The early preseason returns on Jamahl Mosley’s “All Crash” plan have given the New Orleans Pelicans something tangible to hang onto.
Through exhibition games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat, the Pelicans have leaned hard into a more aggressive approach on the offensive glass, and the results have been impossible to miss: 35 offensive rebounds in two games. That kind of output won’t settle every question around a Zion Williamson-led team facing a make-or-break season, but it does point to one important thing - the group is responding to its coach.
Yves Missi has been right at the center of it. The second-year center grabbed four offensive boards against Miami and kept showing up in the right places whenever shots came off the rim.
When opponents sent extra attention his way, it opened the door for teammates in New Orleans uniforms to crash in behind him. Against the Heat, five different Pelicans finished with at least one offensive rebound, with Missi leading the way.
The Thunder game showed how quickly those extra possessions can change the tone. New Orleans’ 18 offensive rebounds helped fuel a free-throw edge that defined the night, as the Pelicans got to the line 47 times compared with Oklahoma City’s 21.
Those second-chance opportunities pushed defenders into rotations and fouls. The Pelicans also forced 22 turnovers, but the rebounding margin stood out as the clearest reflection of Mosley’s influence.
What matters most here isn’t just the totals, though. Mosley is not asking one player to freelance from the weak side.
He’s telling multiple bodies to attack the glass on every miss. That kind of volume approach can be messy, but it gives New Orleans a chance to win possessions on effort when pure shot-making isn’t there.
There are limits to what preseason can tell you, of course. Oklahoma City rested its stars, and Miami provided only a partial test at times. The Pelicans were also outscored in the paint in both games - 48-42 against the Thunder and 58-40 against the Heat - which reminds you that the rebounding push still has to be backed up by better interior defense.
Even so, for a coach trying to build habits instead of chasing a box score, this is a useful start. Offensive rebounding is the kind of effort that shows up plainly, and so far the message seems to be getting through. For a franchise that has sat near the bottom of the league in rebounding categories in recent seasons, that matters.
Mosley’s broader reset is about toughness and accountability, and the offensive glass has given him an early sign that the locker room is buying in. If the Pelicans keep turning missed shots into second chances at this pace, “All Crash” could end up paying off in a real way once the regular season arrives.
In Other News...
Pelicans Just Clarified One Bottom Of The Roster Battle
The Pelicans moved one more piece off the board at the end of the roster bubble, officially waiving forward Caleb Houstan as training-camp decisions continue to sort themselves out. Houstan, a former second-round pick, has spent four seasons in the NBA without locking down a consistent role, and New Orleans has now chosen to use its final openings on other players.
No corresponding move came with the release, which keeps the last bit of roster math from being fully settled in public. New Orleans still has a little housekeeping left, and the deeper implication is that the team is trimming toward a group it clearly feels better about, even if one final spot appears to be spoken for behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
Dejounte Murray Knows What The Pelicans Need From Him Now
Dejounte Murray has spent much of his time in New Orleans trying to get right, and the Pelicans are still waiting to see the version of him they imagined when he arrived. Injuries have limited his availability across his first two seasons, but the veteran guard keeps stressing the same thing: the team needs him healthy, and it needs more than talk if it is going to move forward.
For a Pelicans group looking to build toward a postseason push, Murrays role goes beyond scoring or creating offense. The expectation is that his experience and leadership help steady the locker room while he works back toward full strength, and his message has been clear enough even through the setbacks - the focus now is on doing the work and being available when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Could Be The Key To A More Dangerous Pelicans Offense
Early signs from training camp suggest Jamahl Mosley is pushing Zion Williamson to broaden what the Pelicans can do on offense, with an emphasis on a midrange game that could make New Orleans much harder to guard. The idea is simple enough: if Williamson becomes more comfortable operating from the middle of the floor, defenses have to respect more than just the rim, and that can free up cleaner driving lanes and better looks for teammates on the perimeter.
Trey Murphy III stands to benefit as much as anyone, and the two have already been spending time together on perimeter shooting drills and two-man game work during practice. For a Pelicans team trying to unlock another layer of spacing and ball movement, the early camp work hints at a more versatile attack, even if the most important pieces are still being put in place. [Read more 🡒]