New Orleans Pelicans vs. Spurs: What the Pels can learn.
Was This a Learning Experience?
The most disappointing aspect of the Pels’ collapse is that several of the other young teams did the opposite.
The Suns and Spurs have thrived in the bubble, winning games with their young guys, who seem to be growing and learning as they win games.
They seem to like playing with each other, are responding to coaching and will be able to take something positive away from the Orlando restart.
The Pelicans? Not so much.
There was little growth for the young guys, and if anything, several of them took a step back and brought up questions about their long-term future with the team.
There was regression if anything, which is not what you want to see from a young team. Even so, there are some things they should have learned from this.
The most important is that no matter how talented you are, you have to bring intensity all game every game in the NBA if you want to win.
The Pelicans saw first hand what happens when you come out and play lackadaisically in a playoff-style atmosphere. You get smoked, as happened against the Clippers, Kings and in the first half against the Spurs.
When you watch an NBA playoff game and see how consistently intense it is, you realize these young Pelicans have a lot to learn about how to prepare for and play the game.
While the Pelicans may not have improved, it should have become very clear that their preparation and intensity are lacking, and that lesser teams will mop the floor with you if you don’t bring consistent effort.