Monday: Pelicans Film Room
What Went Wrong for the Pelicans in Late-Game Situations?
NEW ORLEANS -- Close games often come down to a handful of possessions, and for our New Orleans Pelicans last season, those possessions became a problem.
New Orleans finished 2025-26 with a 26-56 record, and its fourth-quarter point differential was -105. In clutch situations—defined as the final five minutes of a game with the score within five points—the Pelicans went just 12-30.
So what went wrong?
The Offense Became Too Predictable
One of the biggest problems was the lack of consistent execution when the game tightened.
When the clock gets under five minutes, defenses become more aggressive. They know who you want taking the shot, they load up on your best players and they make you beat them with your second and third options.
The Pelicans struggled to consistently do that.
Their clutch offensive rating was just 97.5, 27th in the NBA. They also averaged only 0.7 made threes during clutch minutes, making it difficult to overcome teams that could generate threes late.
They Needed More Stops
The problem wasn't only offense.
New Orleans struggled to get the defensive stop that could turn a one-possession game into a two-possession game.
During clutch situations, the Pelicans posted a 120.2 defensive rating, one of the worst marks in the league.
That's especially frustrating because the team had players capable of defending at a high level.
The challenge was getting five players to execute together when every possession mattered.
The Pelicans Need a Closer—and a Plan
The answer isn't necessarily one player taking every important shot.
It's having a reliable late-game identity.
Can Zion create an advantage and find the open shooter? Can Trey Murphy get enough opportunities? Can Dejounte Murray create when the first action breaks down? Can the defense get the stop? Those questions will be especially important under Jamahl Mosley.
The Pelicans struggled with execution, spacing, shot selection and defensive consistency when the pressure was highest.
The good news? Those are things a coaching staff can address. If Mosley can establish a clear late-game offensive package and a defensive identity the team trusts, New Orleans could turn some of those painful losses into wins.
Close games aren't won by panic. They're won by having a plan—and executing it when everyone knows what's coming.
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