Pels vs Cavs
The Pelicans fell to the undefeated Cavaliers 131-122 on Wednesday, November 6. Still missing Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, and CJ McCollum, the Pelicans were lucky enough to even be competitive throughout this game.
Luckily
for them, Zion came back and looked as strong as ever. That is, until he
checked himself out in the second quarter, heading straight to the locker room.
Entering halftime, everyone in the Smoothie King Center was feeling the same
nerves that they have felt only so many times before. However, these nerves
quickly died down when Williamson came back out to start the second half. Zion
had a monster fourth quarter, putting up 13 of his 29 points in that quarter alone,
keeping the Pelicans in the game.
Just like last game, other role players stepped up to the plate for the Pelicans. Jose Alvarado went 7-7 from the three-point line, finishing with 27 points. Ingram put up an additional 20. Brandon Boston Jr. and Jevonte Green continue to show out, finishing with 14 and 11 respectively. They continue to prove that they deserve playing time even when these guys come back.
However, these good scoring performances were to no avail. Just like against Portland, the Pelicans took a step back in the third quarter, getting outscored by 11 points and putting them in a hole that they couldn't fully crawl out of.
This Cavaliers team almost represents an "anti" version of this Pelicans team. While Willie Green chooses to go small with Zion at center lineups (despite a really productive showing from rookie Yves Missi), Kenny Atkinson and the Cavs thrive on their two center lineups with Mobley and Allen. The size advantage was noticeable too, with Cleveland out rebounding the Pelicans by 13 and limiting any second chance opportunities.
The Cavs additionally out-assisted the Pelicans by 12. This wasn't just due to the end point differential, but a noticeable difference in styles offensively. The Cavs constantly moved the ball, with great rim-running bigs such as Allen and Mobley serving as constant lob threats, as well as knockdown shooters on the perimeter. It helps to have dynamic guards such as Mitchell and Garland, who constantly look for others shots, as well as taking over when necessary (Mitchell had a huge fourth quarter).
On the other side, the second half exposed the Pelicans offense as they stopped moving the ball and relied too heavily on isolation basketball. The ball was constantly in Ingram and Williamson's hands for over 15 of the 24 second shot clock, often resulting in a scramble effort to get a shot off. In order for the Pelicans to content and maximize the potential of everyone on their roster, they need to revert out of these habits and run a more efficient offense.
The
Pelicans hope to turn it around Friday, November 8 against the Magic.
