The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a brutal 122-90 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday night. While the final score makes this game seem like more of a blowout than it was, it was still an extremely disappointing loss. Not having Zion Williamson in the lineup is no excuse, as this was a very winnable game for the Pelicans.
Trey Murphy III and Jordan Poole needed to step up in Z's absence, and they didn't, shooting a combined 8/25 from the field. Poole finished the night with 22 points, but that was primarily due to his nine free throws. Murphy III finished with seven points, five rebounds, and five assists and was 0/4 from three.
The main issue for New Orleans in this was their lack of urgency on the glass, as the Celtics outrebounded the Pelicans 54-35, including 16 offensive rebounds for the C's. This led to Boston having 23 second-chance points. New Orleans also struggled to score at the rim, only having 38 points in the paint.
If you read my pregame article, I said rebounding and attacking the paint were the keys for New Orleans to win this game, and they completely failed at both.
With the team's upcoming schedule featuring two of the last three NBA champions—the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder —as well as a stacked veteran Clippers team, this game felt like a must-win. I understand Williamson didn't play, but these are the type of games playoff teams find a way to win. I don't doubt the Pelicans can be a playoff-level team at some point this season, but right now, they are far from that.
This loss did have some positives
Positive #1: DeAndre Jordan looked like he was back on the Clippers. DJ came in and instantly brought energy to the court, with a monster dunk for an and-one. He was solid as a screener and looked really decent as a roller. However, his age was showing in transition as Jordan struggled to get back a few possessions.
Positive #2: Saddiq Bey can be a high-caliber sixth man for this team. Even though Bey started this game, we all know his real role with this team is being part of their second unit. In this one, he was active on both ends, finishing with 11 points, two rebounds, and two steals, as well as three makes from beyond the arc.
Positive #3: Jose Alvarado is still the heart and soul of this team. Early on, when the Pelicans fell behind, Alvarado checked in, picked up full court, and was talking the entire time, which helped spark a mini run for New Orleans. He finished with five points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Positive #4: Lastly, Yves Missi looked really, really good for someone who was injured less than a week ago. He ended his night shooting 3/4 from the field for 11 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Whether Zion Williamson plays on Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets or doesn't, this team needs to bring a much better effort to get their first win of the season.