November 15th - New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards - 2-12

[Pelicanidae]

Happy Monday! It's game day!

🏀: vs Washington
🕕: 6pm CST
📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA #Pelicans | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/pmE4Pluimi

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 15, 2021

Losing streak was snapped last game in a dominant win over Memphis. Led pretty much the entire game, and there was little doubt in things after the first quarter.

Tonight, we face the Washington Wizards. It's an odd one, because on the one hand their 9-3 record is one of the best in the NBA right now, and this is largely driven by a top 5 defense so far this season. Their offense, however - where one might expect them to be better due to their roster - is actually very mediocre, exactly 15th in the NBA, and tonight it's likely to be weaker as they have a plethora of injury issues.

Currently listed on the Wizards injury report are:

- Bradley Beal (out)
- Davis Bertans (out)
- Thomas Bryant (out)
- Rui Hachimura (out)

Obviously the key name there is Beal, who is a lot to lose offensively.

The key for us tonight is going to be 3pt shooting. Opponents currently shoot only 29.5% from 3 against the Wizards - this is by far the lowest against any team in the NBA so far this season. Part of this may be good defense (though, defense quite famously affects if you get 3s off, not really the efficiency of the ones that do go up) but much more likely is at least partly attributed to variance. So the question becomes whether or not we can break their luck and have some shots fall for us tonight. If we can, the Wizards defense - which doesn't generate steals or force turnovers, which has a lot of trouble dealing with pass-heavy offenses, and which is fairly foul prone - will find itself a little stretched. If we can't, then we're in big trouble.

Let's see what happens. Is it 3-12?

[AD-AT]

Seems like their defensive raiting being helped by really strong perimeter defense. Are they vulnerable inside?

[6warddude]

2-0 tonight.....the streak is on...

pelicans luck some how kuzma might score 30+ tonight lol.....

[6warddude]

Seems like their defensive raiting being helped by really strong perimeter defense. Are they vulnerable inside?

jonas should eat tonight if we get him the ball.....hell, the offense should go through jonas tonight...

[Pelicanidae]

Seems like their defensive raiting being helped by really strong perimeter defense. Are they vulnerable inside?

They're among the league leaders in both rebounds and blocks. Take from that what you will.

[AusPel]

Hayes is so dumb. When you're 5 inches taller than someone, you don't need to reach down to contest the shot. Keep your damn hands up and make him shoot over you

[Pelicanidae]

It's funny how simple it is, but the team really does just look a lot better when it gets an all-star back. Like I mentioned last game, Ingram doesn't even have to do too much (though he has been good), just his existence lets other guys settle back into roles they're better equipped to handle and makes the game easier for them.

[Taker597]

Jonas is so smart

[Taker597]

Hayes and Kira have earned their bust labels in my opinion at the moment. It's up to them to disprove it.

Hayes more so than Kira. Kira was like the 6th guard off the board. Terrible reach in a weak guard class.

[Pelicanidae]

Hayes and Kira have earned their bust labels in my opinion at the moment. It's up to them to disprove it.

Hayes more so than Kira. Kira was like the 6th guard off the board. Terrible reach in a weak guard class.

I remember Kira's whole draft I was pretty sceptical of him, and had him firmly behind guys like Maxey and Cole Anthony, but everyone else seemed to rate him much more highly and over time I allowed myself to become convinced to the point where, even though I preferred Maxey, I was fine with Kira at 13.

I should not have been convinced!

[AusPel]

Maybe if we don't take Kira, we can't end up doing the Val/Murphy trade

Butterfly effect and all that

[Pelicanidae]

I will say that, when it comes to youth development, our franchise is garbage. Guys do not get better here as processors and technicians. Either show up to the Pelicans ready to play or prepare to stagnate: we only fix shooting, if your issues exist elsewhere, you're screwed. We suck at it.

[PELSGIRL]

Willie has to learn how to call timeouts sooner. Plus as soon as NAW makes that ill timed pass I would have sat him.

[6warddude]

NAW just dumb..

[Taker597]

I remember Kira's whole draft I was pretty sceptical of him, and had him firmly behind guys like Maxey and Cole Anthony, but everyone else seemed to rate him much more highly and over time I allowed myself to become convinced to the point where, even though I preferred Maxey, I was fine with Kira at 13.

I should not have been convinced!

I remember being indifferent about it. I think I wanted Cole over him if was drafting a guard.

[Taker597]

I will say that, when it comes to youth development, our franchise is garbage. Guys do not get better here as processors and technicians. Either show up to the Pelicans ready to play or prepare to stagnate: we only fix shooting, if your issues exist elsewhere, you're screwed. We suck at it.

It's pretty bad. It's very much... You got to figure it out on your own how to be a good basketball player.

[msusousaphone]

Herb makes this whole season still good. He's going to be great for a long time.


And we constantly get young talent and make them better.....Lonzo, BI, even Hart had gotten way better. AD thrived here.....Christian Wood, Quin Cook.....I'd wager our ratio of talent that has grown to those that busted out of the league is above average. The NBA in general has a high movement and bust rate so it just feels bad.

[Pelicanidae]

It's pretty bad. It's very much... You got to figure it out on your own how to be a good basketball player.

I wish we were a team like Toronto in that respect, where guys who arrive there just seem to get better at things. They're not perfect, of course, but you see the development arcs of so many players that go through there - Siakam is obviously a big one, as is OG Anunoby, these late picks who were/are kind of raw coming in but with potential, and the franchise just helps them unlock so much from their game.

Here, we get guys and like you said, either they figure it out themselves or not cause we aren't helping them. Sink or swim.

Part of that is due to 3 head coaches in 3 years, I would expect.

[Taker597]

Herb got that dawg in him.

[Pelicanidae]

Herbert Jones is good at basketball

[6warddude]

the scouting report on the pelicans has to be,,let their guards dribble penetrate , someone slide toward the driving player, everyone else play the passing lane because the guards will turn the ball over with a jump pass to you lol..

[Taker597]

That wasn't an offensive foul.. Seems like the shooter got under Hart feet but whatever

[Taker597]

I'll be honest... Jonas, Graham, Herb, and eventually TM3 would of save Griff's job.

[Taker597]

I swearrrrrrrrrrr

[Taker597]

Bruhhhhhhhhhhhh