-behind 131-126 win over the Los Angeles Lakers behind a big night from Brandon Ingram. Then the Pelicans ran away from the Sacramento Kings without Ingram in a 136-104 rout.
The Pelicans trailed for the first three quarters against the Lakers. They never trailed in the win over the Kings. After beating LeBron, Herb Jones said, “It was well overdue for one. I was just so proud of everyone sticking with it, and continuing to work hard through the adversity.”
Feb 4, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green yells against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Green said after the weekend sweep, “We’re extremely proud of everyone on our team. Everyone that touched the floor contributed... It started with our defense getting deflections, challenging shots, rebounding the ball.”
So what changed?
1. Pace of Play Priorities
The team's pace was not up to par during the losing streak. It was not just the lack of opportunities to get out in transition, the off-ball actions in the half-court sets were slow in getting the offense initiated.
I asked coach Green before tipoff against the Sacramento Kings about the team's effort and execution and the renewed emphasis on off-ball actions being more urgent so the team could get into sets earlier in the shot clock,
Green replied, "It is. It is something that we thrive on. It is something that we work on, something we watch. It is a big part of our concepts. It was good to see it carried over into last night and we played faster but even in the half-court, we played with more force when we were getting into our sets with our screens and our cutting."
2. Trigga Trey Murphy Goes Automatic
Trey Murphy sank two free throws with 14 seconds remaining against the Lakers. The confidence was back in the form of 21 points, 5 rebounds, and a 4/9 night from beyond the arc. However, the Kings' game might have been the best outing of his career.
Murphy III sat out the fourth quarter after pouring in 30 points on only 11 shots from the field. He went 6/8 from three-point range. The Virginia alum said, "Like I told you all before, you just have to keep shooting no matter if you’re hitting or not hitting. Eventually, your percentage is going to get to where it’s supposed to be, so I’m just glad my teammates found me and I was able to knock down shots for them.”
The Rising Stars invitee added, "B.I. (Brandon Ingram) was out, so somebody had to be B.I. I decided to tap into my B.I. skillset. That was really it.”
Jan 24, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots the ball against New Orleans Pelicans center Willy Hernangomez (9) during the first quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
3. Willy and the Bench
Willy Hernangomez has been pining for more playing time. With Jonas Valanciunas sitting out his first game all season, Hernangomez got a big opportunity against the Kings. He still did not start the game but Hernangomez notched a 22-point, 16-rebound game in only 28 minutes Overall, the NOLA reserves totaled 50 points against Sacramento.
On getting playing time, the Eurobasket MVP shared it was “Super fun. I love playing basketball so much. It feels great to win and to get back to winning. Played good basketball and I played out there with my family and my friends. I played well. I’m happy...We executed the defensive plan perfectly. We were disciplined helping each other and our communication was really high. Larry (Nance Jr.) did a great job on (Domantas) Sabonis, Herb (Jones) always there and Naji (Marshall). Everybody contributed to the win. Defensively, this is us and we need to keep going and do what we do."
4. B.I.'s Return Relieves Pressure
Brandon Ingram sat out for over two dozen games with a toe injury. In his fifth night back in the lineup, the former All-Star was outstanding, racking up 35 points on 15/28 shooting. He sat out the back end of the back-to-back versus the Kings but this handful of games brought a bit more hope, and eased off a lot of pressure, for CJ McCollum and the rest of the locker room. Ingram makes Green's job that much easier as well.
“He looked like the Brandon that we’re all accustomed to seeing,” Green explained in the post-game press conference. “He was calling certain plays he wanted for himself, finding his teammates, attacking the basket. Good to have Brandon back and playing at a high level.”
Jan 29, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks for a shot against New Orleans Pelicans guard Naji Marshall (8) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
5. Locker Room Never Lost Focus
Everyone in the locker room knows this team's potential when fully healthy. Even missing an All-Star (or two at times), this squad can tread water in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race. This string of games in January is just a minor setback on the path to a playoff series.
Get to the postseason, healthy. Those are the goals. Now the team is back on track and, fully healthy, can hit a post-All-Star break groove right back into a top-4 spot. They are only a couple of games out now, even after the losing streak.
"It speaks to the professionalism and the character in our locker room. I spoke to the guys about it, Devonte’ (Graham), Garrett (Temple), Willy (Hernangómez), Jaxson (Hayes), Kira (Lewis Jr.), all the guys that don't necessarily play a ton of minutes or haven't been playing a ton of minutes. They all came in and they executed over and over again. They executed coverages defensively, and offensively we were able to spread the floor and get out and run. We don't take that type of stuff for granted. It's what makes our team special."
