Willie Green's Blunt Statement After Pelicans vs Pacers

The Pelicans coach spoke with the media after another road loss this season.

Terry Kimble | 6 Hours Ago

Dec 12, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green gives direction to guard Dejounte Murray (5) against the Sacramento Kings during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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The New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon 119-104. New Orleans has won just one road game all season and has the worst record in the Western Conference. The team again played without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, who are both sidelined indefinitely with injuries.

Without their two stars, the Pelicans' margin of victory is so small in games that mistakes don't give them a realistic chance to win. In Sunday's loss, New Orleans committed 18 turnovers, including 11 in the first half alone, allowing the Pacers to build a 19-point halftime lead.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green addressed the media postgame about the team's carelessness regarding the basketball and how it affected the game's outcome. The Pacers turned the 18 New Orleans turnovers into 25 points.

"I didn't feel our sense of urgency in the first half," Green told the media. "Silly mistakes, sloppy. I thought we got better in the second half... but we have to have that sense of urgency to start the game."

LIVE: Willie Green#Pelicans | @CaesarsSports https://t.co/3SAUmHsYqy
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 16, 2024

A handful of these miscues came from starting point guard Dejounte Murray, who had eight turnovers in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Murray was the team's big offseason acquisition, with the Pelicans envisioning his playmaking skills meshing nicely with Williamson and Ingram. However, because of injury, the trio has not played a single game together this season.

Reports are circulating that the front office is exploring roster changes. With the team at 5-22 and seemingly already out of the playoff mix, those changes could include Ingram, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Williamson, who cannot stay healthy consistently.

The Pelicans travel to Houston to face the Rockets on Thursday.

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