Last week: Lost at Toronto 130-122 (OT), lost to Dallas 123-116, lost at Houston 126-123
This week: Monday vs. Golden State, Thursday vs. Denver, Saturday at Oklahoma City
The New Orleans Pelicans are off to a frustrating start, losing their first two games after being unable to hold on to double-digit leads, including a 16-point edge over Dallas at home on Friday, before Josh Hart‘s last-second 3-point attempt bounced off the rim in a three-point loss at Houston on Saturday.
The Pelicans were already without Darius Miller (out for the year with a ruptured Achilles) and Zion Williamson (torn meniscus) and did not have Jrue Holiday against the Rockets with knee issues.
Brandon Ingram has been tremendous for New Orleans so far, averaging 27.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 blocks in 35.0 minutes per game on 52.5 percent shooting overall. He’s also knocked down 10-of-19 from long range (52.6 percent). But giving up 123 points or more in three straight games speaks to significant issues at the defensive end.
Last week: Lost at Miami 120-101, lost to Chicago 110-102, won vs. Brooklyn 134-133 (OT)
This week: Tuesday at Lakers, Saturday vs. Phoenix
The Memphis Grizzlies got their first win under coach Taylor Jenkins on Sunday when Jae Crowder canned a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime. That came after rookie Ja Morant forced overtime with a layup with just seven seconds remaining in regulation after the Grizzlies had coughed up a 14-point lead to go down by as much as eight in the fourth quarter.
Morant has certainly been exciting through three games, averaging 18.0 points, 6.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals and shooting 51.2 percent overall while hitting 2-of-4 from deep. But he’s also averaging 5.3 turnovers a night.
Crowder’s game-winner might help him climb out of an early-season funk; he is shooting just 33.3 percent overall and 29.2 percent from long range on 8.0 attempts per game through the first three games of the season.
Last week: Won at Houston 117-111, lost to Miami 131-126 (OT)
This week: Monday vs. Cleveland, Wednesday at Boston, Friday at Orlando, Saturday vs. Toronto
Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been doing a little bit of everything for the Milwaukee Bucks so far, for better and worse. He’s put up triple-double averages with 59 points, 30 rebounds and 20 assists through two games, with four steals and three blocks while shooting 60.5 percent.
But he’s been just 2-for-10 from 3-point range and only hit 11-of-20 at the line, while committing 11 turnovers and fouling out of both games. Per ESPN.com, Antetokounmpo was the first reigning MVP to foul out of the next season opener, so he’s definitely the first to do so in his first two games the following season.
Besides the foul line, where Milwaukee opponents have taken 75 attempts in two games, the Bucks are getting worked over a bit on the glass, with just 11 offensive rebounds, with Ersan Ilyasova‘s five the most on the club so far.