Pelicans most to blame for Game 2 loss to Thunder

Brandon Ingram doesn’t have the best body language when things don’t go his way. This was apparent during the Pelicans’ play-in loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, and on Wednesday, it looked like his shoulders slumped far too often for a team that was in dire need of some leadership from him on the court.

But beyond that, Ingram’s performances on the hardwood haven’t been at the level the Pelicans have needed to challenge the Thunder. In Game 1, Ingram shot poorly, missing 12 of his 17 attempts from the field while finishing with a mere 12 points. This did not cost the Pelicans too much, as New Orleans’ defense, for most of the night, stood tall.

However, in Game 2, the Pelicans could not have afforded another middling effort from Brandon Ingram. Ingram himself vowed that he won’t stop hunting for his shot and being aggressive, and in Game 2, he was proactive in drawing fouls. He took a game-high eight free-throw attempts (and he made all of them), but he should be taking more than 10 shots and finishing with more than 18 points for his team to have a chance.

During the 2022 NBA playoffs, when the Pelicans took two games off the first-seeded Phoenix Suns, Ingram averaged 27, with an average of 33.5 points during their two victories. That is the level Ingram must play at for the Pelicans to have a chance at stealing a game from the Thunder.

It might be fair to wonder if the knee injury is still bothering Ingram, as he hasn’t played at his usual level since returning from a two-plus week layoff from late March to early April.

Defense-offense risk-reward calculus tilts away from the Pelicans’ favor

Pelicans head coach Willie Green has limited Jonas Valanciunas’ minutes all throughout the season for a reason. Green prefers that his team be able to defend in space, and Valanciunas handicaps their ability to do so. For all of the ways he impacts the game (rebounding and interior scoring, a bit of floor spacing as well), defending the pick-and-roll has never been his strong suit.

This could be a death sentence against the Thunder. They have quick guards, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who are capable of dissecting slow pick-and-roll defenders. Chet Holmgren is a deadly pick-and-pop partner. Parking Valanciunas on Josh Giddey is a recipe for disaster since Giddey can make plays off the dribble and off the short roll.

But with Zion Williamson out, the Pelicans have needed Jonas Valanciunas’ offense. The Thunder, however, exploited Valanciunas’ defense in the early goings of Game 2. Holmgren exploited Valanciunas’ lackluster defense in the first quarter, putting up 15 points in the early goings of the game to give the Thunder a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Valanciunas looked lost while guarding in space, and Willie Green, before long, opted to roll with Larry Nance Jr. The problem with that is Nance isn’t exactly too much of an offensive threat, making the Pelicans easier to defend.

There are no easy answers for how the Pelicans must distribute minutes among its big men. But this might already be an issue of personnel, something they can’t fix at the moment.

Thunder create a turnover party

The Thunder’s swarming defense was in full display on Wednesday. Every Pelicans starter turned the ball over at least twice, with CJ McCollum being the primary culprit with four giveaways, while Larry Nance Jr. added three turnovers off the bench.

It’s hard to win basketball games against deeper, more stacked teams when you lose the possession battle. It hurts even more for the Pelicans when they’re unable to dominate on the offensive boards.

In Game 1, the Pelicans outrebounded the Thunder by 10 on the offensive glass. In Game 2, the Pelicans only hauled in three more offensive boards than the Thunder did. Not being able to take advantage of one of your opponent’s biggest weakness and losing the possession battle while allowing your opponent to shoot 59.0 percent from the field and 48.3 percent from deep is a recipe for a 30-point blowout.