Pelica Debrief
Fansided

New Orleans Pelicans Quickcap: Pelicans Routed by Blazers 112-94

By Charles LaRocca

facebooktwitterreddit

Jrue Holiday made his season debut for the New Orleans Pelicans tonight against the Portland Trailblazers after “resting” against the Warriors on Tuesday night, however the Pelicans still fell to Portland 112-94.

The first half could not have been worse for the Pelicans as they were unable to match the intensity of the Blazer who had their home opener. The Pelicans offense looked lethargic and consisted of a lot of over dribbling and forced shots. The perimeter defense continues to be worrisome and it cannot be blamed solely on the new additions as Holiday and Eric Gordon where on the floor when C.J. McCollum was just making wide open threes. The defense in the first half was all around terrible and it cannot be understated, the Blazers had open jumpers and easy layups while the Pelicans could not make a shot. This resulted in the Blazers leading the Pelicans 70-43 at the half. Let me say it again it can accurately portray just how bad the Pels defense was. The Blazers scored 70 in one HALF.

A potential positive that the Pelicans can build off of is that they where able to get the lead back down to 10 with 2:12 seconds left in the 4th. They looked a lot better in the second half and had they played like that all game they most likely would have won. Ultimately the abysmal first half did the Pelicans in and they are now 0-2 with a rematch at home against Golden State looming on Saturday. A few positives from tonight where that Anthony Davis looked more like himself in the second half, he was patient and was not forcing things offensively. Jrue Holiday looked good and the whole offense just looks more precise when he is on the floor. Anderson played with a ton of energy, and no one got hurt…yet.

More from Pelicans News

MVP: Ryan Anderson

The MVP for the Pelicans tonight is Ryan Anderson. From the moment he came on he played with a lot of energy despite being down by over 20 points and that intensity did not waiver make or miss. He made some nice shots and missed some easy ones, his defense was shaky as usual but Anderson was the only Pelican I can noticeably say played hard from start to finish.

LVP: Ish Smith

In fairness I might be being to hard on Ish seeing as he literally just joined the team on Monday, but it was really frustrating watching him tonight. He over dribbled and missed Anthony Davis a couple of times for a spot up jumper in the first half. Portland paid him no respect in regards to his jumper and  the result was a lot of bad shots and an ugly shooting night going 3-14 from the field. I would not be to upset with his offense if his defense was fine but besides a few steals he was getting torched by the Portland guards all night. Ish should get better going forward as he gains familiarity but he was tough to watch this game

X-Factor: CJ McCollum

When Steph Curry dropped 40 it was alarming but not concerning, I mean he is the reigning MVP after all. But when CJ McCollum drops 37, it is cause for concern. McCollum was literally taking wide open uncontested threes throughout the entire first quarter and it was the main reason for the huge lead the Blazers had. I believe McCollum had 22 in the first quarter and from there he continued to bury the Pelicans all night. McCollum continually hit the Pelicans with daggers every time it seemed they were poised to make a run.

Turning Point: CJ McCollum’s 4 Point Play

Late in the first, McCollum pulled up off a screen after already making three prior three-pointers and made the shot with a foul. At this point it felt like Deja Vu and it really set the tone for what the rest of the game was going to be.

Defining Moment: Al-Farouq Aminu Making A Corner Three

Al Farouq hitting the corner three to start off the scoring was the perfect way for this game to start. It was a foreshadowing for the rest of the night as the Blazers just drained everything in sight. Al Farouq is an infamous former New Orleans Pelicans who was always chastised due to his inability to shoot. The fact that his three was the first points of the game should have been signs that New Orleans was in for a long night.

On to the next one…

The Pelicans played terrible defense from the perimeter to the paint and I don’t know if I see any changes on the horizon but good news is that the team played a lot better in second half and Anthony Davis started being good at basketball again. Look for a much better effort at home against Golden State coming off rest.

Next: A Look at How those Warriors Defended Davis on Tuesday

More from Pelican Debrief

Home/Pelicans News