The New Orleans Pelicans played their first back-to-back game of the season and shocked me. Not just because of the result, but because of the effort this group put in. I don’t recall a single time they didn’t push the pace in transition, and not once do I remember players not hustling back on defense. The energy and effort were electric tonight, and that’s why they took this one 101-99.
I talked before the season started about Herb Jones needing to step up as a scorer when Zion Williamson doesn’t play, and he did just that. His defense turned into offense as he finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and three stocks.
He had my favorite play of the night, turning his steal into an and-one on the other end.
The thing I’ve loved these last two games is that the next man up mentality has been real. Not just Jones stepping up for Z tonight, but during another off night for Trey Murphy III, Saddiq Bey stepped in and did an excellent job picking up his slack.
Bey finished with a team-high 22 points while shooting 9 for 14 from the field and just seemed to put the ball in the basket when the team needed it most. Bey cut in and scored a clutch layup to put the Pelicans up 3 with under a minute and a half to play.
Also, can we talk about Micah Peavy finally getting some real playing time! He logged 18 minutes and made the most of them, playing great defense and rebounding. He didn’t get in anyone’s way — he just played his role perfectly. I loved it!
Derik Queen's praise continues
I hope I never have to stop praising Derik Queen. He's just such a special player, and every single time he plays, I understand more why Joe Dumars refused to leave the 2025 NBA draft with DQ.
He was able to get downhill in the clutch, draw a foul, and nail a free throw, putting New Orleans up by two and helping seal the win.
Another trend that carried over from the win over the Hornets into tonight's victory over the Mavericks was the bench tandem of Jose Alvarado and DQ. This duo gave the Pelicans a little of everything tonight, totaling 24 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
It’s like sharing the court with Alvarado just gives Queen plus 100 to his confidence because the swagger these two play with together is contagious. This duo makes me think that Queen should continue to come off the bench so Willie Green can maximize his minutes with Alvarado.
Back-to-back extremely hard-fought games and well-deserved wins. This style of play is what I expected coming into this season: gutsy, gritty, leading to wins. I hope they can maintain it.