The New Orleans Pelicans lost their 13th straight game on Tuesday, a narrow overtime defeat at home to the Brooklyn Nets. The Pels are now 6-22 overall, tied for the second worst record in the whole league. New Orleans is No. 19 in offense and No. 28 in defense.
More like the New Orleans Pelican’ts
New Orleans intended to make a run at the playoffs. Welp, that’s not going to happen.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Zion Williamson, of course, has missed the entire season to date. But no rookie, not even Zion, is the difference between a 13-game losing streak and a playoff contender. And that’s what New Orleans had billed itself as going into the season: a team that wouldn’t tank and cash in on their bounty of draft picks in the coming years, but a playoff contender. That’s why they signed 35-year-old J.J. Redick and acquired Derrick Favors. That’s why they kept Jrue Holiday and extended Alvin Gentry’s contract. New team president David Griffin thought he had something immediately competitive here.
He does not. Matt Ellentuck covered what’s gone wrong earlier this week.
There are rumors Holiday is on the market. Redick should absolutely be on the market: he’s on a two-year deal and as I mentioned he’s 35. His career is not on the same timeline as the rest of the Pelicans. There is a young core of players and prospects on the team not wholly dissimilar from the 2012 New Orleans roster following the Chris Paul trade. Consider Brandon Ingram the digital edition of Eric Gordon. With Ingram (who will get a max deal this summer), Zion, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jaxson Hayes, there is hope you can sell here. But it’s not a short-term project, and having the big-name veterans around is confusing the mission.
The Pelicans don’t have it. Time to rethink everything.
Scores
Kings 102, Hornets 110
Lakers 102, Pacers 105
Hawks 120, Knicks 143
Nets 108, Pelicans 101 (OT)
Magic 102, Jazz 109
Suns 99, Magic 120
Schedule
All times Eastern. Games on League Pass unless otherwise noted.
Hornets at Cavaliers, 7
Raptors at Pistons, 7
Bulls at Wizards, 7
Heat at Sixers, 7, ESPN
Pelicans at Wolves, 8
Grizzlies at Thunder, 8
Magic at Nuggets, 9
Celtics at Mavericks, 9:30, ESPN
Warriors at Blazers, 10
Links
You may have seen that there is a major upheaval happening with our California-based team sites and SB Nation’s independent contributors who live in California. I can’t say a whole lot about it at this time, unfortunately. But I will say as the founding editor of one of those California-based team sites that there remains a thirst, a desire, a need for community of passionate fans of even the most garbage teams, we have some of the smartest voices leading those communities already, and I hope that isn’t lost as the ground beneath the enterprise shakes.
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This is really cool: TrueHoop picked their 10 favorite pieces of the year and made them free to the public. I highly encourage you to check them out and subscribe to TrueHoop. Well worth it.
Be excellent to each other.
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