New Orleans Pelicans: How Bledsoe and Adams make the Pels better

The New Orleans Pelicans overcame a double-digit deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 113-99 in their season debut.

Brandon Ingram grazed his first career triple-double, while JJ Redick and Lonzo Ball dazzled with their three-point shooting in the second half to complete a valiant comeback for the New Orleans Pelicans.

It was an up-and-down performance for New Orleans, but I was impressed by newcomers Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams, who showed why they can be valuable acquisitions for Stan Van Gundy’s squad.

The veteran Bledsoe was a steadying presence throughout the game. In his tenth year in the league, Bledsoe played nearly 35 minutes, buoying the Pelicans when Ingram was struggling in the first half and when Ball and Zion Williamson were on the bench because of foul trouble.

The Kentucky product showed why he was second-team all-defense in 2020 and first-team all-defense in 2019. Bledsoe, unfortunately, contributed to the Pelicans’ turnover troubles on offense, but he was a difference-maker on the other end of the floor.

Bledsoe’s three-point shooting, which has fluctuated throughout his career, has been placed under a microscope after his recent playoff struggles (25 percent last season and 24 percent the season before). However, he didn’t shrink when it came to letting it fly. Bledsoe made four of his eight triples and finished with eighteen total points on the night.

The Pelicans will need consistent perimeter shooting from Bledsoe, especially until it is definitively determined that Ingram’s three-point percentage last season was not a mirage and that Ball can regularly make it splash.

Steven Adams did not stuff any particular column on the stat sheet during his 30 minutes on the floor, but he set the tone for the Pelicans in terms of effort. Adams finished with eight points, eight rebounds (two offensive), three assists, two blocks, and a team-leading four steals.

The Kiwi center’s defensive acumen was on full display in his New Orleans debut.

Here, Adams has to pick up Siakam in transition. He does great to stay in front of the Raptors forward and seals the possession with a block at the rim. This play came at a pivotal time in the game for New Orleans.

Adams was also a contributor on offense, showing off some nifty footwork and even a eurostep finish in the fourth period. I also enjoyed his selfless passing, especially on short rolls, which created easy scoring opportunities for his teammates, such as here when he gifts Josh Hart a wide-open corner three.

The former Oklahoma City big man is a limited player on offense, but that shouldn’t matter on most nights with the likes of Ingram, Redick, and Williamson on his team. The Pelicans’ defensive problems are well-documented and Adams can certainly be part of the solution.

It was a great team win for the New Orleans Pelicans and their additions are paying off early.