Cavs Get Their First Look At The Pelicans, What Cleveland Fans Need To Know
The Cavs will get their first look at a New Orleans team that has been playing great basketball this season. They currently sit as the third-best team in the Western Conference and have a record of 26-17.
The Pelicans are a very balanced team. They hold the eighth-best offensive rating, sixth-best defensive rating, and fifth-best net rating. This will certainly keep the Cavs sharp throughout the game,
However, they haven't been as consistent in the New Year. A lot of their success can be given to Zion Williamson who is finally living up to the hype of a number one overall pick who drew comparisons to LeBron James and other NBA legends in college.
Williamson is leading the team in scoring with 26.0 points per game but he's expected to miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury. Since he's been out, the Pelicans are just 3-3.
The Pelicans will also be without their other top scorer in Brandon Ingram which will provide another challenge to their offense.
Cleveland has a fantastic opportunity to grab a win with two of the Pelicans' best players being unavailable.
However, they'll need to rally after being on the road for so long. Sometimes, teams can come out sluggish after returning home from a long road trip that the Cavs were just on.
Thankfully, it appears Cleveland will still have two of their starters after there were concerns they could be undermanned.
Evan Mobley banged knees with Anthony Edwards in their game in Minnesota. He was clearly in some pain and needed help getting back to the bench. But he did return to that game and is not listed on the injury report.
Donovan Mitchell had dealt with an illness during the second half of the road trip and it showed. Even though he played again the Trailblazers and Timberwolves Mitchell looked exhausted throughout the game. It appears he's feeling better because his name is not on the injury report either.
Cleveland will look to get the win when the Cavs and Pelicans tip off at 3:00 PM EST on Monday.
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