Davis Hurt Again as Pelicans Lose to Nuggets 115-98
By Mike Delayo
Coming off of the most encouraging offseason in quite some time, the Pelicans are still struggling to find their footing in the young regular season.
New Orleans (1-10) lost to the Denver Nuggets (6-5) Tuesday night 115-98.
Not only did they lose the game, but they lost Anthony Davis in the first quarter to a shoulder injury.
Davis has already battled a bruised hip this season that forced him to miss a couple of games, and now he is dealing with his shoulder. According to Brett Dawson of The Advocate he had only practiced lightly in the days prior to the Nuggets game, suggesting that the injury was not rooted in last night’s game. There has been no diagnosis yet outside of a “left shoulder injury” so we just have to hope for the best.
For a while, it seemed like the Pels would be ok without their superstar against the Nuggets. The Pelicans led heading into half time thanks to double digit scoring from Dante Cunningham and Ryan Anderson.
Cunningham’s game will never be about his offense, but he got hot early on in this game. He knocked down a couple of his patented long range twos and was able to finish solid looks around the basket. When a team is struggling, players need to focus on getting the little things done. Cunningham has always been that guy, knocking down catch and shoot jumpers, finishing easy opportunities and outworking his opponents.
October 27, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham (44) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Those may seem like simple things, and that is because they are. When things are going south, teams sometimes worry too much about the details and forget the fundamentals of basketball. Cunningham’s game is simple, but the Pelicans need a dose of that simplicity to get back on track.
Ryan Anderson once again led the Pels in scoring, putting up 24 points on the night. The threes did not fall (1-4), but Ryno was still able to knock down 10 of his 17 shots. He has shown time and time again that he is capable of carrying the scoring load when his team needs it. What tends to falter when his front court companions are out of the game is the team’s rebounding.
Anderson has never been a great rebounder for a power forward, part of which comes from his tendency to play from the perimeter.
With Omer Asik and Anthony Davis out of commission, he suddenly becomes the most reliable rebounder on the floor for New Orleans, and that has gone about as well as one would think.
Nov 17, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) dunks against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Denver defeated the Pelicans 115-98. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The Pelicans are currently tied for dead last in the league (with the Los Angeles Lakers) in total rebound differential, which currently sits at -5.8 per game.
It is easy to look at some of the high scoring totals that the Pelicans have allowed and blame the defense.
Sure the unit deserves some of the blame, but when they are actually doing their job and forcing stops no one has been able to scoop up the rebound. Giving the opponent so many second chance points is a surefire way of losing a game.
Until Asik, Ajinca and Davis are back at full health, expect the struggles on the board to continue.
Jrue Holiday shot only 4-13 from the field in 23 minutes, but he did dish out 7 dimes while only turning the ball over once. Eric Gordon scored 19 points and tallied 6 assists of his own.
There is legitimate concern surrounding this team and at 1-10 it is hard to dismiss it.
I will go down with the ship if I have to, because I still believe this Pelicans team can turn things around. But if you want to start injecting some Ben Simmons coverage into your everyday life, I cannot blame you.
The Pelicans play the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight on ESPN…..