Skip to main content
Spurs vs Pelicans Play In Tournament

Spurs vs. Pelicans: Willie Green Can't Gameplan Against History

Willie Green’s New Orleans Pelicans will get their first taste of playoff basketball in an elimination game battle with Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs.

In this story:

San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans

Willie Green's New Orleans Pelicans will get their first taste of playoff basketball in an elimination game battle with Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs. No state commission would sanction the fight if this coaching battle were a boxing match. We have in one corner is perhaps the greatest basketball coach of all time, and the other occupied by a rookie coach experiencing his first NBA Playoffs.

Willie Green has 35 wins as a professional coach. Gregg Popovich has the most NBA victories from the sidelines ever. Coach Pop's five titles put him on the NBA's coaching Mount Rushmore. But each game is different. Each season has its own stories. Green knows none of that history will matter Wednesday night.

Though there are vast historical differences in Green and Popovich's coaching careers, their teams have similar stories this season. The Spurs have also been using patchworks rotations all season. Popovich does not have two Hall of Fame talents on the court as he did during his NBA Finals appearances. It's why the Spurs barely squeaked in as the 10th seed.

Willie Green

Green kept things together after a 1-12 start to claim a home play-in game. He has done so by just coaching his team and developing their style of play despite all the injuries. The outside noise was of no concern to him or this team's goals. Just coach and control what you can, play to the squad's strengths, and help limit the opportunities to have weaknesses exposed.

Green has to manage the clock and use his timeouts wisely. During the season, there have been some complaints that Green let some lineups get run off the court before calling a timeout. He will have to be quicker to change the rotations against the Spurs. Popovich will call a timeout in the first few seconds if needed, and the Spurs are not prone to giving up double-digit leads.

The first thing Green controls is the starting lineup, but even that is slightly out of his hands. If Brandon Ingram (questionable) is limited or sidelined, Green will need to lean on CJ McCollum and Jonas Valancuinas to carry the team. Green wants to trust his whole team, but the bench's production has been too inconsistent.

Herbert Jones

Herb Jones should get the first shot at slowing down Dejounte Murray. Murray is the first player in NBA history to average 20+ points, 8+ rebounds, 9+ assists, and 2+ steals in a season. According to Jordan Howenstine, only Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson have come close to posting that stat line. Slowing down the 8th-best scoring team in the league starts with stopping Murray.

Coach Green cannot ask Jones to do too much offensively. His usage and turnover rates are far too risky to take the ball out of CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram's hands. Jones and the rest of the supporting casts will have to play within their game. Just make the open shots created, find a few points in transition, and stick to the defensive assignments.

Jose Alvarado

Jose Alvarado has cooled off since getting a guaranteed contract. After months of riding the bench and trips to the G-League, Trey Murphy III has found his shot. Devonte' Graham has yet to live up to expectations as a sixth-man spark plug, and Larry Nance Jr. is still learning the system, having played just nine games in New Orleans.

Jaxson Hayes and Nance Jr. are in the 90th percentile in converting touches to points. Their usage rates are in the bottom third even though they lead the team in points per shot attempt. This young team may need to lean on veteran savvy to survive an elimination game.

Beyond lineups and clock management, Green has to put his team in a position to win. That starts with a game plan emphasizing attacking the rim and getting touches in the paint to draw fouls. Ingram averages six free throws per game and has focused on growing that part of his game all season. The aggressiveness has helped boost his scoring and opened up more passing lanes, boosting Ingram's assist numbers.

Jonas Valanciunas (17)

The Pelicans are 8th in paint touches per game and run the 5th most post-up plays. Valancuinas was almost a forgotten man in the last few games. New Orleans needs to feed Valancuinas constantly, especially when given a mismatch down low. Drawing up plays after stoppages in play could be the deciding factor, same as it was in the last meeting.

Green said after being stifled late in a 107-103 home loss to the Spurs on March 26, "It was definitely a zone defense, and in the end, it stagnated our offense. We just have to continue with ball and player movement. Attack the paint with a drive and kick out. It stopped us for a bit, but we started to get our rhythm in the fourth quarter."

CJ McCollum

That momentum did not carry over in clutch time. Green drew up a play that never developed with just a few seconds remaining. He admitted afterward, "I thought it was a good look as they blitzed CJ (McCollum)...In hindsight, that is a situation where I should have taken a timeout and gotten us organized. I didn't do that, and that is what the game comes down to, minimizing your mistakes at the end of the game. That's an area where I have to get better by calling that time out, getting us organized, getting the ball in CJ's hands, and letting him make a play. We may still get the same shot, but it's in a different environment."

McCollum, Ingram, and Valancuinas should be three of the best players on the court by talent. It is up to the coaching staff's game-planning and management to put them in a position to succeed. The Pelicans lost the season series 1-3 but have the talent to extend their season. Green cannot overthink the scouting report or worry about history and legacy. He has to play his part in guiding these New Orleans Pelicans to a win on a Wednesday.

Read New Orleans Pelicans News


© 2024 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.