Balanced Attack Helps Pelicans Maul Grizzlies, 106-95

Talk about a turnaround.

After an abysmal performance against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, the Pelicans flipped the script against the mighty division rival Memphis Grizzlies.

The biggest change for the Pelicans tonight was the insertion of Dante Cunningham into the starting lineup, sending Tyreke Evans to the bench. The move made sense since it makes sense to have another big body to combat the behemoth Marc Gasol/Zach Randolph combination. Dante made the most of his well earned opportunity.

Cunningham did not have a single point in this game. That said, he still played at a high level. I cannot stress enough how critical it is to have players who accept their role, flourish in it, and essentially make it their own.

Dante was doing all of the little things tonight: setting picks to create interior passing lanes, defending his man, competing on the glass and even blocking a few shots. Monty obviously took a chance tonight, and as Cunningham has done again and again, he rose to the occasion.

Jan 9, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham (44) and Memphis Grizzlies center

(41) scramble for a loose ball during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Grizzlies 106-95. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The offense was obviously being forced through Anthony Davis against the Hornets. Tonight, Monty Williams and the rest of the Pelicans allowed the offense to flow naturally. And boy did it pay off.

As if it was magic, Davis still got his tonight scoring 20 points on 7-16 shooting after shooting only 1-4 in the first half. Sure, the media may see his high shooting percentages and wonder why he doesn’t get more shots. It is because contrary to popular belief, the (18-18) Pelicans have other players who can get the ball to fall.

Tonight the Pelicans had four players score 20+ points (Davis, Holiday, Evans and Anderson). All night, these guys plus Eric Gordon (13 points) stayed within themselves and knocked down the shots they were supposed to.

Zach Randolph came back for the (25-11) Grizzlies tonight after missing 9 straight games due to injury. All night, the entire Pelicans roster gave Randolph a tough time down low. As the screams of Z-Bo echoed throughout the Smoothie King Center, Holiday, Gordon, and Davis were all coming down with contested rebounds and making their way down the court.

Speaking of getting down the court, the Pelicans scored 15 points off the fast break. This is a fantastic improvement against a stingy defense. 11 of those points came in the first half alone, matching the New Orleans total for the last two games.

One play that stood out to me in particular came in the first quarter on a simple yet elegant swing connecting Holiday to Evans and then to Anderson, who finished the possession on an open three. That play, among many others tonight, bore the fruits of making the extra pass.

Eric Gordon did a great job at, well, doing his job. He shot 5-7 from the floor tonight including 7 key points early in the first quarter. Gordon is just another capable offensive weapon that can contribute in big ways when he is on the floor. Glad to see you back, EG!

Nov 21, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 117-97. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Once again, the Pelicans did a great job getting to the free throw line in the first half. For a change, they both hit the free shots (woo!) and continued their success in the second half. After shooting 13-15 in the first half, they finished 22-26. If the Pels can find this kind of success at the line consistently, the extra points really start to add up.

Austin Rivers did not play against the Hornets, but he did not let that affect his game. Rivers only played 12 minutes, but he played his butt off for each one of them. He attempted one shot, he got one offensive rebound and blocked one shot.

Just like Cunningham, Rivers displayed a toughness against a gritty team that should not go unnoticed by fans or the coaching staff. He was diving for lose balls, contesting shots and just making smart plays. With so many other weapons on the team, this kind of work is all the Pels could ask for from the young guard.

Ryan Anderson had a rough game in Charlotte on Wednesday, but “The Flamethrower” showed up with a full tank against Memphis. Ryan shot 8-17 and 4-8 from behind the arc. For a scorer, that’s all you could ask for. Tonight, Ryan took another step towards showing he is more than that.

Jan 9, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) drives past Memphis Grizzlies forward

(9) during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

He battled on the glass against Gasol, Koufos and Randolph all night, and even managed to slap a couple of missed shots back in. He was forced to guard Gasol on a couple of possessions, but did not let him have any easy baskets.

Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans did not have their flashiest statistical performances tonight, but they each played extremely effectively. These two combined to shoot 14-28 from the field and 13-16 from the free throw line, totaling 44 points.

Tyreke completed his double double with 10 rebounds, while Jrue dished 8 assists to add to their stat lines. The icing on this delicious statistical cake? One turnover for Evans and a whopping ZERO for Holiday.

Evans slashed through the usually tough Grizzlies defense all night, resulting in some easy makes, some not so easy makes, and a ton of trips to the foul line. It may not always be pretty, but watching Tyreke get to the hoop can be a lot of fun (especially if they do not result in a jump shot).

Jan 9, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and guard Tyreke Evans react following a basket to end the first half by guard Jrue Holiday (11) during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Davis may be the Pelicans star, but Jrue Holiday is the man that leads this team. The energy, efficiency, poise and knowledge of the game are invaluable to this young team. The perfect play to define this leadership came at the end of the first half, while Memphis was awaiting its final shot.

With about eight seconds left, Jrue stole the ball from Michael Conley, shook the poor man out of his shoes, and scored once more before the half. Those kind of plays rub everyone on the team the right way, and will inspire them to play like their leader.

The Pelicans put on one heck of a show tonight, as the mighty Grizzlies never lead. New Orleans returns to action Monday against the Boston Celtics to start a five game stretch against the Eastern Conference — one that they and Pelicans fans alike, will be the beginning of a long-awaited run towards the NBA Playoffs beginning in April…..