Pelicans Vs. Warriors; Golden State Perspective
New Orleans, La- With seven games remaining in the regular season for the New Orleans Pelicans, each game holds significant weight moving forward. Next up are the Golden State Warriors, who the Pelicans have the same loss record as. The Warriors boast one of the league's best home records, so winning will be a tall task for New Orleans.
The Pelicans currently lead the season series 2-1, so a win on Tuesday night gives them the seasons series, and they would own any tiebreaker with the Warriors. Both teams are two games back in the loss column of the fourth-seed Phoenix Suns.
Terry Kimble from the Pelicans Scoop Podcast sat with Peter O'Keefe of Fansided's Blue Man Hoop. Peter discusses the impact of the Draymond Green punch, the lopsided road/home record, and a preview of Tuesday night's big matchup.
Pelicans Scoop: Andrew Wiggins was instrumental in the Warriors' championship run last season. With him being away for personal reasons, is there a sense he may return for the playoffs? If not, how will the Warriors look to compensate for his loss?
Peter O'Keefe: Wiggins' absence is peculiar and the franchise has done well to keep it as private as possible. Their own wording on the situation has turned to one of being 'hopeful' that he'll return, rather than any sort of real confidence that he'll be back this season. This was arguably the second-best player in the NBA Finals last season, meaning it's impossible to replace his level of quality and production.
Jonathan Kuminga has the body type, athleticism and defensive insitncts to largely replace what Wiggins can do on that end of the floor, but no team is respecting his jumpshot despite the fact he's shooting well over 40% from three this calendar year. Gary Payton II returned against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and looked good, while Donte DiVincenzo has been the one starting in Wiggins' absence. The three mentioned are all solid players in their own right, but none are providing the two-way presence that Wiggins does at his best.
Pelicans Scoop: Much has been made this season about the Warrior's road versus home record disparity. What do you attribute the vast difference to?
Peter O'Keefe: They just don't bring it defensively -- they're ranked third on that end at home, and third-last on the road. I think there's a multitude of factors starting with some complacency, thinking they're the defending champions and that everything will just come to them. Then you have the Jordan Poole-Draymond Green incident in training camp that's definitely effected team chemistry.
Those two issues can be overcome by the vibrant and uplifting Chase Center crowd, but not so much in a hostile environment where they regularly appear unfocused. Additionally, they've dealt with large periods of absence for Curry and Wiggins which has placed greater responsibility on younger role players. It's a well-known league-wide fact that these types perform better at home than on the road.
Nov 5, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives while being defended by New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Pelicans Scoop: Steph Curry's numbers are comparable to his MVP seasons and he's even averaging a career-high in rebounds this year. How has he continued to perform so well at age 35?
Peter O'Keefe: Aside from a shoulder and leg injury that's seen him miss two separate periods, Curry's physical shape is as good as ever and a real testament to all the work he puts in. His perimeter style of play is also conducive to longevity, rather than the explosive, athletic point-guards like a Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Ja Morant etc.
Still, he needs to be in good shape to run around screens like a maniac, and he certainly hasn't slowed down whatsoever in that aspect. He's noticeably bulked up from his earlier years, allowing him to deal with physical defenders and finish around the rim and through contact at a much higher rate.
Pelicans Scoop: What impact, if any, did Draymond Green's altercation with Jordan Poole at the beginning of the year really have on the psyche of this team?
Peter O'Keefe: As outlined before, there's certainly been an impact. How much is hard to determine, and will really only be known or quantified in the aftermath once at least one of them are no longer with the team (which, if things work themselves out, could be years). Again, it lays bare more on the road than at home I think.
Pelicans Scoop: What is the biggest area of concern for the Warriors during this stretch run and into the playoffs?
Peter O'Keefe: Just finding some level of consistency, particularly on the road obviously. They've beaten some of the best teams in the league, showcasing their best is still right there at the top when they're committed. However, they've also suffered losses against lowly teams and often in brutal, unnecessary, and simply dumb fashion.
Whenever they look to be gaining momentum with a few straight wins, they'll inevitably produce a poor performance which halts their progress and prevents them from assembling a sustained period of high-quality basketball. Wiggins is clearly a big concern as well, they can't win it all without him.
Pelicans Scoop: Give us one thing (matchup/lineup/stat etc...) we should be looking for in Tuesday's game versus New Orleans.
Peter O'Keefe: I'm really interested to see how the Warriors combat the red-hot Brandon Ingram, and how he himself will handle what is a top three defense in the league on their home floor. If Wiggins doesn't return at all this season, then alot of these wing matchups will fall on Kuminga and what better way to prepare himself than against a guy who's posted 30+ points in four of his last five games.
I'd expect Payton and DiVincenzo to get a crack for stages as well, but while they can be really physical, there's a sizeable height advantage there that Ingram can easily exploit. Clearly Steve Kerr could utilize Green one-one-one as well, though I'd expect the Warriors to use him as a 'break glass in case of emergency' option on Ingram. Whether the Pels star can explode again, or if the Warriors can quell his influence, may well determine the final result.
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