New Orleans Pelicans lose preseason opener
By Terry Kimble
New Orleans Pelicans lose lead and momentum as the Chicago Bulls pull away in the fourth quarter.
Chicago is called the Windy City for a reason. The New Orleans Pelicans think they know why. Someone may want to double-check if the roof was open as the Pelicans three-point attempts seemed to sway to and fro in the United Center Sunday night.
The Pelicans shot just 13 for 39 (33.3 percent) in their 128-116 loss to the Bulls. The Bulls were not much better shooting just 4 of 18 (22.2 percent) beyond the arc. The Bulls punished the Pelicans in the paint outscoring them 72 to 54 in the lane.
There were some bright spots for the Pels. Julius Randle looked unstoppable at times showcasing the relentlessness and skill that secured his two-year deal with the Pelicans in the off-season. Randle finished the game with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in 25 minutes of play.
It was business as usual for Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis. Both players only played in the first half, but were very productive in their limited time. AD finished the game with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He scored in a variety of ways. He caught an ally-oop, made a 3 pointer, and hit a couple of outside jumpers. AD looked ready for the regular season.
The same could be said of Jrue. In his 18 minutes of play, Jrue seemed to effortlessly score when he needed to. He was tied with Frank Jackson for team lead in points with 16 and added 4 assists to boot. He also had the highest plus/minus on the Pelicans finishing a plus 14 for the game while he was on the court.
To the not so good would be the play of Solomon Hill. In his 20 minutes of action, Hill finished with only three points. He shot one of five from the field (all three pointers) and didn’t affect the game at all on defense. Teams are going to dare Hill to shoot threes and if he can’t deliver, he will need to drive the ball for a higher percentage shoot. Simply jacking up threes and not making them is essentially having the Pelicans play four on five on offense.
Elfrid Payton was also dismal shooting the basketball going just two of ten and finishing with four points in 25 minutes of action. Payton was brought in as kind of a poor man’s Rajon Rondo, but he did not push the pace with enough aggressiveness as overall the Pelicans only finished with nine fast break points. The Pelicans finished third last year in fast break points. It is an integral part of Alvin Gentry’s offense.
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With the Pelicans shooting so cold from the three point line, the Bulls were able to take advantage by constantly driving the ball and getting easy baskets. That was a consistent theme in the fourth as the Bulls were able to outscore in the Pelicans 37-19 in the final frame. Nobody, besides Jackson, seemed to have the ability to create their own shoot. That seems like a troubling pattern as the Pelicans look to find some stability at the backup guard and small forward spots.
The first game is in the books. The Pelicans next play in Atlanta on October 1st. Here’s hoping the Pelicans can watch the necessary film and correct the mistakes as they look to build momentum before the regular season starts.