New Orleans, Houston and Los Angeles are traveling in opposite directions as the NBA season approaches its midpoint.
Pelicans
Zion Williamson has reached the 30-point mark in back-to-back games since rejoining the New Orleans starting five, but the surge has not stopped the team’s slide. The Pelicans have dropped five straight and, at 8-27, hold the league’s second-worst record.
Head coach James Borrego, speaking after Wednesday’s 134-point concession to a short-handed Chicago squad, cited a lack of defensive intensity. “Just overall, a lack of pride in physicality on the defensive end of the floor,” Borrego said, according to NOLA.com.
Williamson, who came off the bench in his first seven outings after an adductor strain, has now started the past two contests while posting his first 30-point performances of the season.
Rockets
Tari Eason has forced his way into Houston’s first unit and the results have been immediate. The Rockets are 5-0 in Eason’s starts, including victories in each of the past four games. The lineup featuring Eason alongside Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. owns a plus-47.4 net rating in limited minutes, The Athletic reported.
“He impacts the game even if you don’t call plays for him,” head coach Ime Udoka said of Eason. “He’s crashing the glass, shooting the ball extremely well, and the spacing is good with him.”
Clippers
The Clippers opened 6-21 but have steadied behind a renewed defensive focus. Guard Kris Dunn’s on-ball pressure has been central to the turnaround, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register reported. Dunn pointed to a Dec. 20 win over the Lakers as the moment the group rediscovered its identity.
“Everybody just had that juice that day,” Dunn said. “We had been in a rut for a while, and I think everybody collectively was like, the only way we’re getting out of this is if we do our jobs.”
Los Angeles still sits below .500, but the recent defensive commitment has provided a platform for the remainder of the season.
Source: Hoops Wire
