Much has been made about the Pelicans defensive ranking this season. The focus is on the big picture number, that the Pelicans finished 22nd in defensive efficiency. This is used as a bludgeon to convince everyone that trading for Omer Asik was a failure and that Monty Williams is not improving as a head coach. Just one number, accounting for the whole season, somehow tells the story of the New Orleans Pelicans not getting any better.
It would be great to think that, if it were the entire story.
Diving deeper into the season, dividing into thirds or even simply in half, results in a much different analysis.