Pelicans’ James Borrego doesn’t sugarcoat ‘biggest factor’ in NOLA turnaround

James Borrego is not interested in manufacturing a narrative around what the New Orleans Pelicans have done after the NBA All-Star break. The math on the playoff picture is what it is, but what’s brewing inside the Big Easy’s locker room, the coach insists, is very real. Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray might be playing their best basketball ever, yet the shift has nothing to do with clipboard-based schemes.

The turnaround has largely been anchored by a starting unit that has quickly found its rhythm with an All-Star point guard back in the mix. It’s obvious and cannot be overstated. How well they fit together is being overlooked at a time when most squads would be planning summer vacations.

“Yeah, you know, that group has played well together,” Borrego began. “It settles us with Herb handling, you got Murf out there, Saddiq and Z have the two-man game going.”

Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Saddiq Bey get the buckets set up by Murray while Herb Jones does a little bit of everything. Sure seems like a recipe for success, though that will have to wait until next year. Unfortunately, the Pelicans have gotten going a bit too late to make any postseason noise. Still, even with minuscule chances of catching the Golden State Warriors for the final NBA Play-In Tournament spot, the Pelicans continue to play with pride.

“I’d say more than anything, there’s just a care factor, an urgency, and a belief,” Borrego stressed. “There’s a mindset of ‘this matters right now.’ Like we want to get something done. We want to be competitive. We want to grow. We want to get better. We’re taking pride every day in our film session, practice, shootarounds, game, and just an overall mentality to finish strong and punch through and be a team that’s moving in the right direction. And more than anything, it’s a collective effort. All guys bought in one movement, one direction.”

The lineup balance has shown up in production. Over the past 15 games, the Pelicans have ranked among the more efficient offensive teams in the league, leaning on Williamson’s interior scoring, Murphy’s perimeter gravity, and Murray’s shot creation to generate consistent looks. Bey’s versatility and the Not on Herb defensive factor round out a unit that now plays with clearer spacing and purpose.

Pelicans playing to win

Borrego, for his part, doesn’t overthink where the run started.

“Obviously, getting healthy helps,” admitted the interim head coach. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that. Getting Dejounte back, now we have depth, size, and physicality in our defense.”

Murray’s return has reestablished structure on both ends. Offensively, the 29-year-old has given the Pelicans another primary initiator, easing the burden on Williamson while improving late-game execution. Defensively, his length alongside Jones has helped the Pelicans regain a disruptive edge that had been inconsistent under Willie Green. Even so, Borrego was quick to push back on the idea that the team’s recent form is solely tied to health.

“Overall, it’s been a mindset of care and playing for one another,” Borrego explained. “I think we’ve had this going for some time now. It didn’t just didn’t happen overnight or in the last six to ten games. Top five in clutch games all year is my guess. I think we’re probably top five in the amount of clutch games all year. We’ve been putting ourselves, even back when we were losing games, we said keep putting ourselves in these positions to win games. Keep battling. Keep pounding the rock.”

Over the last 15 games, the Pelicans are top 10 in scoring (119.4), field goal percentage (48.3%), turnovers (15.5), and free-throw attempts (28.8). It’s taken a few months, but the nuances of Borrego’s game plan are starting to become second nature.

As for how he feels about those months working to keep this season from falling apart?

“It’s led us to this moment. We just didn’t flip a switch and turn it on,” Borrego stressed. “We’ve been working at this for months now, and finally it’s starting to turn. But it’s been an overall commitment daily to work and to get better and to play for one another. I think that’s been the biggest factor there.”

That’s going to be a big factor in the front office’s head coach decision coming up soon. It must be given just how much Williamson and Murray are buying into the ideas.

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