5 Things We Learned from the Pelicans' Loss vs. Nuggets

For the first time in five games, the New Orleans Pelicans avoided a double-digit loss. They needed a little help to do it.

Jordan Poole was fouled on a three-point attempt with 8.7 seconds remaining and made all three free throws to cut Denver's final margin to eight points in a 116-108 Nuggets victory Saturday night.

New Orleans showed more fight than in its previous four losses, considering it was on the second night of a back-to-back. But this is the NBA. There are no moral victories. The Pelicans trailed by 15 midway through the fourth quarter, surrendered 62 points in the paint, and lost to Denver for the third time this season.

Even with 13 made three-pointers, a productive night from the bench, and Yves Missi's return, New Orleans couldn't find a way to win.

Here are five things we learned as the Pelicans' losing streak reached five games.

1. The Pelicans Need Almost Everything to Go Right Just to Have a Chance

Thirteen made three-pointers. Only 11 turnovers. A 27-point advantage from beyond the arc. Forty-two points from the bench.

Throw in 24 points from Zion Williamson, including a pair of three-pointers, and the Pelicans had several ingredients for a victory.

Instead, they spent the entire second half chasing Denver.

That's what makes this team so difficult to evaluate. New Orleans has enough individual talent to produce stretches of impressive basketball, but those moments rarely come together for an entire game.

The offense can look dangerous when outside shots are falling. Yet the Pelicans struggle to generate quality possessions when opponents take away their primary options. And even when the scoring improves, the defense often gives those points right back.

The result is a team that needs unusually strong contributions from several places to remain competitive.

Saturday wasn't a case of New Orleans playing poorly in every area. The more troubling reality is that the Pelicans did several things well and still couldn't seriously threaten Denver down the stretch.

2. Denver Didn't Need Three-Pointers to Pick Apart the Defense

The Nuggets made only four shots from beyond the arc. Four.

They still scored 116 points, shot 52.5% from the floor, and controlled the paint by an astonishing 62-44 margin.

Denver's four made threes were fewer than the nine Indiana needed to beat New Orleans in the season opener. Last season, Orlando defeated the Pelicans 112-108 while making seven.

The Nuggets didn't need much perimeter production Saturday. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic repeatedly found ways to create favorable opportunities, whether by attacking the defense directly or moving the ball to teammates in better spots.

New Orleans had trouble keeping people out of the paint, and the problems multiplied once defenders were forced to help. Denver also held a 47-38 rebounding advantage, limiting the Pelicans' ability to finish possessions with a stop.

Missi's return helped provide a presence around the rim, but one shot-blocker can't compensate for breakdowns throughout the defense.

The Pelicans have been searching for more three-point shooting all season. Against Denver, they finally enjoyed a substantial advantage in that department.

It barely mattered.

3. Jaron Pierre Jr. and Yves Missi Made the Most of Their Opportunities

Not every development from Saturday was discouraging.

Jaron Pierre Jr. delivered one of the night's more remarkable performances, scoring 13 points in 23 minutes after putting up 23 in a G League game earlier in the day.

That's 36 points across two games at two different levels in a matter of hours. Throw in his four minutes against the Nets, and that's three games in 24 hours.

Pierre brought energy and an aggressive approach to a backcourt that has had problems creating offense. He made two three-pointers and showed a willingness to attack rather than settle for standing around the perimeter.

Missi's return was equally welcome, though for different reasons. Playing for the first time since the second game of the season, the third-year center collected eight rebounds and blocked four shots in 22 minutes. His athleticism and activity gave New Orleans a defensive element it has sorely missed.

Neither performance solved the team's larger problems, but both players provided important minutes.

Pierre deserves a longer look as the Pelicans try to figure out their guard rotation. Missi should give Jamahl Mosley more flexibility with his frontcourt combinations as he works his way back into game shape.

For a team with so many unsettled roles, identifying anyone who can contribute consistently is an important part of figuring out what comes next.

4. The Pelicans Returned to a Familiar Pattern From Earlier in the Season

Saturday's game followed a script that became all too familiar during the Pelicans' opening four-game losing stretch.

New Orleans lost the first quarter, recovered to win the second and third, then fell apart when it mattered most.

The Pelicans trailed 56-51 at halftime but made their strongest push after the break. Williamson scored 12 points in the third quarter, and New Orleans connected on six of nine attempts from deep to pull within 86-84 entering the fourth.

For a moment, the comeback looked possible.

Then Denver opened the final period with a 16-3 run, turning a two-point game into a 102-87 advantage with 6:36 remaining.

What made that stretch so damaging was that much of it happened with Jokic on the sidelines.

Denver's second unit isn't one of its strengths, yet the Pelicans couldn't take advantage of those minutes. Instead of applying pressure, they allowed the Nuggets to create the separation that ultimately decided the game.

This was a recurring issue during New Orleans' early losses. The team would spend the opening quarter digging a hole, use the middle periods to climb back into contention, then run out of answers late.

The Pelicans showed enough offensive ability Saturday to make Denver uncomfortable. What they couldn't do was sustain it.

Winning the middle of the game doesn't mean much when the beginning and ending belong to the opponent.

5. Denver Has Something the Pelicans Still Haven't Established: A Reliable Foundation

The Nuggets improved to 7-4 with Saturday's victory. That total now includes three wins over New Orleans.

Their others were against Phoenix, Toronto, Indiana, and Memphis. They've lost to Oklahoma City, Golden State, Portland, and Houston.

Denver has typically handled business against teams it should beat, but they don't seem like a real championship contender.

What the Nuggets do have is an established core and a clear understanding of how they want to play.

Jokic finished with 26 points, 10 assists, and eight boards. Murray added 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Neither needed to dominate the scoring column to control the game.

Jokic remains one of the league's best at creating opportunities for everyone around him. Murray gives Denver another accomplished decision-maker who can run the offense and take over as a scorer.

The supporting cast isn't flawless, and the bench has limitations. But the Nuggets know where their production should come from.

That's a luxury New Orleans doesn't have.

Williamson is still an efficient scorer, but the Pelicans haven't found a dependable way to maximize his abilities alongside the rest of the roster. The backcourt lacks stability, several rotation players offer limited shooting, and the defense continues to struggle regardless of the combinations Mosley uses.

Those concerns extend to the front office. Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver inherited an imperfect roster, but their additions haven't created a more balanced team. Dejounte Murray's trade request has introduced another complication, leaving New Orleans with even more uncertainty at a position where it was already short on dependable options.

Saturday's performance was better than the four blowout losses that preceded it. Pierre and Missi gave the Pelicans reasons to cheer, and the team showed resilience on the second night of a back-to-back.

But the result was another defeat against a Denver team that didn't need its best basketball to win. The Nuggets have an identity built around players they trust. The Pelicans are still trying to figure out how their pieces fit together.

Until they find those answers, even their more encouraging performances are likely to end in the same way.

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