Something isn’t clicking with the New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis can only carry the New Orleans Pelicans so far. The November slump proves this team needs to make some immediate improvements to match last year’s success. 

The New Orleans Pelicans lost six straight after a four-game hot streak to start the 2018-19 season. Wednesday night’s victory over the Chicago Bulls was much needed, but it doesn’t erase the fact New Orleans struggles against stiff competition. Something clearly isn’t clicking for a team with high hopes.

It’s tough to believe that this is the same core group that went head-to-head with the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the playoffs last season. There is one notable difference from that series: Rajon Rondo is now on the Los Angeles Lakers, and his playmaking absence is certainly being felt in the win column.

Elfrid Payton started off great, but has been injured, and the Pelicans haven’t found a replacement for what Rondo brought to the roster. It’s obvious there’s a need for more offensive firepower in New Orleans. Anthony Davis wasn’t taking shots at his current teammates, but he had no problem discussing the problem during the frustrating slump. “I got to play almost perfect every night for us to have a chance to win,” he told Yahoo! Sports.

In addition to the need to play perfect, Anthony Davis is also playing a lot more. His usage has increased in the midst of the Pelicans’ downward spiral. He’s averaging 38.3 minutes a night in the month of November and has two games of 20 shot attempts or more during that same four-game stretch. That’s just to give his team a chance at victory.

Perhaps that’s why Davis revealed that he’d love to have DeMarcus Cousins back in New Orleans next year. The luxury of having another All-Star on the block would come in handy right about now, especially when you’re trying to match points with the Warriors.

But the Dubs aren’t the only playoff-bound team that the Pelicans need to be concerned with. Just one of the four victories for New Orleans has come against a team above .500. A major reason they struggle against the top-tier teams is because of a lack of defense. The Pelicans are 26th in points allowed and defensive rating, giving up 118.6 points per game and 112.3 points per 100 possessions. Considering there’s only one automatic scorer on the team, they’re going to have to improve on defense to remain competitive.

Still, the starting lineup is playing decent basketball. All five guys are scoring in the double digits on a nightly basis. Davis and Nikola Mirotic are averaging double-doubles. The biggest problem appears to be the lack of identity for the bench. Wesley Johnson finished Wednesday’s game against the Bulls with 10 or more points for the first time this year. He’s averaging just 5.8 points per night. That’s not going to cut it for his significant 17.8 minutes per game.

New Orleans also anticipated this season being the second coming of Jahlil Okafor. He was buried on the benches of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets last season. There was a reasonable excuse for his lack of productivity last year, but that excuse is no longer in play. He’s getting quality minutes in New Orleans and averaging a mere five points and three rebounds a night.

The win against the Bulls on Wednesday couldn’t have come at a better time for the Pelicans. They have three nights off before having to find a way to stop Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. Then there’s two consecutive road games against the Toronto Raptors and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The six-game losing streak was already more consecutive losses than the Pelicans were dealt all of last year. Every game counts in the stacked Western Conference. If the playoffs started today, the Pelicans would miss the cut. They can’t continue to squander opportunities against opponents if they intend to change their place in the standings anytime soon.