New Orleans Pelicans Defense Gets Bullied Again As Memphis Grizzlies Blow Them Out

The New Orleans Pelicans are a team with far more issues than just one player, and that was shown on Friday night, as they were beaten 145-111 by the Memphis Grizzlies. The Pelicans will fall to 0-2 in the NBA Cup this season and 4-9 on the season.

The last three-game stretch was the worst in franchise history. Replacing that loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with this one marks the second-worst three-game stretch in NBA history, behind only the Charlotte Hornets in February of last year.

The Pelicans saw Dejounte Murray's trade request go public on Friday, and he has seemingly played his last basketball for the team, but that doesn't fix the whole host of issues this team has. 

Injuries play a role in dismantling this team early on, as the losses of Trey Murphy, Yves Missi and Trendon Watford have hurt. Even with them, though, this isn't a perfectly constructed roster.

New Orleans is going to have to be elite at the rim and shoot more free throws than their opponents to win games. When their opponent shoots 18-of-45 from three-point range, and neither of those things happens, there is no shot they are going to win that game. That's what they saw on Friday night.

Not that the Pelicans' starters were great in this game, but the bench got completely outclassed. New Orleans' reserves put up just 27 points, while the Grizzlies' had 76.

Karlo Matkovic has stood out over the past few games as someone who has been outpaced by his competition. Matkovic had a great stretch in the starting lineup, but has seemingly hit a wall. In this game, he was sent to the bench and finished with one point and three rebounds in 19 minutes with a -24 plus-minus.

Jamahl Mosley started DeAndre Jordan over him in this one, and Jordan was actually the only player on the team who won his minutes, as he finished at +5. It just goes to show what a center with some strength can do to help this team. It's why Yves Missi's return is so highly anticipated.

That isn't to say that Matkovic doesn't have a role on this team. He is a fun player whose floor-stretching brings so much for Zion Williamson, but he's also far from a finished product.

The defense has now given up at least 138 points in four straight games. That was supposed to be their calling card. No one expected them to be the best defense in the league, but they are the worst in the league right now.

New Orleans has a lot to figure out. They're right back to action on Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets.