Demoralizing. That’s the word that sums up the Pelicans’ 115-98 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. Every night it feels like the Pels are at the end of a quarter in this game and then go into quarters two and three looking like a completely different team. New Orleans left the first frame leading by four and ended the half outscored 35-21.
The Pelicans’ offense stopped moving in the final nine minutes of the second quarter. It was swing, swing, swing, make the shot clock tick and turn it over or hit a bad, hard-fought shot. Jalen Johnson got the looks he wanted, and he practically ran the paint. Defensively, Dyson Daniels guarded Derik Queen, making it impossible for him to serve as the team’s focal point, leading to numerous turnovers.
But entering the second half trailing by just ten, a comeback was still possible. Make a few adjustments, perform a few real sets, get the ball moving and they can get back into this game. No. Nothing changed: the attack remained stale and the minimal defensive energy remained the same. The result is the team’s ninth loss in a row.
Players look disinterested – and things could get ugly
Another thing I would like to note is the body language of all the players during this loss. Obviously I understand that losing is not fun, and that will be reflected in the player’s body language. But the vibe I got from this group made it seem like certain players were already checked out 16 games into the 2025-2026 season.
Trey Murphy III is someone who is specifically starting to give off the vibe that he might be ready for a change of scenery, and I don’t blame him. He’s entering his prime and has the potential to be a Derrick White-level contributor for a contender, but instead he’s on a team near the bottom of the Western Conference that is forced to take on the entire offense.
If this continues, I wouldn’t be surprised if Murphy III were to move in the coming months, potentially causing a domino effect that would lead to other transactions.
The Pelicans still have Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, and Micah Peavy to be excited about for the future. However, potential in itself is not enough to turn around a season. To become a successful team, potential must be turned into direction.
Unless something changes soon, this season may be remembered less for young talent and potential than for disappointment and frustration.
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