Jamahl Mosley knows what a team capable of holding opponents below 100 points looks like. His Magic teams did it 53 times over his final three seasons, winning 48 of those games.

Through his first six games with the Pelicans, he's seen just one such performance. But Saturday's 121-99 victory over the Hawks offered a glimpse of how he might build toward that standard.

New Orleans recorded 15 steals and forced 19 turnovers, continuing a trend that began in the preseason. The Pelicans entered the game leading the NBA in steals per game, with Zion Williamson atop the individual leaderboard.

That activity hadn't prevented a 0-4 start, but against Atlanta, it helped produce the Pelicans' most complete defensive performance of the season. It also created opportunities for an offense that has struggled to generate consistent perimeter shooting.

The steals have been there all along. The challenge for Mosley is making them part of something more dependable.

Defensive pressure creates offensive opportunities

The Pelicans' ability to generate steals could also help address one of their biggest offensive weaknesses.

For years, New Orleans has had difficulty generating three-point attempts, making efficient scoring opportunities elsewhere essential. Against Atlanta, the Pelicans attempted just 17 threes, making seven, but shot 56.6% overall, while scoring 66 points in the paint and adding 19 fast-break points.

When New Orleans forces a live-ball turnover, it can attack before the opposing defense gets organized. That's especially valuable for Williamson, whose strength and finishing ability make him a problem when defenders are retreating.

Not every steal leads to a fast break, but pressure on defense leads to chances for easy offense. The Pelicans scored 34 points off Atlanta's turnovers, a significant contribution for a team that hasn't established a dependable perimeter attack.

Their own mistakes remain a problem, however. New Orleans committed 23 turnovers, giving back possessions it had worked to create. The Pelicans won't maximize the benefits of their defensive pressure until they can become more disciplined with the basketball.

A different rotation gives Mosley options

The last two games have also provided Mosley with a different look at his personnel.

With Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole unavailable, Bryce McGowens and Trendon Watford have received opportunities in the rotation. Both offer length and activity, while Herb Jones has returned to the starting lineup after playing limited minutes earlier in the season.

Jones remains New Orleans' most dependable defender, helping across multiple positions. Against Atlanta, McGowens recorded two steals and a block in 15 minutes; Saddiq Bey added four steals off the bench, and Williamson collected three.

The Pelicans were already generating steals before these rotation changes. The combinations didn't create that strength, but they may be helping New Orleans turn it into a more effective team defense.

That gives Mosley something to consider when Murray and Poole return. The question isn't simply who deserves minutes, but which combinations allow the Pelicans to maintain their defensive activity without sacrificing offensive production.

Saturday offered encouraging evidence, although Atlanta's 8-for-46 three-point shooting makes it difficult to determine how much of the result New Orleans can consistently reproduce.

Mosley's history suggests the standard can be higher

During the 2023-24 season, when the Pelicans won 49 games, they held opponents below 100 points 11 times.

They accomplished that five times in 2024-25 and four times last season. Including Saturday, New Orleans has managed just 10 such performances in the two-plus seasons since its last winning campaign.

Mosley's record in Orlando offers a striking contrast. His Magic teams held opponents below 100 points eight times last season, winning every game. The previous season, Orlando went 19-3 when holding opponents below 100. The season before that, the Magic went 21-2.

Simply holding opponents below 100 points isn't a complete measure of defensive quality. Factors like pace and shooting variance matter, as Atlanta demonstrated by missing 38 of its 46 three-point attempts on Saturday.

Reproducing those numbers in the Western Conference could also be more difficult. New Orleans faces a different mix of opponents, including many of the league's top offenses, on a nightly basis. Mosley can't expect the same results against a different schedule with different personnel.

Still, his record demonstrates that these performances don't have to be rare, even in today's NBA.

Mosley's teams in Orlando demonstrated year in and year out that they could keep opponents from reaching triple digits, something the Pelicans have not.

The steals give Mosley a foundation. Against the Hawks, they helped create the conditions for a performance that resembled the defensive standard he established with the Magic.

Mosley has already shown he can build that kind of defense. The question is whether he can find the right combinations to do it again in New Orleans.