What Pelicans' Willie Green is refusing to do after blowout loss to Thunder

11/14/2024 12:49 PM

The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to shake negative narratives amid an injury-riddled season going south in a hurry. Willie Green is again working with a skeleton crew of reserves and G-League callups around one available All-Star. This year, it’s Brandon Ingram shouldering the burdens of treading water until Zion Williamson (hamstring), CJ McCollum (abductor), and Dejounte Murray (hand) can return to the rotations.

New Orleans could not shake off the Oklahoma City Thunder but the fourth-year head coach was not making up excuses after taking a ninth loss in the last ten games.

“There are challenges within it all. That's a part of accepting the responsibility to be a leader and a coach on the team,” Green admitted. “When we go in the locker room, when we suit up for games, we don't make excuses.”

The Pelicans shot 24.3% from three-point range and committed 24 turnovers in a 106-88 road loss. Green’s schemes and Ingram’s inch-along offense added up to just two meager fast break points against a Thunder team always on the gas pedal. The Pelicans had a 12-point lead in the first half but found themselves down by 22 after the break.

Green talked about the adversity the short-handed Pelicans are dealing with and the opportunity provided despite the difficult circumstances.

“We get an opportunity to step on this floor and get after it together. We have just got to continue to work,” added Green. “I thought first half we came out with it with a nice punch and then we couldn't sustain it. So now it's about continuing to work towards sustaining a 48-minute game.”

Green and the Pelicans (3-9) have their work cut out for them. The schedule to close out the 2024 calendar year is brutal, especially with so many key contributors sitting on the injury report. New Orleans faces only one team (Toronto Raptors) currently sporting a worse record. They will be the underdogs in every other matchup.

Surviving the upcoming 20-game stretch will require some holiday miracle. Fortunately, Green still feels some magic is left in the locker room.

Willie Green’s Pelicans playing with fire

The Pelicans are starting to feel the heat from the organization’s decision-makers. Fans are grumbling about the mounting injuries and the national media is beginning to wonder just how long Willie Green can survive another underwhelming start to a season. The fourth-year head coach is blocking out the noise, worried only about the mindset of the locker room. In fact, Green believes the Pelicans can process these defeats and keep battling despite the setbacks.

“The guys are good. The thing about tonight is that we're all going to feel a loss and we should,” Green said. “We're going to feel losses so you give them a day to feel it. Tomorrow we will regroup and get back after it.”

The Pelicans will face five championship contenders over the next eight days, which ends with an ESPN game against the Golden State Warriors. So what was Green’s message after the loss with a big week ahead?

“My message to our team was guys are competing. They're playing hard. They're playing together. Now it's about trying to put together a 48-minute game,” explained Green. “We did it for 55-60% of the game and you got to do it for closer to 80% to 100% of the game. When we do, we give ourselves a better chance. (The Pelicans) got some positives out of this game but the biggest thing was turnovers killed us.”

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