The New Orleans Pelicans do not plan on reinventing anything ahead of Friday night’s rematch against the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies. Interim head coach James Borrego is betting continuity matters more than counterpunching when it comes to supporting Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. Saddiq Bey, Derik Queen, and Herb Jones have delivered improved starts and a clearer defensive identity. It's a small sample size with Jones back in the lineup, though early returns have reinforced the idea that this group deserves a longer look.
Essentially, with rookie Jeremiah Fears and second-year center Yves Missi slated as the first two substitutions, the Pelicans are emphasizing size, length, and defensive versatility from the opening tip. Fans should expect no changes. Borrego said the new starting five has done its job early, particularly in setting a defensive tone in the Smoothie King Center.
“Well, they've gotten off to better starts in general,” Borrego admitted. “So it's been more of a positive right now. I like the size, the length, and the defensive mentality. So we're off to a good start there. We've got to get better, though, in certain areas. We've got to (play) cleaner, but I like it. We're two games in. It's a good start. Got a long way to go, but so far so good. I think it's a good closing lineup as well.”
The commitment to the lineup doesn’t mean the Pelicans are short on flexibility.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts toward New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the fourth quarter at FedExForum.
© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Fears and Missi have been the first two players off the bench, a pairing Borrego believes complements the starters rather than disrupts them.
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“I think Yves Missi has come in and given us great energy,” added Borrego. “He adds some defense to that group.”
Late-game performance remains the bigger test. The Pelicans have emphasized composure without sacrificing edge, a balance Borrego said the team is learning to manage in real time.
“We've worked on it, we've talked about it, but you've got to go execute,” explained Borrego. “There is certainly attention on it, focus on it. Those last five minutes against San Antonio, same thing. No one panicked. We've been here before, talked about what needs to get accomplished possession by possession on both sides of the ball: being the poised team and continuing to keep our aggression. We don't want to lose our aggression in the last five minutes, but you've got to have a poised aggression. Really proud of the group there. There is certainly a tension there, and it's not going to go away. We will learn from it.”
For now, that belief in process is guiding the decision to stay the course. Against a familiar opponent and with momentum inching forward, Borrego is less interested in tweaking the lineup than in seeing how far this version of the Pelicans can go.