NBA New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans Need to Grow Up in a Hurry After Losing to the Dallas Mavericks

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By @KellanMiller

The New Orleans Pelicans Huddle

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

In the NBA, more often than not, a given team’s worth is analyzed in terms of tangible data. With a plethora of websites dedicated to statistical information and actual software-engineered programs that front offices employ to categorize these stats, it’s difficult to argue against the belief that numbers never lie. But when the New Orleans Pelicans suffered a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the main contributing factor to the defeat circulated around intangibles — in particular, poise and experience.

Despite their smooth performance in their debut match-up against the Orlando Magic, the Pelicans floundered early when facing a much more talented and experienced squad in the Mavs. At one point, down by 17 points, things looked bleak for the Pelicans, but they managed to go on a 15-0 run in the 3rd quarter on their way to a potential upset. But cooler and grayer heads prevailed, and the Mavs managed to fend off the Pelicans for a 109-104 defeat. Veterans like Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler are no strangers to pressure, and that calm poise was the sort of intangible difference that ultimately caused the downfall for a young Pelicans team.

But even in defeat, valuable lessons can be learned. After falling behind early, the Pelicans regrouped and took advantage of a Mavs team that has had some woeful third-quarter performances in the 2014-2015 season so far. Omer Asik, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis were quickly able to shred a double-digit lead with a combination of fast-paced offensive penetration and intimidating defensive pressure. Unfortunately, they were unable to seal the upset.

With a revamped roster, the Mavericks are certainly favored to be one of the top-tier teams in the West, and it is refreshing to know that the Pelicans were 5 points away from handing such a talented team a loss this early in the season. Davis seems to just get beastlier with every passing game, finishing the game with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Determined to secure a roster spot on the 2015 Western Conference All-Star Team, Holiday posted up 24 points. Last but certainly not least, Evans finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, exponentially becoming more comfortable playing small forward.

Going forward, the Pelicans will have to internalize the idea that every game second is precious in the fiery battlegrounds of the Western Conference. Despite solid play from Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki, the Pelicans could have cemented the win if it was not for a flat first-quarter performance that contributed to the Mavs getting an early double-digit lead. But for all the relevancy of statistical information for fantasy-related purposes, intangibles are what separate the great teams from the championship teams. The Pelicans are loaded with talent, but now must learn to hone those intangible factors. 

Kellan Miller is a writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @KellanMiller, “like” him on Facebook, or add him on Google Plus.

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