The New Orleans Pelicans left Miami with a 128-118 preseason loss to the Heat on Thursday night, and the game gave Jamahl Mosley another look at how his group functions when the lineup changes and the pressure rises.
Mosley went with a different starting five than the one that opened Tuesday’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. This time, Jeremiah Fears and Bennedict Mathurin joined Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Yves Missi. That meant Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones were out of the first unit, with Murray sidelined because of a toe contusion and held out for precautionary reasons.
That kind of shuffling is exactly what Mosley wants at this stage. He’s said all preseason he plans to test different combinations, and through two exhibition games plus last Saturday’s scrimmage at St.
Augustine High School, Williamson, Murphy and Missi have remained the constants in the starting group. Missi gave New Orleans a useful night inside with 11 points and nine rebounds, including four offensive boards.
The best individual performance came from Jordan Poole, who came off the bench and paced the Pelicans with 14 points in his second season in New Orleans. After a difficult first year, Poole showed cleaner work on both sides of the ball against Miami and knocked down 3 of 4 shots from behind the arc. He also added two assists.
“He’s doing everything that we have asked him to do, both offensively and defensively,” Mosley said.
There were some encouraging signs early. After a rough opening against OKC, the Pelicans’ starters looked sharper Thursday, especially on offense, and they led 36-33 after the first quarter.
Miami had its regulars on the floor, unlike the Thunder game when OKC rested all of its top players, so the Pelicans were facing a more complete test. The defense still needs work, but the better offensive rhythm from the starters was a step forward.
New Orleans also controlled the glass. The Pelicans finished with a 54-47 rebounding edge, marking the second straight game they outrebounded their opponent.
They also shot the ball well from deep, hitting 19 of 43 3-pointers for 44.2 percent. Second-round pick Jaron Pierre looked comfortable in the moment, going 4-for-6 from long range and burying one just before the end of the third quarter.
The problems came in the middle of the game. New Orleans gave up 40 points in the second quarter, especially from the midpoint of the period through halftime, and the turnover count ballooned to 22. Miami turned those mistakes into 30 points, while the Pelicans managed only 11 points off turnovers of their own.
“Selfish play, which led to them running out and getting easy transition baskets,” Mosley said. “I think we have to continue to understand as a unit, as a group that we have to do it together.
When we got down, each one of us wanted to chase it to think we could do it on our own. But in situations like that, you have to have a level of poise about you and know that the ball has to move from side to side.”
The paint was another problem area. Miami outscored New Orleans 58-40 inside, a reminder that the Pelicans still have work to do around the rim after Joe Dumars identified paint protection as an offseason concern.
Miami was led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. OKC also outscored New Orleans in the paint.
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New Orleans now has to weigh whether Pooles early run is enough to bump him into the starting conversation for the next game against Dallas. The fit is appealing because his playmaking could help stabilize the group, but the bigger question is whether this version of Poole holds up long enough to matter once the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]