Here’s The Advocate with some thoughts on the Pelicans and what makes them tick when things are going their way:
But underneath the waves of full-court sprints and lit-up scoreboards, the backbone of the Pelicans’ success was their stingy and savvy defense. Despite the onslaught of speed, they were able to stymie opposing offenses from scoring efficiently in transition, while effectively bottling up the halfcourt pick-and-roll.
From Feb. 1 onward, New Orleans allowed just 103.4 points per 100 possessions, the league’s fourth-best overall output and ranked No. 1 in defending the pick-and-roll. It allowed the Pelicans to win 20 of their final 28 games, while vaulting both Holiday and Davis to be the only teammates named first-team All-Defense selections.
Now, a week away from the opening of training camp, and with a recalibrated roster in place, the Pelicans’ mission is to re-engineer their defense to match the output generated in those final 35 games.
