Pelicans vs. Lakers: Can Lebron James, Anthony Davis Slow Down Pelicans?

The New Orleans Pelicans (33-43, 9th Western Conference) can half their magic number to secure an NBA Playoffs Play-in spot with a win over Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers could be bounced out of the playoff picture altogether with no NBA Draft pick consolation prize waiting at the end of the year. This is arguably the biggest game of the year for both squads. However, Willie Green is playing with house money while Frank Vogel has a guillotine hanging over his job.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers

When: April 1, 2022 @ 9:30 pm CT
Where: Los Angeles, LA Cyrpto.com Arena
How To Watch/Listen: Bally Sports NO, ESPN 100.3FM New Orleans

Expected Starting Lineups:

New Orleans Pelicans: CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Jaxson Hayes, Jonas Valanciunas

Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Lebron James, Stanley Johnson, Anthony Davis

The implications of this game cannot be overstated. The Lakers need to make the NBA Playoffs proper to salvage their season and keep a stain off the legacy of Lebron James. Anthony Davis has taken a massive hit to his reputation since leaving the Orlando bubble. The Lakers cannot restock their future through the draft if they lose their pick to New Orleans, which is very likely to happen with a loss on April Fool’s Day.

For all of these reasons and more, James (ankle) and Davis (foot) will try to make a return to the lineup after stints on the injury report. The Lakers jumped out to an early lead, James dropped 39 points in 41 minutes and yet New Orleans still found a way to win despite a 23-point deficit last Sunday. The Lakers will need the home-court advantage but Los Angeles has been expressing their displeasure with this team often.

Willie Green’s squad has shown their ability to keep calm and handle pressure. They’ve done so since digging a 1-12 hole to start the season through that Lakers comeback and the gritty win in Portland on Wednesday. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram will look to continue building on their chemistry to fulfill the potential of this salvaged season.

Willie Green and Frank Vogel will make some adjustments. Herb Jones will again get the first shot at slowing down Lebron James. James was unusually accurate from three-point range to start the last game but Jones did well to slow him down in the second half. Vogel has to find ways to get the other Laker stars easier opportunities.

Like James and Davis, Ingram (hamstring) and McCollum (health and safety protocols) are also still shaking off the rust. McCollum and Ingram will be guarded mostly by Westbrook, Malik Monk, Wenyen Gabriel, and Austin Reeves. If those two stars can match the scoring punch of Davis and Russell Westbrook, the Pelicans have the depth to secure an undefeated season against the Lakers even if James has another big game.

The Pelicans will need more consistency from the bench units. Devonte Graham has made more than 3 shots just four times in the last 15 games. He has shot only 18 free throws and 9 were against the Chicago Bulls. Jose Alvarado has been stepping up recently but New Orleans needs their sixth-mark spark plug to fire clean more often.

They also need to find a way to get Jones some easy looks. Herb has hit a wall offensively. He is just 12/41 from the field in his last 5 games. His 6/14 night against the Lakers was the only game he made more than two shots.

The Lakers have lost four straight while the Pelicans have won their past two games. The SI Sportsbook has faith the Pelicans will pull out another win. It might be considered one of the most important wins in franchise history.

Willie Green and the Pelicans just have to stay focused on the job at hand and not let the emotions of the night get to them. The Pelicans should be well prepared coming off of a win in McCollum’s Portland homecoming.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Expected Starting Lineups:

Read New Orleans Pelicans News