NBA Western Power Rankings Week 3: Warriors storm ahead
By Tom West
Nov 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
15th: New Orleans Pelicans (6 points)
By Tom West
Record: 1-10
Record last week: 1-3
Injuries aside, the Pelicans have disappointed everyone by scraping together one win in their first 11 games. Yes, they’ve had no Tyreke Evans. Jrue Holiday and Omer Asik have both missed time and backup center Kendrick Perkins could be out for months with a right pectoral strain. They’ve well and truly been smacked in the face by the injury bug. However, they aren’t so devoid of talent that more than one win by this stage is out of the question. And at the very least, this has emphasised the weakness of the rest of their team.
Even with Holiday around for eight games, plus Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis, the Pelicans have just been dreadful so far. Of course, Davis is still doing putting up numbers with 22.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, but they still aren’t incredible for his elite standards. Personal statistics really don’t matter for the Pelicans at this stage, though. As a team, they’re still only 19th in points per game with 100. Which, considering how atrocious their defense has been, gives them no chance of stringing many wins (if any) together.
They’re surrendering easy looks all over the court, and haven’t been rotating well at all on defense while failing to protect the basket, too. They rank 28th in the NBA for opponent field goal percentage within five feet with a far too generous 62.8 percent, and sit dead last in defensive efficiency because of it.
Maybe when they get healthy and Asik can stay on the court, New Orleans can pull themselves together under their new head coach Alvin Gentry to look slightly more respectable.
Next: Los Angeles Lakers