The New Orleans Pelicans defense was a laughingstock for the six weeks of the NBA season. Their defensive rating through the first 21 games of the season was horrendous; no other team came close to their 108.8 mark. Opponents were shooting over 39% behind the 3-point line and it was a regular occurrence for opposing guards to pour in points behind the arc. Stephen Curry (53) and C.J. McCollum (37) both lit up the Pelican perimeter defense in the first week; an ominous sign of what was to come.
A funny thing happened in December.