The New Orleans Pelicans have had a couple of days to reflect after their 99-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, they travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks with a chance to get to 2-0 in Western Conference Group C in pursuit of the Emirates NBA Cup.
New Orleans is 4-1 all-time in cup play, including 1-0 this season, after beating the Denver Nuggets 101-94 last Friday.
After dropping four straight, the Mavericks (7-7) have won two in a row to get back to .500 on the season. Dallas beat the Oklahoma City Thunder without Luka Doncic in their last game.
The Pelicans’ injury issues persist, though Trey Murphy has been removed from the injury report and CJ McCollum seems close to returning to the court. Their reintroductions to the lineup couldn’t come at a better time, with the offense hitting rock bottom in their absence.
New Orleans has been “incredi-bad” on the offensive end, particularly over the last four games. No team has been slower or shot worse than the Pelicans.
| ORTG | DRTG | NET | TS% | PACE | |
| Season | 108.3 (26) | 117.2 (28) | -8.9 (27) | 53.9 (27) | 96.64 (28) |
| Last 8 | 107.4 (26) | 118.7 (26) | -11.3 (29) | 53.4 (28) | 94.81 (29) |
| Last 4 | 105.6 (27) | 110.2 (14) | -4.5 (23) | 51.6 (30) | 93.13 (30) |
The numbers are even worse on the road. The Pelicans have scored the fewest amount of points away from home in the NBA, with New Orleans (96.5) the only team in the league averaging fewer than 100 points per game.
Injuries can only explain so much of the problem. The Pelicans appear stuck in a fundamental philosophical disagreement over how to play offense. Even shorthanded, the team is best suited to play uptempo basketball. However, on a nightly basis, it seems content to walk the ball up the court and play out unimaginative offensive sets that lead to predictably bad outcomes.
That’s an indictment of head coach Willie Green, who has yet to provide an answer as to why the Pelicans cannot or will not adhere to the offensive concepts he touted at the season’s start. The Pelicans have no identity, an issue that has persisted throughout Green’s tenure.
It’s hard to imagine things getting better against the Mavericks, who rank eighth in the league defensively.
New Orleans will continue to rely on Brandon Ingram to lead the way, but Ingram has been a much different player on the road. In six road games this season, BI has averaged 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, while committing nearly four turnovers per game and averaging 1.5 free throw attempts. The Pels need an all-star-worthy performance from Ingram tonight.
Brandon Boston has been miscast in the role of point guard, and Yves Missi gets forgotten too often in half-court sets.
The odds are heavily against the Pelicans, who travel to Cleveland right after the game for the second half of a back-to-back.
Reinforcements are coming, but will it be “too little, too late” in the ultra-competitive Western Conference? With each loss, the chances of the Pelicans salvaging their season become slimmer.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| New Orleans Pelicans | Dallas Mavericks |
| G – Brandon Boston | G – Kyrie Irving |
| G – Javonte Green | G – Quentin Grimes |
| F – Brandon Ingram | F – Klay Thompson |
| F – Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | F – P.J. Washington |
| C – Yves Missi | C – Dereck Lively II |
Injuries
New Orleans Pelicans: Jose Alvarado (left hamstring strain), Jordan Hawkins (low back strain), Herb Jones (right shoulder strain), CJ McCollum (right adductor strain), Dejounte Murray (left hand fracture), and Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain) are OUT.
Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic (knee) is QUESTIONABLE. Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) is OUT.
Who: New Orleans Pelicans (4-10) vs Dallas Mavericks (7-7)
Season Series:
- Nov. 19: Pelicans @ Mavericks (NBA Cup)
- Jan. 15: Pelicans vs. Mavericks
- Jan. 29: Pelicans vs. Mavericks
- Feb. 21: Pelicans @ Mavericks
Series History: The Pelicans are 28-54 all-time vs. the Mavericks. New Orleans split the season series with Dallas last season (2-2).
Where: American Airlines Center
When: Nov. 19, 7:30 PM CST
Where to watch: Pelicans+, Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network/WVUE
Where to listen: WWL Radio 870 AM
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