re: Great Perspective from Paul Flannery

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What wins in the playoffs is effort and attention to detail -- the simple things. The Pelicans had plenty of effort on Thursday night but they lacked the attention to detail that has been missing all season. We watched them blow assignments and fail to execute time and time again during the regular season, but this might finally be the straw that makes the camel listen. It's much easier for Monty (or whomever the coach is next year) to preach the importance of blocking out when he can point to the film of you giving up 10 offensive rebounds as you faded from playoff relevancy. Players can brush off such things during the NBA's marathon regular season. The difference in the playoffs is every relative, friend, gold digging women, and yes man entourage member (looking at you Turtle) was watching this time.

Last nights loss forever etched 5 lessons into the Pelicans minds.

You can't relax with a lead.
Details like blocking out and setting good screens matter.
Make your free throws.
Sloppy passing leads to big fat losses.
Make your DAMN free throws.

Do any of those seem like a new issue to you? Didn't think so. Teams that win in the playoffs do the little things well consistently. Game 3 will teach the Pelicans players that they can no longer ignore the details because in reality the details are almost all the matter in the playoffs. Even small things like flopping. I know you hate it, I do too, but the Warriors picked up key charges and offensive fouls by simply falling down without being touched. Flopping is evil but in the playoffs its a necessary evil, just ask Rick Fox, Robert Horry, or any of the other great floppers of history that have a case full of hardware to show for it. Did you see one Pelicans player do that? Nope. That is the kind of veteran savvy that can only be learned from experience.

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