Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans player grades: Pelicans win third in a row 120-114

By Matt Cianfrone

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For the third straight game Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson led the New Orleans Pelicans to a win.

Entering Wednesday night’s contest against the Phoenix Suns, the New Orleans Pelicans were rolling. Behind great performances from Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson, New Orleans had won two games in a row after a 1-11 start and there were signs things were starting to turn around. Behind great efforts from those two players yet again, New Orleans kept rolling with a 120-114 win in Phoenix.

120. 69. Final. 114. 66

JRUE HOLIDAY. c+. It was a weird game from <strong><a href=. PG. New Orleans Pelicans

ERIC GORDON. B. <strong><a href=. SG. New Orleans Pelicans

A. 26 points on 14 shots to go along with 17 rebounds. Anthony Davis is a fire-breathing monster and the rest of the NBA should be terrified.  . PF/C. New Orleans Pelicans. ANTHONY DAVIS

The worst thing for <strong><a href=. C. New Orleans Pelicans. OMER ASIK. C

PF/SF. New Orleans Pelicans. RYAN ANDERSON. A. Heading into this game I was worried about how Ryan Anderson would handle being defended by <strong><a href=

SF. New Orleans Pelicans. DANTE CUNNINGHAM. B. <strong><a href=

New Orleans Pelicans. LUKE BABBITT. F. <strong><a href=. SF

C. The fouls weren’t great but <strong><a href=. SF. New Orleans Pelicans. ALONZO GEE

A. At some point <strong><a href=. PG. New Orleans Pelicans. ISH SMITH

A-. <strong><a href=. PG. New Orleans Pelicans. TONEY DOUGLAS

Other observations: 

  • The late game defense was good because of rotations by Davis and Cunningham but anything before that wasn’t. Eric Bledsoe had two layups and most of the time he probably makes at least one of them. The Pelicans got a bit lucky.
  • The Suns repeatedly targeted Ryan Anderson in pick-and-roll coverage in the fourth and it let Jon Leuer go nuts. Anderson has to be better and the rest of the Pelicans have to rotate better around him.
  • Davis still bites on too many pump fakes on the perimeter but there are signs he is getting comfortable in the new defensive system and should be able to anchor it soon.
  • The Asik missed dunk was brutal.
  • The defensive adjustments were nice and it helped Brandon Knight wasn’t hitting every shot he took after the first quarter. New Orleans did a great job of staying calm after the Suns early run and trusting their process to produce good results.
  • I am a bit worried about AD’s minutes. He has played 39 three straight games now. No need to burn him out this early in the season, even as the Pelicans battle back from a 1-11 start.

Next: Awards from the win

The Pelicans try to make it four in a row on Friday against a struggling Clippers team.

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