Willie Green talks loss | Pelicans-Cavaliers Postgame 3/13/24

Willie Green talks loss | Pelicans-Cavaliers Postgame 3/13/24

Right coach uh start with the obvious just the three-point shooting tonight was just a big key at one point minus 54 it’s just very hard to to overcome that yeah for sure I mean give them credit they came in and they they played uh a really good overall solid game and

Um they made some shots you know a part of it is them and a part of it is us we this we have to be better um third I think you guys had it down to eight by halftime uh what do you feel like in that third quarter allowed them

To just kind of put the game away there I felt like we were just a step a half a step to a step slow on everything they played uh with more of a sense of urgency uh given where they are right now the last three or four games they

Lost a few so coming in they were the hungrier team and this is one of those games that you know we build some momentum we win win three win four in a row and we come home off a off a long road trip and um we had a let down

So not indicative of who we’ve been um and the guys know it we have to be better what uh mid Garland difficult to stop tonight um just he was aggressive he was aggressive and like I said we were half a step slow to close outs uh they drove

The ball got in the paint kickouts 38 assists and anytime a team makes 23 and shoots 45 and we shoot 22 and make four you know that that math is going to be tough to to make up that many points yeah along with the the dribble penetration from Garland see like big

Problem was the guys rolling down the middle of the line whether Jones or Allen uh what would you what were you seeing that kind of made that a big issue for you guys they they they definitely attacked us in pick and roles I thought when we made the adjustment to

Uh when we made the adjustment go small and red switch you know one through five we were able to keep them in front of us was a bit better got back in the game uh but we just didn’t do enough as a team and give them credit they came in

Tonight and they played a better game than us it seemed for a stretch when you did go small you went with bi on the center and he did a pretty decent job with that match what do you kind of see uh during those possessions when he was

Playing the center yeah we put bi on uh Allen or Jones and whenever they came into picking Rose it was easier for him to just switch on to whomever the primary ball handler was so that helped us out but collect ly as a group this

This was not our our our best game and uh we got to regroup we got we got a couple games coming up that we have to prepare for and a big thing for you guys on the last road trip was just getting scoring from guys outside of zbi that

Just wasn’t there tonight what did you kind of see that prevented the other guys from kind of stepping up and providing scoring yeah they they did a good job of closing out hard to our our Shooters and um we were we were a bit hesitant and a bit like I said like a

Half a step slow on both ends of the floor even offensively uh we didn’t generate enough open shots um and you got you have to give them some credit for sure you know as much as you try to guard against games like this you know

You know coming off we know coming off a road trip um this is this is one of those games that’s set up uh that you have to push through and and we have to be better Coach what’s what’s been the difficulty at home this season compared to last season

Um just the the the change and success and then also um you know this is this was the fifth chance this season for you guys to get a fifth win in a row and every time you’ve come up short just for one reason or another has there been

Something that just prevents you guys from getting that extended winning streak I don’t know what I don’t know uh what’s preventing us but you know the NBA is better you know it’s hard to string together uh a lot of wins with the with how good teams are you guys

Look at the the West conference I mean it’s stacked and um every game you got to bring it at a high level just want to go back to your comment about the the shot generation obviously making four is an ideal but when you’re you know the majority of your starters were in you

Sitting around 18 attempts and finish at 22 um what do you attribute that as as a symptom of just like you know some some games you’re not going to make shots but how can you know why was it this specific game that you couldn’t get the attempts

Up well we we have to drive the ball we have to get into the paint and kick out and be ready to do it over and over again with good defensive they’re a good defensive team they’re not going to just allow you off one pass or off one side

To be able to generate good shots it takes the ball moving side to side driving kick driving Kick The Dominoes fall from there is what they did to us and is what we wanted to do to them but we we didn’t do a great job of executing

It I know herb was in foul trouble tonight but still kind of finished with throw shots um got the free throw a couple times but uh would you say that’s also like a symptom of not getting into the driving kick and being creating advantages is not being able to find

Herb was a symptom of that it was collectively I mean obviously herb is is a recipient of our ability to drive the ball kick um and we just collectively as a group have to be better in that area when we play against good defensive teams and and would you say it’s it’s

Accurate that into this portion of the Season you guys are trying to test out some of the the rotations you might want to see in the playoffs and you know maybe like I I see you guys are trotting out the CJ Zion Pi Trey herb line up a

Little bit um would you fair would you say it’s fair like you that’s the kind of mindset you’re you’re working with at the moment we we’re trying to put the some some of our best groups on the floor um and that’s for now you know when we look at some of those

Groups that you’re talking about uh we have some numbers on them that say that they’re pretty good so it’s about putting the best groups on the floor and trying to make sure that we can execute with those groups on the floor thanks all right

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green’s postgame interview after the Pelicans’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, March 13 during the 2023-24 NBA season.
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New Orleans Pelicans Roster
———————————————–
Jose Alvarado #15 Guard
Dyson Daniels #11 Guard
Kaiser Gates #12 Forward
Jordan Hawkins #24 Guard
Brandon Ingram #14 Forward
Herbert Jones #5 Forward
E.J. Liddell #32 Forward
Naji Marshall #8 Forward
CJ McCollum #3 Guard
Trey Murphy III #25 Guard
Larry Nance Jr. #22 Forward
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 Forward
Matt Ryan #37 Forward
Dereon Seabron #0 Guard
Jonas Valanciunas #17 Center
Zion Williamson #1 Forward
Cody Zeller #44 Forward-Center

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