The New Orleans Pelicans’ chances of making the playoffs practically evaporated after a 129-134 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Pels are now four games behind the 9th- and 10th-placed Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, the mark they would need to qualify for the play-in tournament at the end of the regular season. Barring nothing short a miracle, the rest of the season looks like an extended audition at making the most out of developing the team’s young players and trying to get a high draft pick.
New Orleans got off to a hot start against the Nets, actually making threes and quickly growing into a lead; however, the Pels did not get the chance to settle into said lead at any moment. Stan Van Gundy’s team led by just two at the half and Brooklyn actually threatened to pull away in the third quarter.
By the time the game was over, the Pelicans had suffered their fourth consecutive loss. The Nets executed down the stretch—simple as that. When they were up three points, Brooklyn actually played the foul game and remembered to take the Pelicans to the free throw line. New Orleans didn’t even get a chance to toss up a final shot after an unlucky turnover by Zion Williamson with just seconds remaining.
Up next, the Pelicans face the Orlando Magic in a very winnable but perhaps rather inconsequential game.
Here are the player grades for the Pels’ loss against the Nets, starting with my personal MVP:
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Brooklyn Nets: Grading the best player
Zion Williamson led the way for the New Orleans Pelicans against the Nets, even if he didn’t get the chance to potentially take the game into overtime.
Williamson was dominant as always. He constantly got to his preferred left hand, typically imposed himself in the paint, and crashed the offensive glass to good success. The Pels’ all-star finished with 33 points on 74 percent shooting, seven rebounds, and four assists—only his four turnovers are improvable.
It was another great game for Williamson, but that is not a surprise at this point. Now, with the Pelicans likely out of the playoff picture, the rest of the season must be catered towards finding the right pieces around Williamson.
I am tired of seeing him put into negatively spaced lineups. At one point, Williamson was on the court with Kira Lewis Jr, Naji Marshall, Jaxson Hayes, and Willy Hernangómez. None of those players are dependable outside shooters and pairing them with Williamson severely constricts his skillset.
Williamson is skilled and athletic enough to carve out his own crevices, but this is not a sustainable formula for success. Even if Williamson has not played the equivalent to a full NBA season yet, the Pelicans front office does not have time to waste in pleasing their generational star.