The New Orleans Pelicans are 2-1. For the third consecutive season the Pelicans won their first two games before losing the third. In each of the previous two, New Orleans bounced back to win game four.
The Pelicans will try to extend that streak the three when they face the Golden State Warriors in the first of two games in two nights in San Francisco.
| Category | Rank |
| PPG | 24 (110.3) |
| FG% | 20 (43.9) |
| 3PM | 20 (11.3) |
| 3PA | 22 (32.7) |
| 3P% | 19 (34.7) |
| AST | 12 (26.0) |
| ORTG | 23 (107.8) |
| NET | 18 (-2.6) |
| Pace | 9 (102.33) |
| +/- | 17 (-2.7) |
Coincidentally, 3 is the magic number on Tuesday. The Pelicans are playing the third game of a four-game road trip, New Orleans is chasing its third consecutive win over the Warriors, and the most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history will be watching from the sidelines.
Golden State will be without former MVP and future hall-of-famer Stephen Curry for both games against the Pelicans. Curry was injured during the Warriors’ 104-112 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
The Pels will be trying to find their offensive mojo over the next games, something, outside of the second half in their comeback win last Friday, they lost in the Pacific Northwest.
New Orleans’ offense, expected to be a strength, has been stuck in neutral. The Pelicans rank in the league’s lower-third in most offensive categories. Though they are in the top 10 in pace, those numbers are inflated based on how they’ve executed on that end of the floor.
Over the last two games, the Pelicans have averaged just 104.0 points per game, only ahead of the tanking Utah Jazz (94.0). Outside of CJ McCollum (23.5 pts, 47.4 FG%, 36.8 3P%) and Jordan Hawkins (20.5 pts, 56.0 FG%, 54.5 3P%), no one has been very good on offense. And no one has been worse than Zion Williamson.
Whether its rust from missing the final preseason game and the first game of the regular season, Williamson has looked nothing like the player who seemed primed for a career year.
So far, Zion has more rebounds (14) and more assists (11), than he does made field goals (7). Williamson is shooting 25.9% from the floor, just 18.8% in the first half. You expect Zion to get going sooner rather than later. If the Pelicans had their say, sooner would be tonight.
After getting to such a exciting start, Brandon Ingram has seen his numbers fall off as well, especially in the first half. Against Portland, B.I. made just 39.1% of his shots in the first two quarters, including 28.6% on threes.
Ingram has to be more agressive, both in attacking the rim and in taking shots earlier in the clock. He also needs to get to the foul line. He has only six free throw attempts in three games. That’s fewer than Dejounte Murray, and Murray played in only one game.
If the Pelicans’ stars don’t play like stars, the team won’t reach its potential. Every other concern becomes moot.
Keys to Victory
Stop the regression: The Pelicans were supposed to be an uptempo, volume shooting, three-point bombing, offensive juggernaut. The loss of Dejounte Murray is a major factor in the lack of cohesion, but the Pelicans are not coming close to executing the basic principles of the gameplan.
Far too often, the basketball stays outside of the three-point line, aimlessly moving from side to side, while precious seconds burn off the shot clock. That forces the offense into highly contested shots that rely on the individual brilliance of the shooter to be effective.
That recipe has proven to be a bad one for the Pelicans. They cannot continue to play the greatest hits of their worst offensive tendencies. Not when the rest of the league is seemingly prepared to engage in a shootout every night. More than anything on the court, the change has to start in the minds of the players and must be reinforced by the coaching staff.
Protect the paint: The Pelicans were -20 in points in the paint over their two games with the Blazers. Portland’s guards were able to get in the lane and consistently feed their bigs easy opportunties around the bucket. The Warriors do not have the type of size that should intimidate the Pelicans, so winning the war inside is critical to winning this game.
Be quick, but don’t hurry: John Wooden’s advice continues to ring true. No matter if your offensive identity is playing in the half court or running in the open court, decisions must be made quickly.
The Pelicans have been anything but quick this season, again ranking in the NBA’s lower third in average time to shot (21st), time to shot after an opponent make (23rd), and after an opponent miss (25th).
Beat the prototype: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has called this the deepest team he’s coached since the start of his tenure. That depth will be tested without Curry and backup point guard De’Anthony Melton.
The Warriors are the godfathers of small ball in the current era. New Orleans won’t show them anything they haven’t seen, or done, before. The Pelicans have to match energy from the opening tip and take this game to the home team.
The Pels have to run faster, jump higher, and shoot better than the Warriors for four quarters. At most positions, it will be like looking into the proverbial mirror, with similar length and athleticism across the board. A victory like means the Pelicans beat the Warriors at their own game.
Make threes, limit threes: Golden State has seven players averaging at least three three-point attempts per game, and ranks second only to the Boston Celtics in attempts per game (47.0). The Warriors are also second in makes (18.0) and third in three-point percentage (38.3).
They’ve made 20 more threes than the Pelicans over the same amount of games. Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Javonte Green, and Jose Alvarado have to do their share by getting shots up.
Defensively, the Pelicans have to go over screens and communicate consistently to prevent the Warriors from settling into a rhythm.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| New Orleans Pelicans | Golden State Warriors |
| G – CJ McCollum | G – Stephen Curry |
| G – Herb Jones | G – Andrew Wiggins |
| F – Brandon Ingram | F – Jonathan Kuminga |
| F – Zion Williamson | F – Trayce Jackson-Davis |
| C – Daniel Theis | C – Draymond Green |
Injuries
Golden State Warriors: Andrew Wiggins (Back) is QUESTIONABLE. De’Anthony Melton (Back) and Stephen Curry (Peroneal) are OUT.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Murphy III (Hamstring strain) and Dejounte Murray (Left-hand fracture) are OUT.
Who: New Orleans Pelicans (2-1) vs Golden State Warriors (2-1)
Season Series:
- Oct. 29: Pelicans at Warriors
- Oct. 30: Pelicans at Warriors
- Nov. 22: Pelicans vs Warriros
- Mar. 28: Pelicans vs Warriors
Series History: The Pelicans are 28-46 vs. the Golden State Warriors and have won two in a row against the Warriors, both at the Chase Center.
Where: Chase Center
When: Oct. 29, 9:00 PM CT
Where to watch: TNT
Where to listen: WWL Radio 870 AM
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