Pelicans' Game-3 Mission: Stop Chris Paul, Suns Bench

The New Orleans Pelicans are coming home to a sold-out Smoothie King Center to face off against the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Playoffs. Phoenix will be without Devin Booker for the rest of the series allowing Willie Green to focus his game plans on Chris Paul.

Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Pelicans

When: April 22, 2022 @ 8:30 pm CT
Where: New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
How To Watch/Listen: ESPN, Bally Sports, ESPN 100.3FM New Orleans

Expected Starting Lineups:

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

Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton

Green does give the rest of the roster credit. They did not earn the best overall record in NBA this season by accident. Green knows the Suns and Chris Paul “are extremely dangerous. I wouldn’t call them desperate or wounded. With Booker their dangerous. Without Booker they are dangerous. They are well-coached, disciplined, and the number one team in the NBA for a reason. We’ll approach the game as such.”

Booker's absence allows Willie Green to focus more of the game plan on stopping Chris Paul. Paul will log more minutes, and a higher usage rate with Booker sidelined. He can look forward to being hounded by Jose Alvarado and Herb Jones almost every minute.

Landry Shamet will be asked to help fill the void in the backcourt. He joined the starting five the last time Booker dealt with hamstring issues, averaging 12 points and 2 assists while shooting 40% from the field.

Phoenix has 94 points in the paint, thanks mainly to Deandre Ayton's dominating last two games. Jonas Valanciunas might get some help clearing the boards and limiting second chances with Booker on the mend. Those extra possessions helped the Suns score 54 bench points in this series.

Cameron Johnson, Cameron Payne, and Shamet still have the talent to make New Orleans pay if the Pelicans get tunnel vision on defense. CJ McCollum knows, "Nothing is guaranteed. You have to play better at home. Raise the level of intensity. Raise the level of focus, and as you get closer to elimination, or eliminating a team, the game gets harder."

McCollum chose the Pelicans because he thought they were built for these playoff moments. After being traded to New Orleans, McCollum complimented Ingram's talents, saying that playing with this core of young veterans was a great opportunity. The New Orleans rookies have been just as impressive during this late-season run, earning McCollum's trust and faith in the clutch.

Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado will continue to get meaningful minutes regardless of the scoreline. McCollum says they've earned the team's trust because the rookies are "just mentally strong…strong in their faith, strong in what they believe in, and strong in their abilities.

When you get an opportunity like this, you want to take full advantage of it. That's the underdog mindset, and I'm happy to see them playing well and taking full advantage of the occasion."

New Orleans has been disadvantaged due to injuries all season. Conversations about Zion Williamson's return are still ongoing. These Pelicans will feel no remorse scooping two home playoff wins in front of sold-out Red Out crowds.

Despite the circumstances on each roster, Coach Green will continue to “be consistent with my message. Look at the glass as half full rather than half empty. It’s a lot of good that our guys have been doing all season long, but they weren’t getting the results. They continued to be in the gym, work, enjoy being around each other, continue to have faith, and believe in each other."

All that hard work has paid off in with an improbable postseason run. After a 1-12 start to the campaign, New Orleans could finally be in the driver's seat of their season with a Game 3 win over former coach Monty Williams.

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