Every time I feel like the New Orleans Pelicans have hit rock bottom, they find a way to fall even lower. In what was an extremely winnable game today against the then 5-17 Brooklyn Nets, the Pelicans were dominated 119-101. This one wasn’t even close. In the first half alone, the Pelicans gave up 62 points and trailed by 18. Michael Porter Jr. split the Pelicans’ defense with ease, got what he wanted offensively and finished the first half with 22 points.
Honestly, the Nets have been playing solid lately. With this win, they are now 3-1 in their last four games. However, when you look at both teams on paper, even with the injuries the Pelicans are dealing with, New Orleans’ roster blows Brooklyn’s out of the water. Given how this season has started, wins are going to be difficult for the Pelicans, which makes this loss that much more disappointing.
This loss was a group effort, with missed defensive assignments, a lack of aggression on the boards, sloppy turnovers, you name it. But two guys especially stood out for extremely dismal performances in this film: Yves Missi and Jeremiah Fears.
The problem with anxiety tonight was none other than the simple fact that his shots weren’t falling, meaning he finished the night 4 for 16 from the field. But I thought his play was excellent, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5-1.
Missi, on the other hand, was a disaster tonight. He missed defensive assignments, was outmaneuvered on the defensive glass by a combination of several Nets bigs, and generally just looked lost. In his defense, it was his first game back after a two-game absence, so hopefully these were just issues in the first game.
The positives
Trey Murphy III remains the one constant for this team. After a disappointing first few games this season, he has turned things around and emerged as one of the most efficient three-tier goalscorers in the league. Murphy III had 23 points, five rebounds and five assists on 58.8 percent shooting from the field.
For the second game in a row, I felt like Bryce McGowens was a star in his role. 16 points on 5/8 shooting, staying away from Derik Queen, Fears and Murphy III, but still finding a way to take advantage of the opportunities he was given. I’d still like to see more of him defensively, but that will come with time.
The third positive in this game was the minutes that Micah Peavy and Jose Alvarado played together off the bench. It was chaotic, rough and amazing. I’m not a big plus-minus guy, but it’s telling that they were the only two Pelicans to finish positively: Alvarado at plus-eight and Peavy at plus-five.
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