The shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans came out hot and were able to hold on at home against the Dallas Mavericks last night in the Smoothie King Center.
The Pels were missing three starters, as Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and Herbert Jones were all sitting with various injuries, so New Orleans had to lean on their depth.
The reserves were up to the task, and New Orleans came out and put up 40 points in the first quarter on a stunned Dallas team. The Mavs chipped away all night and made it close, but the Pelicans showed some guts and held on for the shorthanded win against a good team.
It was a team win in every sense of the word, and though we are only four games into this season, this victory showed why the New Orleans Pelicans are for real.
The NBA is wide open this season, with many teams in both conferences that are legit title contenders, and New Orleans is looking like one of them.
New Orleans Pelicans: No gimmicks
One thing I love about this Pelicans team is that there are no gimmicks. They don’t rely on shooting a ton of 3-point shots or one guy having a huge night.
They have a more old school approach and get it done with defense leading to fast breaks, points in the paint and getting to the free-throw line, things you can rely on night after night.
The Pels play little isolation basketball and everyone shares the ball, which makes them very difficult to game plan for, which will hopefully become a factor in the playoffs this season.
While a lot of teams are increasing their 3-point volume, the Pelicans are going the other direction, instead focusing on getting good shots, and if they happen to be 3-pointers, great, but New Orleans is more interested in getting to the rim for easier shots and fouls.
Defense and effort are there when the shots aren’t falling, and layups and dunks are the best shots you can get. Now it’s just a matter of doing it consistently, and coach Willie Green seems to have his team’s ear in that regard.
This is a style of play that is going to be hard for a lot of teams to stop.
The New Orleans Pelicans have quality depth
To win a title you need more than just stars and you need more than just depth. Championship teams have quality depth, with guys who can step up and get a win when the stars have an off night or are out with injury, as was the case last night.
CJ McCollum had an off night shooting, but it didn’t matter, as the Pelicans had eight players in double figures and that was with three regular starters (including their two stars) on the bench.
Everyone got involved, with Jose Alvarado setting the tone early with his dribble penetration and knocking down an early 3-pointer after getting the start. Trey Murphy III (my pick for MIP this season) was perfect on the night, finishing with 22 points and five rebounds without missing a shot.
Naji Marshall, Larry Nance Jr. Devonte’ Graham and rookie Dyson Daniels all stepped up and had great games for the Pels, showing just how dangerous this team really is.
Daniels really personifies the Pelicans, as the rookie just came in and played with confidence and effort against Luka Doncic and never backed down, which was the theme of the night.
This is what Jose Alvarado had to say after the game:
"”This is what builds a championship team, knowing that you don’t have your main guys out there and winning against a really good team, It builds confidence in the whole team and gets guys rolling.”"
We’re only four games into the season, but New Orleans has championship quality depth that can carry them through some injuries or rough patches for the stars.
And you have to love the way this team rallies around each other.
The New Orleans Pelicans have the vibes
In my predictions article yesterday, I actually picked the Pels to win even though they were missing three starters. I told bettors they might want to ignore that advice, as I was going purely on “vibes” but sometimes vibes are right.
Going all the way back to last season and all through the preseason, it became obvious that New Orleans was building something special. Not only do they have loads of talent, but they are all hard-working players who genuinely like each other and their coach.
Whether you want to call it “vibes” or “chemistry” or whatever, something special happens when everyone on team buys in and works towards a common goal. It feels like the Pelicans have that, and while this isn’t something that can be measured in numbers, it’s something every championship team has.
It’s not just about joking around on the bench or being best friends, but each guy accepting a role and putting the team ahead of individual stats. The Pelicans had 25 assists last night, with every guy who played logging at least one.
It reminds me of what Flea had to say after the first game:
The pelicans are a beautiful basketball team.
— Flea (@flea333) October 20, 2022
Chemistry only matters as much as it translates to results and so far it has for the Pels, as they play hard and unselfishly regardless of who is on the court and it has been beautiful to watch.
Now Willie Green just has to keep them focused so they “don’t get bored of being bored” as he put it, because this teams has all of the elements to be a contender.