Nets Beat Undermanned Pelicans
In a matchup of the third seeded teams in each conference, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 108-102. The Pelicans led by as many as 15 points in the first half, but were doomed by cold second half shooting (16-44, including 2-12 from three point range). Kevin Durant scored a game-high 33 points but shot just 9-26 from the field. He also had a game-high 10 rebounds, plus two blocked shots. Kyrie Irving struggled for most of the game before scoring 10 of the Nets' 20 fourth quarter points to finish with 19 points on 7-22 field goal shooting. Irving provided 10 of the Nets' 20 fourth quarter points. T.J. Warren scored 15 points off of the bench in just 24 minutes.
C.J. McCollum led the Pelicans with 28 points on 9-24 field goal shooting and Naji Marshall added a career-high 23 points on 6-11 field goal shooting. Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds as the Pelicans outrebounded the Nets 51-43, but even with those extra possessions the Pelicans could not make up for the absences of injured stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
The Nets have won 17 of their last 19 games, and the Pelicans have been a pleasant surprise despite key players missing a large number of games. Should either of these teams be considered championship contenders based not just on this game but on their overall body of work and their potential?
The Nets have had a tumultuous season. Coach Steve Nash departed after the team started 2-5, at the same time that the Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for unrepentant antisemitism. Ben Simmons did not look sharp in the early going, and he missed four of the team's first 10 games. On November 25, the Nets were 9-11 before embarking on their current surge. However, the Nets' recent success includes wins versus many non-contending teams, including Atlanta (twice), Charlotte (twice), Toronto (twice), Washington (twice), Detroit, Orlando, and San Antonio. The Nets beat Golden State sans Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Are the Nets legitimate contenders? Kevin Durant owns two NBA title and two NBA Finals MVPs, while Kyrie Irving has already been the second option on a championship team. Ben Simmons is capable of being an elite playmaker and an elite defensive player who can guard multiple positions. If those three stars are healthy, the Nets can be very good--but, for a variety of reasons, each of those players has missed substantial playing time in recent seasons.
The Nets lack size, and consequently rank 29th in the league in rebounding. Their defensive numbers look good, but--as noted above--they have recently feasted on weak competition. The Nets have not proven that they can rebound and defend at a high level against elite teams. Since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined the team in 2019, the Nets have only won one playoff series.
The Nets are capable of being a legitimate contender, but until they prove otherwise in the crucible of postseason play they should not be ranked ahead of the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, regardless of regular season records and regular season winning streaks.
Entering play tonight, the New Orleans Pelicans had the third best record in the Western Conference, just a game behind the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. The Pelicans accomplished this despite Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram missing substantial playing time. C.J. McCollum (20.2 ppg, 6.0 apg) has played well, and the Pelicans are a rugged, scrappy team that ranks second in steals, fourth in scoring, and sixth in rebounding; their depth has helped mitigate the absences of Williamson and Ingram, but this team is unlikely to advance past the first round of the playoffs without Williamson and Ingram.
The Pelicans' potential is tantalizing, but Williamson and Ingram being out of the lineup is not surprising; Ingram has not played more than 62 games in a season since his rookie campaign (2016-17), while Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 season due to injury after playing just 85 games combined in his first two seasons. Williamson and Ingram are also players who primarily impact the game offensively, so even if they are healthy at playoff time they have not proven that they are willing or able to do enough defensively to lead a team to a playoff series win.
Are the Pelicans a contender? Until their two best players (1) stay healthy and (2) prove that they are committed to playing defense the Pelicans will not be a contender.
Labels: Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, Brooklyn Nets, C.J. McCollum, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson
posted by David Friedman @ 11:27 PM
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