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Clippers vs Pelicans Preview: Facing off Against the Worst in the West
The Clippers will start a three-game road trip against the team with the current worst record in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans.
Game
Information
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
When: 5:00 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected
Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac
Pelicans: Dejounte Murray – CJ McCollum – Herb Jones – Trey Murphy – Yves Missi
Injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Out (Finger), Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)
Pelicans: Brandon Ingram Out (Ankle), Karlo Matkovic Out (Back), Zion Williamson Doubtful (Hamstring), Jose Alvarado Questionable (Hamstring), Yves Missi Questionable (Back)
The Big
Picture
The Clippers are coming off one of their “worst” wins of the season, a nightmarish victory over a short-handed Warriors team with a close avoidance of a complete meltdown in the 4th quarter. The Clippers’ halfcourt defense was excellent, but their offense fell apart against the Warriors’ full-court press and their defense in transition was not up to par. Still, the Clippers held on, and now rank as the 4th best defense in the NBA. Kawhi Leonard will be out at least three more games (including this one), but the Clippers’ rotations have stabilized otherwise, and Ty Lue has mostly found lineups that work. It’s not pretty, but this Clippers’ group has proven effective, even without Leonard, Terance Mann, and second year forward Kobe Brown and a thus depleted forward group.
The
Antagonist
The Pelicans have had a season from hell. None of their top six players – Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum – have played more than 19 games, and players further down the depth chart like Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins have missed significant time as well. The result is that the Pelicans’ leaders in games played this season are rookie Yves Missi, journeyman Javonte Green, old friend Brandon Boston Jr., and Thunder cast-off Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, with Daniel Theis as fifth-most. Unsurprisingly, the Pels are last in the West with a 5-27 record and are 29th in Offensive, Defensive, and Net Rating. However, both Williamson and Alvarado are coming back soon, and most of the other key Pelicans players are active. The Pels are therefore more dangerous than their record and stats would say, though with Williamson and Alvarado likely still out they remain undermanned. It’s too late for the Pels in this West, but their record will probably look more respectable by the end of the year if they get better health luck the last 50 games of the season.
Notes
Boston Breakout: Long-time residents on Brandon Boston island will be happy to note that the situation is looking much improved. Boston has had by far his best season as a pro, averaging 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on reasonable scoring efficiency (54.1% True Shooting) in 25.8 minutes per game. He’s been one of the Pelicans’ more reliable players in terms of availability and has made the most of his opportunity, seizing a real role as the Pels’ backup shooting guard. His minutes have gone way down as the Pelicans have gotten healthier in recent weeks, but he’s getting consistent minutes and is still playing at a rotation-caliber level. The playmaking (2:1 assist to turnover ratio) is particularly shocking considering how much of a gunner Boston was as a Clipper. Boston, who is one a two-way deal, just turned 23 years old, and it seems very likely he will get a full-time contract after this season, whether from the Pelicans or another franchise. It’s good to see Boston thrive – he always seemed like a great teammate and hard worker.
Clamping Trey: The Pelicans’ best player this season – of anyone who has played actual minutes – has probably been Trey Murphy III. The forward is scoring just over 20 points per game, by far a career high, and is doing so on strong efficiency. The basis for his game is his three-point shooting; Murphy launches 8.3 attempts per game from deep and hits them at a 36.3% clip. He does plenty of scoring inside the arc too, but he’s at his most dangerous when he gets hot from three. If the Clippers can run him off the line and keep his three-point attempts down, they’ll be in a solid place for countering the rest of the Pelicans’ offense.
Clippers vs Pelicans Preview: Facing off Against the Worst in the West
Robert Flom