The New Orleans Pelicans have stumbled upon something

The New Orleans Pelicans have seen their season spiral into a death spin, but maybe, just maybe, the team has stumbled upon something profound.

Over the last week, something strange has happened to the New Orleans Pelicans; they’ve won three of their last four games. For a team starting a player called up from the D-League, career role players and Omer Asik, that’s impressive. Granted, the Nuggets, Knicks and Nets aren’t exactly world-beaters, but the Pelicans also put on a feisty performance against the San Antonio Spurs. So, what’s changed?

For starters, the Pelicans are playing with something that has been missing for really the entirety of the season: intensity. It’s difficult to question a professional athlete’s determination when considering how difficult it is for a player to reach the NBA level, but there is a noticeable difference between the current roster that is largely playing to prove they deserve a place in this league and the established talent hanging out on the injury report. The changes are much deeper than just vague ideas like intensity, though.

In the Pelicans last four games (wins against Denver, New York and Brooklyn and a loss against San Antonio), the team has posted 31 assists against the Nets, 29 assists against the Nuggets, 27 assists against the Spurs and 18 assists against the Knicks. When averaged together, the Pelicans have posted 26.25 assists per game over the last four, a hair over four assists better than their season average.

Surprisingly, with a ton of athletes and not much in the way of shooting, the Pelicans are actually playing at a slower pace than their season average. The team is taking advantage of their opportunities on the break and looking to create them, but they are not forcing the issue as was the case earlier in the season. Tim Frazier and Toney Douglas have shown the intelligence to slow the game back down when the Pelicans no longer have the advantage.

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In fact, the only game in the last four where the Pelicans posted a pace over 100 possessions per 48 was against the Knicks. In an interesting twist, that was the last game Jrue Holiday, who fractured his orbital via an elbow from Kristaps Porzingas, participated in; it was also the game over the last four with the lowest assist total. This brings up interesting questions about the roster’s fit within Alvin Gentry’s system.

This team has stumbled upon something immensely important for next season: a plan. This team is thriving with a point guard in Tim Frazier that loves to drive, finish in traffic, set his teammates up inside, create off of pick and rolls and play at a slower pace than the team usually does. It’s almost as if that description could be used to describe another guard on the Pelicans’ roster, another guard who struggled with his health all season. That’s odd, isn’t it?

In addition to a type of guard that has shown to be effective, the Pelicans have also found success playing only one true big man. Giving Dante Cunningham the vast majority of the minutes the power forward slot at this point, the Pelicans are putting a premium on spacing, passing and versatility. Cunningham can cut to the basket in a way that most fours and fives cannot, and his shot can keep a defenses honest.

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This has been, obviously, a small sample size, but the results are undeniable. The Pelicans are playing exceptionally well right now, and that is not something that could be said for the vast majority of this season. Quite a few of these players won’t be on the roster next season, but they may have provided the Pelicans with something extremely valuable.