LOS ANGELES – New Orleans (33-47) can’t affect its big-picture fate much over the final two games of the 2016-17 season, but that doesn’t mean there should be any drop-off in intensity or urgency, according to Pelicans forward Solomon Hill, who leads the team with 78 appearances out of 80 games.
“We just have to keep setting the standard: Hustling, communicating, talking,” Hill said this morning of the New Orleans defense, which has dropped off on this road trip, partly due to key personnel absences of Anthony Davis (knee) and DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles). “We’re putting some guys in new situations and a couple of our anchors are out.