The New Orleans Pelicans were one of the worst teams inside the NBA’s bubble. Their struggles in the NBA’s restart in Orlando were also amplified by their position coming in as one of the challengers for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
There are a variety of things that changed for the Pelicans inside the bubble, some within their control and some not. The team was never able to replicate the chemistry they had before the bubble, one of the things out of their control. But they also did not execute at the level they did before the bubble either, which they could control.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe included New Orleans in his weekly “Ten NBA things I like and don’t like” column and tried to look at some of the reasons for New Orleans failures and what their outlook for the future is after falling flat in the bubble.
First, he discussed Lonzo Ball’s struggles and what his future holds.
“Lonzo Ball’s jumper deserted him (again) until it was too late.
…
If Ball remains in New Orleans — and remains engaged — he could evolve into a tweener guard specializing in kick-aheads, extra passes, lobs to Williamson, and (basketball gods willing) just enough spot-up 3s.”
As Lowe notes, Ball’s ability to hit spot-up 3s will determine how long and how successful a career he will have in the NBA. His junior season featured him breaking out as a shooter but whether it was a flash in the pan or turning a corner will yet be determined.
Lowe also looked at the biggest area of struggles for the Pelicans in their defensive woes.
“New Orleans was an unthinkable minus-58 in 104 bubble minutes with (Zion) Williamson on the floor. They allowed almost 130 points per 100 possessions — not quite the level where you’d be better off fouling the worst opposing free throw shooter, but not all that far away. It appears New Orleans’ improvement on defense with Williamson on the floor in February and March was part illusion — built on (among other things) random bricky 3-point shooting from meh opponents.”
The Pelicans’ defensive rating shot up after Williamson’s debut but it was a largely unsustainable improvement. Similarly, though, their performance inside the bubble is likely unsustainable in the other direction. Williamson, specifically, had a rough go of it on the defensive end in the bubble, as is often the case with rookies. He will only improve with more time in the NBA.
The entire section is worth a read for Pelicans fans as it paints both a grim picture of the Pelicans’ play in the bubble and also a bright picture for the future of the franchise.
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