Pelicans Outclassed by a Superior Warriors Team

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Published: December 18, 2013

Look, on some nights the opposing team is just better. On this site we break down stats and trends. We look deep inside the numbers and draw upon the past to predict the future. We discuss rotation patterns and shot locations. And don’t get me wrong, I love that we do that, and sometimes it gives fans a broader perspective. Tonight, though, the reason for this loss was simple: They were simply a better team. Their collection of players that were active and available were vastly superior. The Pelicans lost 104-93. No real analysis needed.

Without Anthony Davis, the team lacked an interior presence on defense. They also didn’t have a plus rebounder outside of Aminu. The end result; Warriors win the rebounding battle 58-44. Without Tyreke Evans, the Pelicans didn’t have a guy who can get to the basket and finish. End result: Points in the paint 50-34 Warriors. It’s not rocket science. On a day when both teams have all their horses, this would have been a tightly contested game. Instead, the Warriors had theirs while the Pelicans were missing two studs. So, the result was a Warriors lead that climbed as high as 25 points. So it goes.

The bench was terrible, but with Ryno forced to start and Tyreke Evans out, the bench was comprised of six guys who probably wouldn’t get a minute on a legit contender. The starting lineup wasn’t exactly anything to write home about either, though. The Warriors (smartly) sagged down on all pick and rolls or doubled them, forcing Jason Smith to try to beat them. When the Pelicans got tired of Jason Smith jumpers, they dumped the ball down to Al-Farouq Aminu in the post. Does any of this sound like a recipe for success?

It wasn’t, so the team lost. They lost to a more talented team who was playing at home. No advanced stats or shot charts here, just good old-fashioned reason and logic. You don’t bring a knife to a gun fight. The Pelicans did. And the results were predictable.

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