Game On: Pelicans @ Pacers

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Published: March 24, 2016

There is a difference between tanking and not being good enough to win. Tanking implies losing on purpose, throwing in the towel, waving the white flag, not trying. If you’re rooting for that then I think you’ve lost sight of something.

Having an injury list of Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter, Ryan Anderson, while giving significant minutes to Luke Babbitt and undrafted Tim Frazier is simply not having enough talent. And thus losing because of it. The effort is there (the win over the Clippers should show this).

Tonight, when the Pelicans play the Indiana Pacers, you’ll see the team play hard. And you’ll most likely see them lose. The Pacers are fighting for their playoff lives–sitting at the 7th seed currently, and precociously at that. Indiana will try hard to win. The Pelicans will play just as hard, but not have the talent to compete. We all already can see how this is going to go.

But simply competing is good. The Pelicans have a lacked a hunger all season. Whether that comes from multiple guys getting paid this past offseason, or from the coaching staff, or from some other source. But the hunger hasn’t been there. But right now you’ll see it. Babbitt and Toney Douglas are on ungaurunteed deals for next season. Tim Frazier is fighting to simply be in the NBA next year (and, in my opinion, looking pretty solid as a bench guy). Keep your eye on them.

Competing also shows that Alvin Gentry hasn’t lost this team despite the disaster of a year. They haven’t quit. Which is usually the worst thing that can happen to a coach.

Keep fighting, Pelicans. And keep losing. That’s the ideal scenario at this point.

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