The New Orleans Pelicans blew two winnable games against the Memphis Grizzlies one week apart.
On Dec. 19, the Pelicans watched their 24-point lead get washed away in Ja Morant’s season debut. On Tuesday, the Pelicans let their 15-point lead get erased after some questionable officiating and poor late-game execution allowed the game to get to overtime.
The Pelicans’ late-game offense drying up was one of the commonalities in both contests. Despite having the star power of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans are struggling to score when it matters most. The Pelicans are averaging 93.8 points per 100 possessions in “clutch” situations (last five minutes of a game, score within five points), the third-worst mark of any NBA team.
“We have to be better from an organization standpoint,” guard CJ McCollum said. “We are putting the ball in our best players’ hands. It’s just about making sure the spacing is right. I thought we got some decent looks. Then some possessions were awful. We just have to do a better job with the organization.”
McCollum was right to point toward a lack of organization in important moments. The Pelicans are committing turnovers on 21.2% of their “clutch” possessions, the highest rate in the NBA.
The Pelicans committed two turnovers in overtime Tuesday.
With the game tied at 104, center Jonas Valanciunas passed up a shot inside. He got the ball to Ingram with the shot clock winding down. Ingram got stripped.
Then, with less than one minute remaining in the extra period, the Pelicans tried to run a pick-and-roll with Williamson as the ballhandler. He got inside, barreled into Marcus Smart and was called for a charge.
New Orleans’ chances to win were further diminished when McCollum missed a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left, two of the 11 free throws the Pelicans missed in the game.
“We have three guys out there who are all capable,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Zion. B.I. CJ. The ball was all in their hands at one point to settle us down and get us good looks. And they did for the most part. But we didn’t do enough to win the game. That’s what it boils down to.”
Ingram, Williamson and McCollum have logged 233 minutes across 13 games together this season. Surprisingly, the Pelicans have struggled when they have shared the floor, getting outscored by 6.0 points per 100 possessions. The Pelicans are scoring at a rate of 105.5 points per 100 possessions with all three of their highest-paid players on the court at one time. The San Antonio Spurs, who are the NBA’s least efficient offensive team, are scoring at a rate of 106.7 points per 100 possessions.
“I think we are still finding out who we want the ball to go to,” Green said. “Last night, all three of those guys had opportunities with the basketball in their hands. We are figuring it out as a group.”
The Pelicans finished 20th in points scored per 100 possessions last season. This season, they still rank in the bottom half of the NBA in offense at 16th.
To avoid blowing big leads, the Pelicans must correct some of their offensive issues. Their offense sputtering in the key moments already has caused them to lose several winnable games this season.