Game Preview: New Orleans Pelicans Face Challenge in Los Angeles Clippers
Dec 31, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) shoots over New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Clippers defeated the Pelicans 95-89. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The New Orleans Pelicans will face a stiff challenge against one of the West’s Elite in Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off a blowout win against the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday.
Tonight, the Pels will look to pull the “LA Sweep”, as they battle the Los Angeles Clippers.
For the Clippers, the 2016-2017 season could not be off to a better start. Los Angeles is currently third in the Western Conference, with a 15-5 record. This includes a win last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, to snap a three-game losing streak.
Two former New Orleans players are helping lead the charge for the Clips. Chris Paul is putting up fantastic numbers, scoring 17.9 points and dishing out 8.8 assists per contest. Paul has been the leader for a team looking to make the leap to the title this year.
Off the bench, Austin Rivers has finally found his NBA groove. His 7.9 points per game off the bench have been a part of one of the most lethal bench units in the league.
For the Pelicans to beat the Clippers, they will have to overcome one of the best defenses in the NBA. Los Angeles has given up just 98.9 points per game, which is eighth best in the league.
The Clippers has won seven of the past ten matchups against New Orleans. It is especially a tough matchup for Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, who have difficult matchups to deal with in Paul and Blake Griffin. Both are incredible defenders, who make life difficult for the Pels’ stars.
This win is important for New Orleans, who face a very difficult December. They will play the Clippers three times this month and also duel the likes of the Warriors, Spurs, Rockets and two battles with the Thunder. It will be a month that likely decides whether New Orleans can actually contend for a playoff bid.
Every player is going to need to step up. From the stars, to the role players. The Pelicans are finding strength and getting healthy. However, their eight game losing streak to begin the year makes the climb difficult. These are the games that can swing the momentum. Especially with the Clippers on the second of a back-to-back on the road.
The New Orleans Pelicans will be mighty underdogs on paper. What’s on paper does not decide the victor. That comes down to which team comes out with more fire and energy. With three days rest and facing a juggernaut, who may have some fatigue, New Orleans needs to play with focus and passion. This is a game they can realistically win, if they play to their full potential.
Mar 20, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) knocks the ball from Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Who, When, Where and How to Watch
When and Where: The game will be played at 7:00 PM CST in New Orleans.
How To Watch: The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports New Orleans and NBA League Pass.
Injuries:
New Orleans: Quincy Pondexter (Left Knee), Tyreke Evans (Right Knee) and Dante Cunningham (Right Fibula Fracture) are all out.
Los Angeles: Brice Johnson (Herniated Disc) is out.
Probably Starting Lineups:
New Orleans: PG Jrue Holiday, SG Tim Frazier, SF Solomon Hill, PF Anthony Davis, C Omer Asik
Los Angeles: PG Chris Paul, SG J.J. Redick, SF Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, PF Blake Griffin, C DeAndre Jordan
Other Players to Watch:
New Orleans: E’Twaun Moore, Buddy Hield, Terrence Jones, Anthony Brown and Langston Galloway
Dallas: Jamal Crawford, Paul Pierce, Austin Rivers, Raymond Felton and Marreese Speights
What’s Next for the Pelicans?
The New Orleans Pelicans will head back on the road to Oklahoma City for a duel Sunday night with Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Tip is scheduled for 6:00 PM CST.
Nov 14, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) handles the ball as he is defended by New Orleans Pelicans guard Buddy Hield (24) during the first quarter of the game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans Pelicans are a No-Man’s Land for Player Development
When it comes to player development, there may not be a more confusing team in the NBA than the New Orleans Pelicans.
After keeping a drafted player for the first time since 2012, the Pelicans have already gone back and forth on what they want to do with their rookies.
Unfortunately, it is only hurting those players down the road.
For Buddy Hield, the painful process has him as one of the most criticized rookies in the league. The story is a lot like the New Orleans’ story of Austin Rivers, looking at the two side-by-side.
After being highly praised for his college game, Hield has faced massive struggles in translating to the NBA. His defense has not kept up, while his offensive game has not found rhythm. Buddy is shooting 35.4% from the field and just 23.7% from behind the arc.
Those numbers have drastically cut into his playing time, as he becomes nothing more than a garbage time player for the team, in the last few games. New Orleans went from letting Hield try to play through his struggles and learn from his fellow teammates, to now sitting him on the bench and hoping he develops through practice and watching.
In the case of Cheick Diallo, the Pelicans had a bit more of a plan. Diallo spent six games this year in the D-League with the Austin Spurs, putting up strong numbers. Cheick scored 14.3 points and grabbed 6.7 rebounds per game in his stint, which also included 2.5 blocks per contest.
However, New Orleans made a confusing move by calling him back up to the roster, for a game he played just one garbage minute in. The Pelicans have found themselves in the “No-Man’s Land” of player development.
New Orleans has had a problem developing their youngest players for a while. Hield and Diallo highlight this. While they are not willing to keep their players in the D-League and let them learn in a less stressful environment, where the pressure will not overcome them, they can not improve their players at the NBA level either.
This is more than just a team that has inexperienced and flawed youngsters. No, this is a fundamental problem with the franchise.
Four years ago, Austin Rivers had one of the worst statistical stretches of NBA basketball in league history. It hardly improved in his tenure in New Orleans. However, once he moved on to the Clippers, his game started to become polished. It led to him becoming a key player for the Clippers and finding an NBA home, that is improving his game as he goes.
If the Pelicans do the same with Hield or Diallo, the story will be the same. The age does not matter. If New Orleans can not develop youth, it is going to be very hard for the team to have any real success. The Pels have to learn to develop and improve the games of their youngsters in Hield and Diallo, so they can become quality NBA players.
The strategy of giving up on youth in team development has backfired on the New Orleans Pelicans already. The struggling years of trying to force veterans into limited roles did not get them any closer to being a contender. For New Orleans to reach that step, development in their draft picks and young players is an absolute must. It needs to happen sooner than later, to save the careers of Hield and Diallo from a disappointing disaster.
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