New Orleans Pelicans' Basketball is Back!
The New Orleans Pelicans are back with their first win of the 2023-24 NBA season at their season opener game in Memphis. With new faces out on the court, Willamson back in shape, and a fire lit beneath the team, the Pelicans season opener game was not one to miss. But don't worry if you did, because we've got the whole thing covered for you.
Back In Action
Leading into the Pelicans' season opener game, Head Coach Willie Green explains that the goal for the night is to "throw away what's on paper, play up to our own standards, and create an identity [as a new team]."
The players "always have something to prove. Going into the first game of the year, they're pumped up for it," said Coach Green. He explains he wants to see the guys execute sharp offense, solid defense, secured rebounds, and to "play with joy."
"We're ready to play and take advantage of this opportunity to compete. We'll go out and put it on the floor," said Coach Green, just as excited as us fans to jump into this years' NBA season.
Starting out for the season opener, we had: #3 CJ McCollum, #5 Herb Jones, #1 Zion Williamson, #14 Brandon Ingram, and #17 Jonas Valančiūnas.
Everyone was ecstatic to watch the "Big 3" of Willamson, McCollum, and Ingram back on the court together. Last season, McCollum shot 38.9% from three-point range, ranking 9th in the NBA, while Ingram tied for 3rd in the NBA in mid-range field goals made per game. And while Willamson had been out due to injury for the majority of the past season, he still was 1-of-2 players to average 20-plus points and shoot 60.0% or better from the field, along with finals champion Nikola Jokić.
Taking a look at our other starters, we have Jones who tied for 7th in the NBA in steals per game and Valančiūnas who secured 43 double-doubles this last season.
The Matchup
The Grizzlies are coming off consecutive 50-win seasons and consecutive Southwest Division championships, having been the No. 2 seed in the West last season. Memphis is also the only Western Conference team to win 50+ games in each of the past two seasons.
While Ja Morant is currently suspended, the Grizzlies still had a packed lineup for their starting five. Stars of the Grizzlies included 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson; Marcus Smart, who'd helped lead the Celtics to 5 conference finals in his career; and Desmond Bane, leader of the NBA in three point percentage since entering the league in 2020-21.
Game On
CJ McCollum was the standout player for the team on game night as the Pels' lead scorer with 24 points. We saw an active McCollum from the jump with a steady mix of jump shots and attacks on the rim in the first quarter.
"CJ was elite tonight, this is what we need from him every game," said Coach Green, complementing McCollum on his off season improvements.
While the first quarter was slower paced, especially for Williamson, we saw the offense become solidified towards the end of the second quarter. With Ingram in the rhythm of the game, he drove the offense successfully with great looks and passes to teammates in addition to his own 19 points.
Williamson may have had a slower start but after gaining confidence leading into the second half, we saw the all-star player rise to the occasion and sink 23 points. Willamson explains that this was all about "feeling the game out" and that he was grateful he was up against such a strong defender (Jackson) for his first game of the season.
Noticeably, two way player #37 Matt Ryan, who had only signed with the Pels on Sunday, had made three three pointers in just the second quarter, making himself known as one to watch. #11 Dyson Daniels, back for his sophomore season, had proved his growth offensively as we saw him get more aggressive in the second quarter.
The Pels grabbed a 10 point lead at halftime with a score of 57-47 and held onto a steady lead throughout the entire second half. Although the lead shrunk towards the end of the fourth quarter, the Pelicans still walked away with their first win of the season with a final score of 111-104.
"We should've won by more, but we'll be back and ready for Saturday," said star of the game McCollum, already thinking about the Pels' home opener October 28th at the Smoothie King Center. Willamson agreed that "there's plenty of things we could've done better, but it feels good to leave with this win."
"We still have things to work on. We can still improve, but it's much better to coach off a win, so we'll take it," said Coach Green reflecting on the win.
We're Just Getting Started!
We're thrilled for our New Orleans Pelicans to be back for the 2023-24 season—and while this first win was fantastic, we still have a full season ahead of us. Join us in cheering on the Pels this season as we cover all the excitement. If you're just as pumped as we are to watch the guys, jump into the action by catching a game at the Smoothie King Center. Go Pels!
