Over the next month, we’ll be talking with a variety of people who cover each NBA team to find out a little bit about their team, and how they expect the season to go. We’ll also find out what they believe will be the most intriguing matchup when the two team’s meet during the regular season. We continue the Southwest Division with the New Orleans Pelicans. We’re joined by Rick Stone of PelicanDebrief to get a better idea of the Pelicans this season. Follow Rick on twitter @RickStoneNBA.
Game Dates
Tuesday, October 28th @ New Orleans
Friday, February 20th @ Orlando
Last Season: 34-48; Finished 12th in Western Conference
November 1st: Orlando 110 New Orleans 90
January 26th: New Orleans 100 Orlando 92
Projected Starters
Point Guard: Jrue Holiday
Shooting Guard: Eric Gordon
Small Forward: Tyreke Evans
Power Forward: Anthony Davis
Center: Omer Asik
Mar 22, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) reacts as time expires during the fourth quarter of a win against the Miami Heat in a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Heat 105-95. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Q: Anthony Davis really took a huge step forward last season and has put his name in the discussion as one of the top-five players in the league. What’s the next step for him in his development into a dominant player?
A: Anthony Davis went in a direction I’m not sure we were entirely prepared for. The amount of levels his game jumped in such short time is mind boggling. He developed a deadly mid-range jumper that no one saw coming, along with his deadly inside game and monster defensive presence. The next step might not have anything to do with actual basketball. As we see right now, Anthony Davis is becoming a “leader” on Team USA basketball at FIBA. It will be interesting to see if AD can become a true leader for the Pelicans. He’s already their most talented player by far, but I would like to see if he can go out and use his leadership to get his teammates going and help them succeed in big moments.
Dec 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New Orleans Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson (33) shoots over New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. New Orleans Pelicans won 103-99. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Q: How big of an impact will the return of Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday coupled with the arrival of Omer Asik have?
A: Ryan Anderson’s return is the biggest thing. Sure, having him on the floor can be a defensive flaw, but his marksmanship really helps matters in crunch time. Jrue Holiday is a floor general, and without him last year, the Pelicans really struggled at times to get an offensive flow. Having him back will get the team running better sets and will help them be more of a half-court team they couldn’t be with all the injuries last year. And now with a defensive anchor and rebounding specialist in Asik, it gives the Pelicans something they haven’t really had before….flexibility. The Pelicans core players left the sets of lineups they could put out there as very limited. With Asik and Anderson, they can trade off a better defensive group with Asik, and then move Rhino in to try and spark more offensive fire power. The depth will also help keep Davis’ minutes more manageable, since last year he was forced to play so many minutes due to all the injuries.
Q: What’s one matchup that you’ll be watching when the Magic and Pelicans meet this year?
A: I have a gut feeling the Pelicans have a certain plan when it comes to Orlando. I completely expect a ton of minutes from Asik, since he’s the only one who can handle Vucevic in the middle. The matchup I’ll watch is at PF, and how the Pelicans will handle the combo of Channing Frye and Aaron Gordon. It seems to me there’s almost a mirror matchup when it comes to Frye and Ryan Anderson. They both have defensive issues, but a marksman from behind the arc and cause matchup problems for the other team. How they play each other on defense will be very interesting. Aaron Gordon will get a lot of time vs. Anthony Davis, which will be intriguing to see how Jacque Vaughn uses his rookie against Davis.
Q: What are fair expectations for the Pelicans this season? Are they poised for a playoff run this season, or are they possibly a year or two away?
A: It’s very tough to figure out what the expectations for New Orleans really should be. The roster is insanely talented, however the West is stacked with so many talented teams. However, with Anthony Davis’ progress and the fact the Pelicans will have their entire roster healthy to start the season, the Pelicans should have high hopes for the season. The first hope is that the Pelicans can qualify for the playoffs, yet they’re going to have to shore up the defensive woes of last year and implement new pieces to mesh early in the season. If they struggle out of the gate, they could have a rough time getting into the postseason. They are a fringe playoff team who could pull an upset in the first round if they get hot.