SAN FRANCISCO – The New Orleans Pelicans are hot. The Golden State Warriors are not.
The Pelicans enter tonight’s nationally-televised matchup with the Warriors having won five of their last six. New Orleans has also won seven of their last eight on the road, posting a 10.5 net rating in those contests.
Meanwhile, the Warriors are in the midst of a number of controversies to go along with a rough stretch of play. Golden State has dropped five of its last seven games, including a 15-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Steph Curry is still elite, but the Warriors have been pretty average on both ends of the floor. Golden State’s defense has slipped from a 106.9 rating during its last championship run to 117.1 this season, 21st in the NBA.
The Pelicans, currently at sixth in the Western Conference standings, have the opportunity to continue their slow climb into the top four with a strong finish to this current five-game road trip. New Orleans is 1.5 games behind the Clippers for fourth place, with the third-place Nuggets and seventh-place Mavericks remaining before the Pelicans come back home.
Keys to the Game
BI Handing Out Dimes. Ingram has always been a scorer, but he’s started to evolve as both a passer and defender. Without a traditional point guard on the roster, the offense often runs through Ingram’s hands. He’s had at least five assists in nine of his last 10 games and 26 times so far this season. He topped five assists 30 times during the entirety of the 2022-23 season. BI has limited his turnovers as well, giving it away three or more times in only 14 games. His height and his ability to get into the paint make him a vital compenent in the Pelicans generating spacing and ball movement.
Defending the Triple. The Pelicans have employed a successful strategy over the last two seasons of allowing opponents to take a lot of three-pointers while counting on their length to make those shots more difficult. No one in the NBA gives up more attempts than the Pels’ 39.1 per game, however New Orleans ranks third in opponent’s 3P% (.337). Once again Golden State ranks in the top five in both attempts and makes, with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combining for 7.8 triples and 19.8 attempts per game.
Control the Glass. While the Warriors do struggle on the defensive end, they are one of the best rebounding teams in the league, ranking fourth on the offensive glass and fourth overall. The Pelicans have outrebounded their opponents by 7.8 boards per game over these last six games, but in their one loss to the Clippers they gave up double digit offensive boards and 50 rebounds overall. The Warriors will be active, they will attack the glass. New Orleans has to defend and control it to get another road win.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| New Orleans Pelicans | Golden State Warriors |
| G – CJ McCollum | G – Stephen Curry |
| G – Herb Jones | G – Klay Thompson |
| F – Brandon Ingram | F – Jonathan Kuminga |
| F – Trey Murphy III | F – Andrew Wiggins |
| C – Jonas Valanciunas | C – Trayce Jackson-Davis |
Injuries
New Orleans Pelicans:Â Matt Ryan (calf) is Out. Jose Alvarado (non-Covid illness) and Zion Williamson (right quad contusion) are Questionable.
Golden State Warriors:Â Chris Paul (broken hand) and Gary Payton II (hamstring) are Out. Draymond Green (conditioning) is Day-to-Day.
Who:Â New Orleans Pelicans (22-15) at Golden State Warriors (17-19)
Season Series:
- Oct. 30: Warriors def. Pelicans, 130-102
- Jan. 10: Pelicans at Warriors
- Apr. 12: Pelicans at Warriors
Where:Â Chase Center
When:Â Jan. 10, 7:30 PM CT
Where to watch:Â ABC
Where to listen: WRNO 99.5
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WIthout Zion, not sure we have a matchup for Kuminga
The Warriors are a mess…
True and kind of ironic since we’ve said that about our team for years
Article today said all there players except Steph on the table for trades. I would love K. Looney as another big just in case Larry gets injured down the stretch. I like Zeller too but he might have to be expendable to get Looney. Also, JV stock rising should bring in another athletic big be it from the eastern conf. though. I don’t think Griff is contemplating resigning him, so why not try to get something back while his play is trending up.
Getting Looney would be a smart move.