The New Orleans Pelicans were searching for answers after four straight close losses to open the season, but it seems like they found the right recipe before the holidays start. A three-game winning streak has given Zion Williamson something to smile about, Jamahl Mosley a clearer picture of what this roster can do, and opposing coaches a few more reasons to worry about a dark horse Western Conference threat.
Williamson calls it a “wave,” but Mosley is determined to make sure the Pelicans are building something that lasts long after the initial excitement fades. Fortunately, the supporting cast seems ready for the moment.
“(The success) is by committee. I'll say it over and over again, it's going to be by committee. I mean, there was a moment (versus the Sacramento Kings) where (Saddiq Bey) had it going, so we went to him. (Bennedict Mathurin) had it going. As a playmaker in some moments, (Derik Queen) had the ball, and we trust him to be able to connect the dots for a lot of these guys.”
Unlike a quite loud Derik Queen, Williamson was not getting too worked up after a road win over the previously undefeated Memphis Grizzlies.
“It always feels good to win, because it's hard in the NBA,” Williamson told ClutchPoints. “So whenever we can have positive moments, it's just ‘ride the wave.'”
There were predictable growing pains, but Mosley's insistence on developing an identity is beginning to produce tangible results. The wave swept away the Atlanta Hawks on Halloween in a way that was more treat than trick. The Pelicans won the rebounding battle 49-36 and shot 41% from 3-point range while holding Atlanta to 17% from beyond the arc. They also won the assists and steals battles, a sweep of the categories that tend to separate teams with real chemistry from teams merely getting by.
Even in losses against Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers and Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets, the Mosley-led Pelicans are earning a bit more respect. It's all thanks to the new identity built around Williamson's gravity, Trey Murphy III's shooting, and Jeremiah Fears being the undeniable future in New Orleans.
“They live in the paint. I think they are number one in paint points,” David Adelman (Nuggets) told ClutchPoints. “I know it's early, but they have that type of team where you have drivers like Fears, the way Zion gets to the paint. If you have to chase Trey, that means feet are in the paint so there are a lot of ways they can hurt you.”
Article Continues Below“With Zion, you have to build a wall in transition,” added Adelman. “Everyone has to be on high alert when he has the basketball. As far as Jeremiah Fears, great young player. Extremely fast. When we played against them last year, I was very impressed with the things and the poise that he showed in some of those games. Got to make sure you are corralling him. But again, with Zion, you have to build a wall. That's an imperative.”
What Mosley chooses to celebrate is telling. After getting that first win of the season against the Kings, he skipped the scoring and went straight to the little things.
“I think that's what's important about this group, and that's why you see 32 assists. That's what I want to celebrate more than anything. The fact that we had 32 assists and we turned (the Kings) over 25 times for 40 points. Those are the key pieces in this right now,” Mosley stressed. “And then you talk about the rebounding battle. Obviously, they had seven (offensive rebounds), but you know, you beat them a little bit in the rebounding game, but we have to do those things night in and night out, no matter who we play.”
The Pelicans play seven of their next nine games in the Smoothie King Center, including dates with the Utah Jazz (1-6), LA Clippers (1-6), and Brooklyn Nets (1-6), before a rematch at home versus the Memphis Grizzlies (7-1). Zach Edey will want revenge, but Williamson and Mosley have a great opportunity to work their way into a top-six seed to start 2027.