November 10th - New Orleans Pelicans @ Houston Rockets - 4-4

[Pelicanidae]

In-Season Tournament play begins for the #Pelicans tonight!

🏀: at Rockets
🕖: 7 pm CT
📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @995WRNO #PelicansGameday | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/EirkDbOLhY

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 10, 2023

From 4-1 to 4-4, we've been on a loss streak and we all know it. Though there have been exceptions here and there, for the most part the team has looked rough. Shot selection has been horrible, we've been giving up rebounds at a rapid pace, and as a result the defense is getting shredded on second chance points and in transition. There's a lot of low hanging fruit to fix, but it seems like right now we have neither the drive nor the personnel to fix it.

Houston are also playing well at the moment. This is not going to be an easy game.

The positive side - at least to some extent - is that Zion has been upgraded from OUT for personal reasons to questionable, and Naji has been upgraded from OUT to doubtful. So at least we're seeing some progress on getting guys back, even if they may not be back tonight necessarily.

Let's find out if they guys can start putting their ducks in a row.

[Freyfamilyreuni]

Any update on Herb?

[Pelicanidae]

Any update on Herb?

He's still just listed as questionable - we usually get a confirmation closer to game time though, so I'll post that if/when it changes.

[Mrakar]

We need this win. Even though we are at home next 6 games after tonight, those are all very though games and we need win against bad teams if we want to survive this period.
Yes they are on 4 games winning streak, but they also are very flawed team and we need to take advantage of that. If we get outhustled once again, or have one quarter meltdown i think Willie's seat will be hot as it gets..

[Pelicanidae]

We need this win. Even though we are at home next 6 games after tonight, those are all very though games and we need win against bad teams if we want to survive this period.
Yes they are on 4 games winning streak, but they also are very flawed team and we need to take advantage of that. If we get outhustled once again, or have one quarter meltdown i think Willie's seat will be hot as it gets..

The problem is that, regardless of who you think has the better roster healthy, we aren't healthy. So pointing at another team and saying they're flawed might be true, but are the Pelicans any better with CJ, Trey, Jose, Naji, Herb and Zion missing? Absolutely not.

If Zion and Herb are back, I'll say this should be a win. If they're not, I'm expecting a loss.

[Pelicanidae]

Zion Williamson is here at shootaround pic.twitter.com/gjeYqN2ojQ

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) November 10, 2023

Am told Zion will play tonight. https://t.co/UVHa9I46Ii

— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) November 10, 2023

Zion's playing.

[Pelicanidae]

Herb Jones (right fibula contusion) and Naji Marshall (right knee contusion) both ruled OUT tonight vs. Houston.

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 10, 2023

Jokic shall be condemned for this

[donato]

Herb Jones (right fibula contusion) and Naji Marshall (right knee contusion) both ruled OUT tonight vs. Houston.

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 10, 2023

Jokic shall be condemned for this

Do you think it was intentional?

[markid]

Here we goooo

[ramsters60]

some defense from Daniels and Hawkins maybe?

[donato]

some defense from Daniels and Hawkins maybe?

When does Daniels not play defense?

[Pelicanidae]

Do you think it was intentional?

No, but I don't care really lmao

[Pelicanidae]

When does Daniels not play defense?

Hawkins and Daniels both do. Weird thing to say imo

[Pelicanidae]

Rockets have very little in the way of elite rim protection. Sengun is a very good player but he's not really an elite glass cleaner or shot blocker, and their best backup at that spot is Boban, who is foul prone and immobile.

Tonight should be a JV and Zion night. Attacking the basket should be the absolute priority. Use that gravity to open up shooters and bomb threes. Anything else should only come to bail out broken possessions and on rare occasions to make shot go over exceptional defense.

[Pelicanidae]

First play, Zion to the hoop, gets FTs.

Yeah, like that.

Also, this court is an abomination

[Pelicanidae]

Nice feed to JV from BI

[Pelicanidae]

JV from 3 and then Zion gets a block on the other end

[Pelicanidae]

Look, Zion, I know you're not a 100% FT shooter and that's fine but 1/4 is not a good enough start. Good on you for getting the FTs, but 50% is the bare minimum.

[hornetsrebirth]

I dont care one way or another about the in season playoff or whatever its called, but I actively hate what they did to the court with an unreasonably strong passion

[Pelicanidae]

Going to the rack every possession and it's working. He's missed a lot of them, but Zion's getting a ton of foul calls early - putting other guys in foul trouble - and both he and Jonas have been scoring well on those attempts.

[Pelicanidae]

BI gets to the rack and scores

We're 6/6 from the floor

[Mrakar]

How is that only 2 fouls on Brooks? We clearly saw he made 3 fouls...
Zion trying on defense, nice to see. He needs to make his free throws though.

[Pelicanidae]

BI went to pull up for a contested 20 footer and visibly caught himself and passed out there. I feel so proud.

[Pelicanidae]

Great defense by Dyson forcing the miss there

[hornetsrebirth]

Zion used his explosion to go get an offensive board! nice