Pelicans' Improved Record Shows Progress, but Little Margin for Error

Head coach Jamahl Mosley evaluates the New Orleans Pelicans in five-game stretches. His first two produced different records and some stubbornly similar concerns.

New Orleans went 1-4 in its opening stretch, then 3-2 in its next. Jeremiah Fears found his scoring touch, Saddiq Bey delivered more offense, and the Pelicans started winning games they had been losing.

But how much had actually changed?

The offense improved while the defense slipped. Better three-point accuracy produced no additional makes, and opponents collected more offensive rebounds. Two overtime victories helped lift the record without creating much separation from the competition.

Through Sunday's loss to the Clippers, Mosley had evidence that some adjustments were working. He also had plenty to address before the next evaluation could inspire greater confidence.

Pelicans' improved record needs context

The difference between the two stretches starts with close games.

New Orleans lost its first two matchups by a combined four points, then took Denver to overtime before falling again. The Pelicans needed to execute better, but they were more competitive than their 1-4 record suggested.

The following five games brought better outcomes. After beating Atlanta by 22, they survived overtime against Memphis and Utah before losing to Minnesota and the Clippers.

Those wins mattered, particularly after a 0-4 start. Still, New Orleans outscored opponents by just eight points across the second stretch. The Atlanta victory offset a combined 14-point deficit in the other four games.

The standings reflected a larger change than the overall performance did.

The Pelicans' offensive rating improved from 111.6 to 116.7. Their defensive rating worsened from 113.4 to 115.6, leaving their net rating at plus-1.1 after a minus-1.8 opening stretch.

The offense gave Mosley something to build on. It also carried more of the burden.

Fears made the most of a larger role

Fears offered the strongest individual reason for optimism.

His minutes increased from 24.2 to 33.7 per game, and his scoring jumped from 11.6 to 20 points. His shooting improved from 37.7% to 52%, showing that he was doing more than benefiting from extra time on the floor.

His turnovers barely changed, rising from 2.4 to 2.6 per game. Handling a larger workload without a similar increase in mistakes was a positive step.

His next challenge is creating more opportunities for teammates. Assists rose from four to 5.2 per game, but that increase lagged behind his expanded minutes. His growth was clearer as a scorer than as the player directing the offense.

Dejounte Murray's involvement changed dramatically during the same period. His attempts fell from 15.5 to eight per game, although he appeared in only three of those five games.

That leaves Mosley with more to evaluate about how the guards should divide responsibility. Fears needs room to develop, while Murray must help organize the offense when they share the backcourt. Their decisions affect how often the ball reaches the team's most efficient scorers.

Williamson and Murphy need more shots

It's odd, but the offense became more productive without increasing the shot attempts for Zion Williamson or Trey Murphy III.

Williamson played two more minutes per game, yet his attempts dropped from 13 to 11.2. He averaged 20.2 points while improving his rebounding and assists and reducing his turnovers. Those contributions helped, but his extra playing time didn't translate into more shots.

Murphy raised his scoring from 14.2 to 17.3 points per game while his attempts barely moved, from 11.2 to 11.3. He became more efficient with essentially the same shooting workload.

Zion's attempts are at a career low, more than three fewer than his career average (15.4). Murphy's are his fewest since 2023-24 (10.9).

Fears' development should help both players. When his drives draw defenders, he has to recognize where the next opening appears. Mosley also needs ways to involve Williamson and Murphy more consistently throughout games.

The three-point numbers make the issue harder to ignore.

New Orleans improved its accuracy from 30.1% to 36.2%, but its attempts declined from 30.6 to 25.4 per game. The result was identical production: 9.2 makes in each stretch.

Opponents increased their attempts from 36 to 42. Even while shooting only 31% in the second sample, they made 13 per game, giving them an average advantage of 11.4 points from beyond the arc.

The Pelicans shot better, yet their perimeter scoring deficit grew.

Extra chances helped sustain the offense

New Orleans compensated by recovering more of its misses and getting to the free-throw line more often.

The Pelicans collected 35% of available offensive rebounds, up from 27.8%. Their free-throw attempts increased from 29.6 to 33.8 per game, and their accuracy at the line climbed from 80.4% to 85.2%.

Those opportunities helped explain why the offense improved even as its effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the extra value of threes, slipped slightly.

Bey also handled greater responsibility within the offense. His scoring increased from 13.2 to 19 points per game as he received more minutes and attempts while maintaining his overall scoring efficiency.

Biggest Improvements	First five games	Second five games
Offensive rating	111.6	116.7
Fears' FG%	37.7%	52.0%
OREB%	27.8%	35.0%

Bey and Derik Queen supplied more than 70% of reserve scoring during the second stretch. Total bench points nevertheless declined slightly, from 45.8 to 44.4 per game.

Changing roles influenced those totals. Karlo Matkovic started all five games after starting once in the opening sample, moving his production into the starting group. Bench scoring alone can't establish whether the rotation became stronger, but Bey's response gave Mosley a productive option to carry forward.

The defense has to finish possessions

Some defensive results were encouraging. Progress on that end was supposed to be a given with the hiring of Mosley.

Opponent's field-goal percentage fell from 49.7% to 46.2%. They scored fewer paint points, and New Orleans cut fast-break points allowed from 18.4 to 13.4 per game.

Yet its defensive rating worsened.

Opponents collected 14 offensive rebounds per game, up from 9.8, while their free-throw attempts rose from 28 to 31. Those additional chances helped offset the Pelicans' improved shooting defense.

Alongside the growing imbalance in three-point attempts, New Orleans repeatedly worked to overcome disadvantages elsewhere.

Biggest concerns	First five-game stretch	Second five-game stretch
Defensive rating	113.4	115.6
Opponents' advantage in 3PA/G	5.4	16.6
Opponent OREB/G	9.8	14.0

Forcing the first miss accomplished less when New Orleans couldn't secure the rebound. Likewise, better shooting offered limited relief when opponents were taking so many more threes.

Mosley's first two evaluations identified adjustments worth keeping. Fears responded to more responsibility. Bey expanded his contribution, and offensive rebounding helped extend possessions.

The next stretch needs to show whether those gains hold while Williamson and Murphy receive steadier opportunities and the defense finishes its work. Another winning record would help. Addressing those weaknesses would give the Pelicans a stronger reason to believe the success can last.

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