October 30th - New Orleans Pelicans vs New York Knicks - 1-5

[Pelicanidae]

More basketball tonight!

🏀: vs Knicks
🕕: 6 pm CT
📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/GDbkJ0kQXF

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 30, 2021

Losses continue to pile up as we lose a nailbiter last game.

Tonight we take on the 4-1 Knicks, currently 1st in the Eastern Conference, in what is very likely to be a loss. The Knicks are a very similar defensive team to us, in terms of rating (16th to 19th) but unlike us, with our 24th rated offense, the Knicks are 4th so far this year. They just have firepower that we currently do not, even with Julius Randle and RJ Barrett both currently shooting horribly (both shooting under 30% from 3 on high volume).

A lot of this is currently based on Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, and Derrick Rose all shooting at least 42% from 3 on at least 4 attempts a night: Kemba's currently shooting better than 58% from 3 on 6 a night! They're taking the 4th most threes in the NBA and making the most, as well as generally not turning it over that much. Combine that with being in the top half of the league in assists, it's no wonder that their offense is looking shiny even with RJ and Randle struggling to score.

The plus side is that relying so heavily on legitimately absurd 3pt shooting is the kind of offense that can collapse at any point. The downside is that there's very little we can do as a team to make that happen - 3pt shooting is largely independent of defense played on it, according to the data we have. Good 3pt defense doesn't change the likelihood of a shot to go in: once the ball is in the air, the defender is out of the equation. Good 3pt defense is about deterring the shot in the first place, and can we do that at a high enough level? It's a real question.

So let's see what happens.

[13 - 3]

What could have been if we kept Randle and drafted Morant. Oh well. I still like Zion. Randle gets 30+ points tonight

Have a happy Randle day!

[Pelicanidae]

Brandon Ingram is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game vs. Knicks. Updated @MorrisBartLLC injury report: https://t.co/TDcVay1zOQ pic.twitter.com/fXPAHnifMv

— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) October 30, 2021

Oh well, that's a loss for sure then.

It was probably a loss before. It's definitely a loss now.

[6warddude]

Brandon Ingram is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game vs. Knicks. Updated @MorrisBartLLC injury report: https://t.co/TDcVay1zOQ pic.twitter.com/fXPAHnifMv

— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) October 30, 2021

Oh well, that's a loss for sure then.

It was probably a loss before. It's definitely a loss now.

if ingram is out then NAW scores 40 tonight ..book it.....you get to see more of trey tonight lol....

[PaKwAn]

if ingram is out then NAW scores 40 tonight ..book it.....you get to see more of trey tonight lol....

I have the same feeling if ingram isn't playing...maybe not 40 but a lot... he is going to have the greenest of green light to chuck and will eventually get his confidence up once he sees some of it going in... he probably needs something like this to get out of that slump.

[6warddude]

I have the same feeling if ingram isn't playing...maybe not 40 but a lot... he is going to have the greenest of green light to chuck and will eventually get his confidence up once he sees some of it going in... he probably needs something like this to get out of that slump.

exactly ..a confidence game for him...he go hit five 3s....go 11 for 13 at the free throw line....go finish the game like 12/26 if that add up right...

[luckyman]

if ingram is out then NAW scores 40 tonight ..book it.....you get to see more of trey tonight lol....

If BI is playing, he needs to be pushed to try and score 40. If he's out, they need to default to what Willie Green wants. Which is end the game with 25 - 30 assists or more. Likely off balanced scoring.

That plus playing solid screen and roll defense on Kemba is their only chance.

This is unfortunately turning into Alvin Gentry's 1st year.

[Taker597]

NOLA +8 is the play.

5-1

[donato]

Bring it NAW!

[13 - 3]

I m double downing. Randle gets 30+ points.

[msusousaphone]

Lol. Every team shoots such a high percentage against us. I can't even remember the last season that wasn't the case.

[6warddude]

this team has alot of fight in them and dont give up easy...

[Snarly]

I honestly don't understand how Marshall has regressed much from last season.

[Eman5805]

When Hart is on balance he’s pretty good from deep.

[Pelicanidae]

It is peak Pelicans to come out and make this so competitive without Zion, without BI, without a big scoring night from NAW or Devonte', and without shooting well from 3.

The games we should win, we always lose. The games we shouldn't be a factor, we somehow stay in it. It's weird.

[Pelicanidae]

Griff must have given Herb permission to dominate

[Pelicanidae]

Knicks shooting 56% from 3 this game lmao

[Snarly]

These guys need to be smarter. Gotta get Valanciunas involved. They've pretty much frozed him out of the offense in the closing minutes.

[HerbJonesFan]

My two BAMA guys almost carried us tonight! Loved Kira, and what can you say about Herb??!

Now, if we could just swap out Alex Walker for prime Latrell Sprewell, we will be golden!!!!

[Freyfamilyreuni]

Glad Zion’s enjoying himself.

[Freyfamilyreuni]

RJ and Ja blowing up, and Zion, ummm, blowing up in a different way.

[boot318]

Herb is a beast! Super impressed with how the team played considering we played last night + no Ingram.

[Pelicanidae]

About as good a performance as you could hope for given the circumstances. No Zion, no BI, 2nd night of a back to back against a good team that shot exceptionally well, and we kept it close. Obviously another loss is bad, whichever way you slice it, but I don't think anyone expected better than this.

JV follows up 24/13 last night with 27/14. He's also had that 20/20 game for us already. He's just been pretty consistently big production for us so far.

[Pelicanidae]

Super typical though that both Randle and Barrett, coming into tonight both shooting under 30% from 3 (26.8% before tonight for Barrett) would be on fire from behind the arc. 2/2 for Randle, 6/8 for Barrett. Of course.

[HerbJonesFan]

Herb is a beast! Super impressed with how the team played considering we played last night + no Ingram.

Swap Zion and NAW for a guard who can actually play and some good players/depth and this team could be amazing. Like, imagine sending those two off to Boston for Fred Van Vleet, OG Anunoby, and Siakam. Let Toronto build around Zion and Barnes. Pels would be freaking sick after that trade