New Orleans Pelicans wear down Bulls for first preseason win
By Chris Conner
If the New Orleans Pelicans are going to be successful this year, they will have to wear teams down. Think of them as a potent run game in football as they may not run away from games often.
With Rajon Rondo having a sports hernia, NOLA will rely even more on their two big men. They started off the game sloppy with eight first-quarter turnovers. Seeming to be getting used to temporary life without Rondo, the offense struggled until the big three for the Pelicans returned with just three minutes left in the 2nd quarter.
Defensively, New Orleans had their moments but ultimately allowed Chicago to keep up for almost three quarters. Anthony Davis made his print on the game at the free throw line hitting an unbelievable 22 of 23 free throws in route to a dominant 37 point 15 rebound game.
DeMarcus Cousins accepted the role of sidekick tonight as he led the team in assists with 9. Jrue Holiday was also able to produce with a 19 point performance on just 12 shots. He also led the defense, nabbing the most steals with 5.
New Orleans took complete control of the fourth as the Bulls were not able to replicate their first-half performance offensively. The Pels’ elite duo appeared to wear down a Bulls team that had no answer for either superstar.
Three Takeaways
1. Ian Clark appears to be winning the race for primary guard off the bench
When Rajon Rondo returns, E’Twuan Moore will be the first guard off of the bench. However, Ian Clark looks to be the best playmaker. Known more as a shooter and off-ball cutter, Clark showed his ability to facilitate with seven assists (second on the team).
Clark also was aggressive on defense and seemed to mesh well whenever he was involved with the starters. It will be interesting if the Pels continue to feature Clark as Jordan Crawford is also still in the running but didn’t play a minute tonight.
2. Tony Allen makes his first appearance
Pelicans fans had one common question after the first two preseason games. “Where is Tony Allen?” Allen joined the game midway through the first quarter and played 10 minutes.
Allen didn’t do much statistically but as he always does, he made plays that the box score won’t show. Expect Tony to see more time as the regular season approaches.
3. Fire and Ice looked dominant again; Jrue Holiday played his role
It’s clear AD and Boogie will switch nights of dominance depending on the matchup. Tonight was AD’s night in the driver’s seat and while Boogie took a slight backseat, he was just a rebound and an assist away from a triple-double.
The Pelicans aren’t designed to blowout teams every night, they’ll win with defense and tiring out their opponent. If the Pelicans can continue to stick to their identity, they’ll be hard to beat against even the most elite of teams.
Next: Rajon Rondo diagnosed with sports hernia, will see specialist
The Pelicans don’t need Jrue Holiday to do the heavy lifting, they need him to play the third fiddle and be their perimeter defensive anchor. He did both tonight, these types of performances will easily be enough for Jrue to be worth every dollar the Pelicans invested in him.
Up Next
The Pelicans get a five-day rest for one of their two final games of the preseason against the Memphis Grizzlies.