Halfway to Nowhere: The Pelicans First Half, and What Comes Next

Halfway to Nowhere: The Pelicans First Half, and What Comes Next by Mike Delayo

Anthony Davis returned for the Pels game against the Lakers tonight. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for the starting point guard of the team.

Before tonight’s game the Pelicans announced that Jrue Holiday would be put on the shelf for 2-4 weeks due to a stress reaction in his right leg. The reaction is located on the same leg as the stress fracture from last season that shelved him for the entire season. Hopefully he can make a full recovery and get back on the floor, because without him the playoffs will be nothing but a dream for this Pelicans team.

The first half was ugly.

Both teams missed multiple open looks from all over the floor. Wesley Johnson, who finished 2 of 11 with 8 points, could not hit anything all night. For a stretch, the Pels continued to play down to their competition. After watching Johnson miss his looks, Eric Gordon and Dante Cunningham air balled pretty good looks on consecutive trips down the floor.

Eric Gordon, despite that one awful shot and a few bad passing decisions, played what was possibly his most efficient game as a Pelican. He finished the night with 17 points on 7-13 shooting. He only managed 2 free throw attempts, but Gordon was attacking the paint efficiently all night.

Nov 12, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

After Gordon converted on a layup after a ball fake to the corner, David Wesley (who was unintentionally jinxing the team all night) laughed off the premise of Eric being a pass first player with Joel Meyers. Naturally, Gordon directed the offense tonight with ease.

He was making good decisions with the ball, collecting 10 assists (1 off his career high) and only 1 turnover to complete his second career double-double (and his first in New Orleans). He smoothly made two jump shots off screen handoffs from Asik, and repaid the big man with two easy looks late in the fourth quarter. Although it may be an aberration, Gordon’s performance tonight was truly a sight for sore eyes.

These sore eyes were closer to tears when Ryan Anderson took the floor tonight. His three shots in the first half were all tough looks, and he split his free throws on his only trip to the line. Ryan’s tough stretch as of late has been in the spotlight the last few days, and he is obviously frustrated with himself as well. He finally went over the edge, clapping his hands towards the ref after a tough miss. This earned him a technical foul and a seat on the bench.

After going back into the locker room for a few minutes to cool down, he returned notably more calm. He went about his business on the court without complaining to officials, something he had gotten too comfortable doing this season.

In the fourth quarter he hit 2-4 attempts, including a long three. Even though he is a gunner, it is in the best interest of the team if he decreases his shooting volume and try to find a steady rhythm again. Hopefully “The Flamethrower” has reached rock bottom, and is starting his ascent.

The Lakers went on a couple of runs, and held a multiple possession lead for most of the half. They got to the line a whopping 11 times in the first quarter, where the Pels only managed 2 trips of their own.

The free throws were keeping the Lakers in the game. Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Ed Davis combined to shoot 5-17 in the first half.

Anthony Davis took control of the game in the third quarter. He scored 11 of his 29 points in the period, hitting everything from off balance lay-ins to 20 foot twos. The Pelicans definitely missed their star’s ability to completely shift a game in their favor. Davis also got four blocks on a night where he and Asik provided the paint protection fans have dreamed of since Omer’s arrival.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Pels. They started off on a 7-0 run, stretching their lead to 8 before winning. This run was mostly thanks to Qunicy Pondexter, who continues to gain confidence on his new team. He found AD down low in the post and on the perimeter, resulting in 4 quick points. These were followed by Q-Pon’s second and-1 of the night, courtesy of another break set up by Nate Wolters.

Wolters got all of Jimmer Fredette‘s backup point guard minutes tonight. He played ok defense, and seemed to know where to be at the right times. He did make a couple of bad decisions passing the ball, but he did some good things as well. He and Pondexter led multiple breaks in transistion, an area where this team has lacked all season. As long as there are good plays to match the bad, Wolters can be a nice role player if the Pelicans choose to sign him for the rest of the season.

Jan 21, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard(9) drives past New Orleans Pelicans guard Nate Wolters (4) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Pels rode their 27-12 fourth quarter to a much needed victory against the Lakers. Although the first half was tough, it was nice to finally see at least two quarters of high quality basketball.

New Orleans takes on Minnesota on Friday night.