The New Orleans Pelicans have developed a nasty habit under Alvin Gentry of playing down (or occasionally, up) to the opponent’s level of competition. Tonight, like a matchup last week with the Orlando Magic, one of the worst teams in the league got the better of the Pelicans for much of a listless night.
Without Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks were able to get enough contribution from rotation players up and down its roster to keep the game close throughout, even on a night where Anthony Davis scored 36 points.
If nights like this continue as regular occurrences, the Pelicans will have some not-so-fun decisions to make about the players and staff members that belong here long term.