Stat of the Week: -26.2

The Pelicans themselves have pointed out all season that brief lapses of concentration have cost the team. Coincidentally, those stretches have consistently come in the second quarter this season. Here’s a look at the net rating of the team by quarter this season and the league rank in parentheses:

First quarter: -1.1 (16th)
Second quarter: -26.2 (30th)
Third quarter: +2.9 (12th)
Fourth quarter: +7.4 (10th)

The second quarter is astronomically bad for the Pelicans this season that it completely derails anything they’re able to accomplish in the second quarter. It’s not necessarily a rotations issue as Alvin Gentry has switched them up.

Not only is every player a negative in the second quarter this season, they’re BIG negatives. As in the leader in net ratings in second quarters this season is Kenrich Williams at -9.4. Whatever the issue may be, whether it’s a lack of focus or lack of execution or a little of both, it has to get figured out for the Pelicans to even stay in games in the second half.

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