Tonight the New Orleans Pelicans brought back memories of last season. They worked as a unit, they trusted each other, and they made the little plays that make all the difference. Hopefully it leads to something meaningful by the end of the year.
MVP: Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis was a man with a mission tonight. We can criticize his shooting, discuss his rebounding, and compare his defensive metrics all day long but I think I speak for all Pelicans fans when I say the thing we have missed most from Davis this season is his effort. When he plays like he cares, the team plays like they care. He ended the game with 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists on 13/23 shooting from the floor and 1/2 from deep. Historically, he tends to turn things up in the second half of the season, meaning we might see these monster stat-lines become a regular occurrence.
LVP: Marcus Morris
This is a night Marcus will want to forget. He scored a hilariously low 4 points in 35 minutes on 2/11 shooting from the floor and 0/2 shooting from deep. He was also a -21 on the court tonight, while the Pistons 2nd worst +/- player was Reggie Jackson at -14. His defensive rotations were lacking as well and that allowed Alonzo Gee to put together a nice stretch of hustle plays which exposed Morris’ lack of effort. Hopefully Van Gundy sits him down before the next game and has a talk with him before Stanley Johnson steals his place in the rotation.
X-Factor: Andre Drummond
I’ve got to take a moment to appreciate the fact that Andre Drummond had 22 rebounds tonight. That isn’t a typo, he was just that insane on the glass. Of those 22 rebounds, 9 were offensive. He was the only reason the Pistons were able to fight back and he led the charge by battling for position inside and fighting to give his team second chance points. If he didn’t commit himself to the glass tonight the Pelicans would have won by 30, so he gets the award for being the most important X-factor, even though his teammates eventually fell short.
Defining Moment: Alonzo Gee’s Putback Dunk
Alonzo Gee was hustling like he was on a 10-day contract tonight. He came off the bench and led the Pelicans in rebounding totaling 7 defensive boards and 2 on offense. The Pistons were tying to make a comeback in the fourth when Alonzo Gee swooped into the paint and slammed the ball down like LeBron James in transition. After that moment these was no hope. The Pistons kept their heads up but it was clear that the Pelicans had sealed the deal and won their 2nd straight at home. After that dunk it was only a matter of time.
Turning Point: The 3rd Quarter
Not so much a moment as opposed to a stretch. The Pelicans played what was basically a perfect first half of basketball scoring 72 points in the first two quarters. A slight regression to the mean could have been expected, but the game should never have been in question. The Pistons came back much stronger in the third than they had before halftime, leaving most Pelicans fans sweating at the thought of a devastating comeback. The Pelicans rallied in the fourth quarter to pull out the win, but it wasn’t a cake walk and the third quarter marked a turning point for them in which they realized they needed to take this game very seriously.
That was….. sentimental.
Tonight the Pelicans played a lot like they played last season. They had heart, grit, and they looked like a team of guys who enjoyed playing basketball together. They were able to play at a fast pace while also knowing when to slow it down, give the ball to Tyreke, and simplify things so that they could get a reliable shot. It’s possible the Pelicans are finally finding their grove as a mix between the slow-paced low-risk team we saw last season and the explosive unpredictable mess we have dealt with this year. It’s not too late for a playoff push, and the Pelicans seem to be dead-set on contending for a low seed.