NBA Notes: Pelicans, Zion Williamson, Rockets, Tari Eason, Clippers

Pelicans

Zion Williamson has found his scoring touch again. The wins for the Pelicans, not so much.

After coming off the bench in his first seven games back from an adductor strain, Williamson has returned to the starting lineup for the past two contests and posted his first two 30-point performances of the season.

It hasn’t stopped the slide. New Orleans has now lost five straight and sits at 8-27, the second-worst record in the league.

Following Wednesday’s 134-point concession to a short-handed Chicago team, coach James Borrego pointed to a lack of defensive edge.

“Just overall, a lack of pride in physicality on the defensive end of the floor,” Borrego said, via Rod Walker of NOLA.com.

Williamson’s return has helped offensively, but the Pelicans continue to struggle to get stops or sustain momentum.

Rockets

Tari Eason keeps forcing his way into the conversation.

Houston has started Eason five times this season, including each of the past four games, and the Rockets have won all five. William Guillory of The Athletic notes that Eason’s versatility and unpredictability have become valuable ingredients alongside the team’s core group.

“He’s very unique,” coach Ime Udoka said. “He impacts the game even if you don’t call plays for him. He’s crashing the glass, shooting the ball extremely well, and the spacing is good with him.”

Guillory reports Houston has tried multiple lineup combinations next to Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. None have matched the early returns of the Eason group, which has posted a staggering plus-47.4 net rating in a limited sample.

The minutes are few, but the results are loud enough that Houston figures to stick with it for now.

Clippers

After a 6-21 start that threatened to sink the season early, the Clippers have begun to stabilize, and defense has been at the center of it.

Janis Carr of The Orange County Register points to Kris Dunn as a key factor in the turnaround. Dunn’s on-ball pressure and energy have helped spark a renewed defensive identity, something he said took hold during a Dec. 20 win over the Lakers.

“Everybody just had that juice that day,” Dunn said, via Carr. “Everybody went out there and we like to call it a hit. We had been in a rut for a while, and I think everybody collectively was like, the only way we’re getting out of this is if we do our jobs.”

Dunn said the shift was as much mental as tactical.

“Everybody went out there and just played their hearts out,” he said.

The Clippers still have work to do, but the recent defensive commitment has at least given them a foundation to build on as the season moves forward.