The New Orleans Pelicans fell 122-109 to the Portland Trail Blazers, extending their losing streak to six straight games. I may be starting to sound like a broken record, but the Pelicans desperately need consistent shooting from beyond the arc. Obviously, not having three of the team’s top five players in three-point attempts per game didn’t help tonight, but this isn’t a one-game issue.
It’s hard to imagine how deflated this team must feel when they walk into the locker room after a fight and have stayed close all night, only to lose because they couldn’t keep up with the shooting.
Portland outscored New Orleans by 24 points from three alone, attempting 17 more threes than the Pelicans. Another telling stat: the Pelicans’ first three of the second half came from Bryce McGowens at the 10:38 mark of the fourth quarter.
Once the holidays were over, I saw a lot of family that I hadn’t seen in a while, and one of the most frequently asked questions was, “What’s wrong with the Pelicans?” They pointed out how much talent is on the roster and how disappointing the results are. The easy answer for me is that they just don’t have the mix of personnel you need in the modern NBA.
They have a lot of players you can plug in and play on any of the other 29 teams, and they help any of those teams win games, but none of them are elite shooters. In the modern NBA, no matter how many good players you have, if you can’t shoot, you simply won’t win consistently.
The positive takeaways
The first is Zion Williamson, who, in my opinion, had a terrible whistle in this game, only getting to the free throw line eight times. Despite this, he finished the match with 35 points on 57 percent shooting, which he did against one of the league’s best rim protectors, Donovan Clingan.
Another person who deserves a shoutout is Jeremiah Fears. He came out of the gate with two blocks in the first 42 seconds and played a complete game, finishing with 18 points to go along with five rebounds and four dimes. He’s had some tough outings lately, so it was good to see him come back.
Karlo Matković was also incredible. He ran so well the entire game and made it easy for both Jordan Poole and Fears in transition, such as it was straight lobe city every time he ran on the open floor. Matković continues to prove why I see him as the perfect backup for the modern NBA, as he is athletic, smart and can stretch everything in one. He finished the match with 16 points and knocked two triples behind him.
Kevon Looney also deserves a shoutout, as without him the Pelicans would have lost the rebounding battle by more than two points. His incredible awareness and active hands created eight-second chances for the Pelicans, and he totaled 12 rebounds. He was also one of two Pelicans to finish with a positive plus-minus.
Finally, Micah Peavy stood out defensively. He led the team in plus-minus and was the only player to consistently slow Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe. Peavy’s ability to slide his feet and stay in front of opponents is rare for a rookie. While he struggled offensively, shooting 1-for-9 from the field, finishing plus-12 helped offset the shooting woes.
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