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New Orleans Pelicans: Gashed By The Grizzlies

By Owen Sanborn

Apr 8, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) holds the ball as New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) defends during the game at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) holds the ball as New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) defends during the game at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /
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Expectations heading into Wednesday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies had to be tempered for New Orleans Pelicans fans. After all, they had just beaten the best team in the NBA the night before and were going against the bullying Grizzlies; a team that is especially tough on the road while being on the second night of a back-to-back.

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As expected, the Pelicans were overmatched, and when the dust finally cleared, the final score was 110-74 in favor of Memphis.

The Pelicans actually were holding their own in the first quarter before Monty Williams inexplicably took out Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis at the same time at the start of the second quarter. The offense then proceeded to falter with Norris Cole and friends running the show and Memphis jumped out to a double-digit lead. Williams hasn’t figured out the not-so-new idea of staggering lineups I guess.

Not everything about the game was a mess, however, and I saw a few things on offense that continue to be promising.

For instance, take a gander at this pick and roll between Gordon and Davis in the first quarter. To the naked eye, it looks like your prototypical pick and roll (which it totally is), but when you take a closer look at it, you are able to notice a small, yet huge detail:

LOOK AT THE ATTENTION THAT DAVIS IS SOAKING UP FROM THE DEFENSE.

That is what basketball aficionados call gravity my friends, or in other words: the ability a player has to suck defenses into their orbit. Both Marc Gasol and Jeff Green (in this case he is the help defender) have to account for Davis’s lethal mid range jumper, so they frantically lunge towards his direction.

Gordon notices this happening in a split second (do not discount how difficult it is to notice that in such a short time frame) and throws a beautiful lob pass over to a wide-open Evans in the corner for three.

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    • Now, coaches will probably live with a wide-open corner three from Evans as opposed to a partially open mid-range jumper from Davis, but all is well when the ball goes through the hoop.

    Sequences such as these illustrate the impact a player of Davis’ stature can have on the offensive end. Memphis had to change the way they play defense because of Davis’s ability to hit that jump shot with such consistency, thus leading to a wide open three for his teammate.

    Players like Stephen Curry and Kyle Korver have a similar impact for their respective teams’ offense, except their gravity has opposing defenders frantically lunging deep on the perimeter. Combine those abilities with exceptional coaching, and it is no coincidence that both of those teams have been incredibly successful this season.

    Earlier in the season — when New Orleans would start a non-shooter like Evans or Dante Cunningham at the small forward position — there was minimal room to operate for Davis or Omer Asik while in the middle of the painted area. The defender guarding the non-shooting small forward would be allowed to drift towards the rolling big men and disrupt the timing of the play or even get a steal.

    The implementation of Quincy Pondexter (and his reborn three-point shooting stroke) into that small forward spot has given the New Orleans big men more room to breathe and even make some nifty passes to the corner when defenders come crashing into the lane to help:

    It is a great sign to see Asik feeling functional enough to make simple, yet smart passes such as this to open shooters. Not every center in the league is capable or heady enough to realize what is going on (God bless you Bismack Biyombo), but Asik has proven that he is capable when given the chance.

    Davis has also gotten better at recognizing when defenders come crashing too hard towards him in similar situations and will often whip the ball out to open shooters. I’m not sure if we would have seen him make that play last season.

    New Orleans now finds themselves deadlocked with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and is in prime position to secure that spot pending a Monty Williams meltdown.

    Cross your fingers.

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