The New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons are very different teams.
Detroit is in the beginning of a rebuild and trying to lose, while the Pelicans fancied themselves legit playoff contenders coming into the season.
The New Orleans Pelicans have failed to put it all together consistently while Detroit tanks away despite strong play from Jerami Grant, two rookies and a slew of role players.
The Pelicans have considerably more talent than Detroit but have only managed four more victories, largely because their bench has been one of the worst in the NBA.
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have carried the Pelicans but the team as a whole has been up and down, looking like title contenders one quarter and a lottery team the next.
The Pistons, on the other hand, have played spirited basketball all season without the extreme ups and downs. They are one of the best “bad” teams in the NBA and are losing competitively while getting their rookies plenty of run.
The Pels may have more talent but there is still plenty they could learn from the Detroit Pistons.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Detroit Pistons compete every game
The New Orleans Pelicans are a frustrating team to watch because they have all of the talent in the world but often lack consistent effort, especially on the defensive end.
The Detroit Pistons are just the opposite, as they lack overall talent but compete in every minute of every game.
The Pistons may not win many of them, but they rarely get blown out, and have either beaten or nearly beaten all of the contending teams they’ve played this season.
All seven of their wins came against teams who are currently in the playoffs.
It’s usually feast or famine for the New Orleans Pelicans, as they will blow out a team like Houston one game, then get smoked by the Bulls and Mavericks in the next two.
The Pelicans often lack effort and focus, especially on defense. This comes with being a young team but they are finding out the hard way that you have to bring it every night in the NBA or you will get blown out.
The Detroit Pistons are bad but they play a lot harder than the Pelicans, which is something New Orleans needs to improve.