After a disastrous start to the season, the Pelicans have been doing much better lately. Obviously, they’re not at league level, but with Brandon Ingram back at All-Star level, and a defensive identity that takes place under Willie Green, this team becomes very interesting.
Completely overwhelmed in the first half, the Clippers paid the price and left Louisiana with a very large suitcase (113-89).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The start of the New Orleans game. Without Kawhi Leonard or Paul George, the Clippers are an average offensive team, but the Pelicans completely extinguished Nicolas Batum and his comrades for the first two quarters. Locking the racquet with a lot of scope and contesting 3-pointers, Willie Green’s players quickly took off. Los Angeles thus reached 10 points only two minutes from the end of the first quarter, the Clippers having finally scored only 34 points at the break.
– A defensive identity taking shape in Louisiana? Defense has been a problem for several seasons in New Orleans, but Willie Green may be finding some keys. With Herb Jones in the major five, and players like Jose Alvarado or Jaxson Hayes off the bench, the Pelicans have a few players who want to weigh in on this side of the field, and that drags the whole team in its wake.
– The five of the Clippers pick up. “Old” and “slow”. This is how Tyronn Lue described his starters, overtaken by the New Orleans major five. Unable to create shifts, the players of the Californian five were thus generally content to artillery from afar, without success.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Brandon Ingram. The winger is clearly gaining strength, and it shows even more than it shows in the stats. His patience to find the right option in attack, between his own shot and a pass, is much better and he uses his size and his huge arms even better. In addition, he is much more present in defense. A real full game (24 points at 10/19, 6 assists, 5 rebounds), a real leader game.
✅ Herb Jones. He’s really become the “glue guy” of these Pelicans. The rookie thus plays like a veteran in defense, multiplying the aids, disrupting penetrations and opposing transmissions… And in attack, he is satisfied with little, namely shooting at the end of the chain or attacking the circle as soon as he feels a space .
⛔ Los Angeles Holders. Reggie Jackson, Amir Coffey, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac suffered. In total, the five men thus shot only 12/42 in shooting, including 3/21 from 3-pointers. Obviously, it’s much too weak to hope to be able to win a meeting…
WILLIE GREEN HAS FOUND AN EFFECTIVE FIVE
The five Devonte’ Graham – Josh Hart – Brandon Ingram – Herb Jones – Jonas Valanciunas has just won its 10th game in 15 outings, after successes against the Jazz, the Bucks or the Warriors. For now, and until Zion Williamson returns, this is the winning combination for Willie Green.
THE FOLLOWING
New Orleans (15-26): the Pelicans will test their defensive identity in Brooklyn on Saturday night
LA Clippers (21-22): Tyronn Lue’s men will try to revive in San Antonio on Saturday night
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