Do the Pelicans Still Have A Chance in the Wild West?
By Mike Delayo
With the All-Star break and trade deadline in the rear view mirror, the NBA’s regular season is approaching its final stretch.
The Pelicans (29-27) have been battling with Phoenix and Oklahoma City for a playoff berth for the entire season. The Suns are in the midst of a season worst five game losing streak, while the Thunder have won eight out of their last nine.
Meanwhile, the Pels have continued to jerk their fans in every direction possible. Anthony Davis’ buzzer beating three to beat the Thunder on February 6th was arguably the season’s most electrifying moment.
Feb 6, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans (1) celebrate after the game winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Naturally this was followed up by an injury to Davis in the next game, starting a season worst four game losing streak.
A convincing victory over the Miami Heat was marred by injuries to both Davis and Ryan Anderson, once again just in time to deflate the fans.
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The latest stretch of this roller coaster ride was completed last night, when the work of Luke Babbitt, Norris Cole, Alexis Ajinca and Omer Asik led the team to a huge comeback win over the (37-19) Toronto Raptors.
Even the nature of the injuries have been entirely misleading. Davis has gone down hard multiple times this season, and each time I thought at first glance he would not return.
The same can be said for Anderson’s injury against the Heat. So when it was announced that they would only be out a few weeks, I was shocked.
Jrue Holiday’s injury is the exact opposite: there was no flailing to the ground, no agonizing in pain. He just simply did not return to the court after halftime. Fast-forward six weeks and Holiday has yet to return.
Phew. Not even M. Night Shyamalan could come up with this many plot twists.
Feb 11, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams reacts against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pacers defeated the Pelicans 106-93.Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The Pelicans have plenty of bad losses this season. Some like Friday’s loss to Orlando came with only Holiday out. Others, like ones in Philadelphia and New York, were equally as frustrating with Davis out.
Conversely, the shorthanded Pels have some impressive games on their resume as well. Both wins against Toronto came without Davis in addition to the victory of the Clippers last month.
The same guys are getting off the bus every game. But who can truly show up for the rest of the season has yet to be determined.
The Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder have been the main threats to the Pelicans’ playoff dreams, and will probably continue to play that part for the remainder of the season.
The Suns appear to be a bit shell shocked coming out of the trade deadline. They traded away guards Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas and received Brandon Knight and Danny Granger in return.
The downgrade in talent is obvious, but the chemistry of the team is now in flux. Already in the midst of a season long five game losing skid, the Suns need to decide whether they are going to put up or shut up.
All of the problems in Phoenix can be matched with the success in Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook has single handedly led his team to victory time and time again this season, and it has been truly remarkable.
Dec 21, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
His gaudy numbers are truly a sight to see, but they are just a product of the bigger picture: he will not quit. Other guys on the court have a motor, but Westbrook steps onto the floor every night as if he has been charged with 1.21 gigawatts of energy.
That desire and energy is finally on full display with his partner in crime Kevin Durant back on the sideline, and he is clearly thriving. It took a miraculous buzzer beating three from Anthony Davis to take a game from this version of Westbrook.
At this rate, the rest of the league will need to start hitting those all game if they want even a taste of victory against the Thunder.
If the Pelicans want any chance at the playoffs, they need to forget about what these teams are doing. Let the fans worry about the standings and the other teams’ performances.
Games against weaker opponents like Philadelphia and Orlando simply must be won, or else they do not even deserve to be a playoff team. Time and time again the Pels have come through in a tough spot only to quickly discard their momentum.
Last night was only one game, but the Pelicans must use that big win to once again get off the ground. With the schedule coming towards its end, they may not get another chance……