Turnovers.
It’s been the biggest talking point around the Pelicans through two games. The team has committed 39 turnovers leading to 54 points combined in the two games so far.
On Saturday, it wasn’t just that the team was turning the ball over but that they were live-ball turnovers. Seven of the Pelicans’ 12 first-half turnovers were live-ball turnovers and the Clippers scored on EVERY SINGLE ONE of them. In total, it amounted to 16 points off those seven turnovers alone.
Live-ball turnovers are particularly costly for a number of reasons. First and most obviously, it’s a direct trade from a potential scoring opportunity for one team and handing it to another. But secondly, as was the case often on Saturday, the Clippers turned those giveaways into fastbreak opportunities.
in the sequence above, the Clippers are able to quickly get downcourt after the turnover and turn it into a 2-on-1 break. Patrick Beverley finds Marcus Morris Sr. for an easy layup with the defense trying to get back.
More than just avoiding turnovers, the team needs to avoid the live ball ones specifically.
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