Lineup changes don't help Pelicans in loss to Grizzlies

By foxsports
Published

The Pelicans were just 3-13 on the season heading into Tuesday night's contest against the Grizzlies, and while injuries have played a role in the unexpectedly slow start, the reality is that the effort has been fairly inconsistent on a nightly basis.

Alvin Gentry attempted to shake things up by making changes to the starting lineup, but at least initially, the results ended up being exactly the same. John Reid of NOLA.com:

The return of Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole will help eventually, but it's going to take some time. New Orleans needs to focus on the fact that this is a very long season, and that despite the dismal start, the team is just four games out of the final playoff spot in the West.

New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry put Alexis Ajinca in the starting lineup at center to replace ineffective Omer Asik and Tyreke Evans made his debut starting ahead of Eric Gordon at guard.

The new lineup helped the Pelicans score a season-high 38 points in the first quarter. But after halftime, the Pelicans combined to score 39 over the final two quarters leading to their 113-104 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center.