Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans dunks in the game against the Denver Nuggets at the Smoothie King Center, October 31, 2019. /VCG Photo
The New Orleans Pelicans finally took their first win in the 2019-20 season as the team beat the Denver Nuggets 122-107 at the Smoothie King Center on Thursday. Two of their young men, Brandon Ingram and Jahlil Okafor scored 25 and 26 points respectively to give the Nuggets the second straight loss.
Despite their disappointing four losses in a row before Friday, the Pelicans were not hopeless. Their passion for early offense, their aggressive chasing for offensive rebounds and the remarkable performances by the young talents all made their games exciting to watch.
Jahlil Okafor (R) of the New Orleans Pelicans posts up against the defense of Mason Plumlee of the Denver Nuggets in the game t the Smoothie King Center, October 31, 2019. /VCG Photo
Unlike Ingram who already conquered New Orleans fans with his complete performance on the court, Okafor become the biggest surprise of the team in Friday's game. Though his defense was still not reliable, the 23-year-old big man maximized his power in offense and kept assaulting the opponents' rim with his foot work and skilled finishing ability.
The other unexpected move of the Pelicans was Frank Jackson who buried four 3-pointers to get 21 points off the bench in 19 minutes. His high efficiency caught the Nuggets totally unprepared. Thanks to what he did on the court, the Pelicans managed to establish a lead in the first half and expand it to double digits in the third quarter.
Nikola Jokic (R) of the Denver Nuggets has the ball in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothir King Center, October 31, 2019. /VCG Photo
Aside from the opponent's energy dominance, Denver also had themselves to blame for Friday's loss. They were able to keep it a fair game in the first half thanks to their advantage in the paint but that ceased to be true in the second half. Denver watched New Orleans sink 15 3-pointers at 45.45 percent rate while putting down 48 points under the rim.
If one word should be used to describe Denver in Friday's game, it would be laziness. With big men like Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap, the Nuggets had bigger advantage in the paint but Jokic took in total six attempts, including one from the 3-point line. Since the whole team ran their game around Jokic, both offensively and defensively, him being listless will simply hold Denver back.
Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets shoots in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center, October 31, 2019. /VCG Photo
The only god news for the Nuggets was that Michael Porter Jr., the promising No. 14 select from the 2018 NBA Draft, made his debut in Friday's game. Though the 20 minutes he played contained some garbage time, the 21-year-old forward scored 15 points, four rebounds, made one 3-pointer and earned six free throws. He has excellent dribbling skills as a 2.08-meter-tall big guy and knows how to use his size advantage in offense. If he can stay healthy, Porter Jr. may be the Nuggets' answer in his position.
Leonard, Clippers defeat DeRozan, Spurs
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers moves against DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs in the game at the Staples Center, October 31, 2019. /VCG Photo
Having sat on the loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Kawhi Leonard came back for the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday and helped the team defeat the visiting San Antonio Spurs 103-97 at the Staples Center. Meanwhile, in his contest with DeMar DeRozan, Leonard won with 38 points and 12 rebounds over 29 points and 7 rebounds.
The Clippers win was not surprising because they were a better team than the Spurs, just like Leonard was the better player compared to DeRozan. Nonetheless, the interesting part about this game was that the ace players of the two teams are both known for their classic playstyle – isolation play in the middle range.
Even if you cut Leonard's two buried 3-pointers, his performance still beat that of DeRozan's. In fact, his win can be a good argument against the popular belief that classic middle-range isolation is too old-fashioned to help teams in today's NBA. The old-school way can still work, as long as the player is good enough.
DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs breaks the defense of Patrick Becerley #21 of the Los Angeles Clippers in the game at the Staples Center, October 31, 2019. /VCG Photo
DeRozan's efficiency of 13/21 in field goals was good but his problem is he needs more time and wider space to finish more moves before he can find a good shooting opportunity. It's because of that, his offensive threat is limited and cannot change the opponents' defense.
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers drives towards the rim in the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Staples Center, October 31, 2019. /VCG Photo
By contrast, Leonard rarely makes too many moves in offense because he is strong enough to force his way towards the basket or finds the better shot without much tussling. As a result, the opponents have to pay extra attention to him defensively, which enables Leonard to create opportunities for his teammates and makes him a playmaker more than just a scorer.
In the other game on Thursday, the visiting Miami heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks 106-97 at the State Farm Arena. What's even worse than the loss was that John Collins tweaked his ankle in the game. Though he returned later, which meant it's unlikely to be a serious injury, the Hawks cannot afford to lose him after Trae Young's ankle injury.