The New Orleans Pelicans remain winless on the season after a 104-91 loss to the Denver Nuggets at the Smoothie King Center. The loss marks the eighth straight to the Nuggets, who also beat the Pelicans in Denver on Saturday night. New Orleans started last season 0-6 before its first win, but its hopes to avoid that mark by beating the Sacramento Kings Thursday night back at home.

Here are a few takeaways from the Pelicans' loss to the Nuggets.

Pelicans started too slow

The Pelicans came out of the gate slow Wednesday night, with the Nuggets outscoring them 37-18 in the first quarter. This year, New Orleans averages only 23 points in the fourth quarter, so slow starts are a killer for a team that can’t finish. With the Pelicans having three days off since their last game, it’s disappointing they weren't more focused at the start. The offense was sloppy, committing 6 first-quarter turnovers, and the defense was not much better, allowing the Nuggets to shoot 62% from the field.

Denver’s two best players, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, outscored the Pelicans 19-18 in the quarter, and New Orleans offered little resistance to the Nuggets' stars. The Pelicans just aren’t good enough to overcome slow starts in any game, let alone against a team with championship pedigree in its DNA.

Jamahl Mosley’s fourth-quarter rotations are a mess

The Pelicans ended the 3rd quarter on a 9-0 run to cut the Denver lead to 6 heading into the fourth quarter. New Orleans got as close as 5, but Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley went away from the group that cut into the Nuggets' lead, opting to reinsert his starters into the game. Dejounte Murray had a tough final stretch, committing a crucial turnover and shooting just 1-of-4 in the game’s final 6 minutes. Murray entered the game leading the Pelicans in turnovers, and his turnover with less than 6 minutes to go led to a Denver three-pointer that pushed their lead to 8, and the Pelicans never got closer.

Mosley has faced criticism for playing time, especially for Herb Jones, who is averaging a career-low 17 minutes per game. Jones played 18 minutes on Wednesday, but only 4 minutes in the fourth quarter. New Orleans is starting to pile up injuries, with Yves Missi out with a bone bruise and Jordan Poole leaving the game with an ankle sprain. Mosley clearly has not found the right combinations to finish games, and that’s why the Pelicans are 0-4 to start the year.

New Orleans didn’t feature its best weapon

The Pelicans' best player, Zion Williamson, had a strong first half, scoring 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting. Williamson scored just 7 points for the rest of the game, attempting only two shots in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Dejounte Murray took 9 shots in the second half, the most on the team, but made only 3. Good teams not only feature their best player, but also scheme to put them in the best positions to succeed. New Orleans couldn't give Williamson a consistent look, and most of the time the offense looked like it was running away from him rather than to him.

On a night when the Pelicans desperately needed a win, not riding Williamson's coattails, especially after a strong first half, makes little sense. He clearly had it going offensively in the first half, but the coaching staff never let him get into a rhythm in the second half, and the results followed. If New Orleans has any hope of turning around their its misfortunes, not featuring Williamson won’t lead to long-term success.