Willie Green goes back to the drawing board when the Pacers visit the Pelicans.
THE New Orleans Pelicans would have been forgiven for marking their road game against the Indiana Pacers as a scheduled loss. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III were all on the injury report. Jose Alvarado was still serving a three-game suspension. Dyson Daniels is still rehabilitating his knee.
They had won a difficult match in New York the day before and then I had plane problems. They arrived at their hotel in Indianapolis just in time for breakfast.
Yet the The Pelicans played. Everyone fought hard against the Pacers in the nine-point loss. Unfortunately, Willie Green played into Indiana’s hands.
Jonas Valanciunas logged just seven minutes against the Pacers, and third-year coach said it was intentional during the post-game press conference, via the Pelicans on YouTube. Green’s adjustment to that adjustment will be crucial in the baseball series rematch at the Smoothie King Center.
“It was a game where we knew we were probably going to have to play small,” Green said. “Go more Larry (Nance Jr.) at the five. More Herb (Jones) and Naji (Marshall) at five with Zion managing, with (Brandon Ingram) managing. This allows you to stay in front of them defensively. Make them take hard shots, then open up the court and attack them offensively. That was the adjustment for us, trying to get more of our small groups together on the field.
Green’s Pelicans need information now, not in a playoff game
The highly appreciated leadership of Nance Jr. is huge in the locker room, but the Pelicans are a team that hits the paint and puts pressure on the rim on the court. Valanciunas and Williamson do much of this work. For all their flaws, this is what got the team right into the NBA playoff mix. They shoot eighth minus three pointsplay a just below league averageand are on the verge of the top 10 in points in the paint, via NBA.com.
No team scores more points in the paint than the Pacers, who primarily deploy Obi Toppin and Myles Turner at center. New Orleans and Indiana are both top five in turnover points, which leads to scoring layups and dunks. The Pelicans posted those numbers with Valanciunas averaging 25 minutes per game. Why move away from what works? More importantly, what did Green learn from the experience? However, the The Pelicans answer these questions will be an important factor when evaluating the 42-year-old head coach.
Green admitted earlier this season that Ty Lue had just gotten the better of him. His decision to let Jordan Hawkins run the point in a late-game situation against Chicago ended terribly. Eric Spoelstra, Jason Kidd and Ime Udoka all found a way to steal wins from Green’s Pelicans.
Indiana’s Rick Carlisle always has a card up his sleeve. Still, Green must play to the team’s strengths. Give Valanciunas a few opportunities to show he can keep up for more than a handful of minutes to start the game. If the Lithuanian loses foot races too often, fine. At least the team would know before it was too late. Green won’t get those experimental minutes in a playoff game.
About the Author
Chris Dodson has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball on and off for more than a decade. A lifer of bayou basketball, his wiggling gumbo form matches his elbow-dropping celebrations. Fast enough for college hoops, big enough for a football scholarship. He has words and will travel, but not on the field.
