Forty-eight hours after their decisive clash on the last day of the regular season, the Pelicans and the Lakers meet again. This time, it's for the “play-in” with the stake being a number 7 seed to face the Nuggets in the first round. Just that !
Even if the Pelicans have been in a position to qualify for the playoffs for a very long time, they collapsed in the last match against… the Lakers, and based on their form at the moment, and the record in the regular season, it is difficult not to bet on the teammates by LeBron James. They combine experience and dynamics, facing the Pelicans who may have taken a morale hit with this final defeat which deprives them of a first round against the Wolves.
PRESENTATION OF THE LAKERS
The holders: D. Russell, A. Reaves, L. James, R. Hachimura, A. Davis.
The replacements: T. Prince, S. Dinwiddie, M. Christie, J. Hayes, G. Vincent, H. Giles, C. Reddish.
The absents : J. Vanderbilt, C. Wood
The coach: D.Ham.
Like last season, the Lakers ended the season like a cannonball, and like this last victory in New Orleans, they can be irresistible certain evenings. Especially when Anthony Davis reigns on the racket, and shooters like D'Angelo Russell and… LeBron James allow the game to be spread as much as possible. The losses of Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are fairly well compensated, and it should not have too much impact in the playoffs with reduced rotations.
The strong point
– The dynamic. Even if in the end, they did not make the playoffs, the Lakers are one of the best teams in 2024. Unlike last season, they did not need to make big trades, and only Spencer Dinwiddie arrived during the season to provide points and management off the bench. LeBron James is even more frisky than he was a year ago, and he hasn't played this much in five years. The lights are green, even if the injury exit of Anthony Davis obviously caused concern on Sunday evening.
The weak point
– The inner rotation. Rui Hachimura complements Anthony Davis with his ability to swallow up spaces in quick play, and his play in front of the circle. But he's not a defender-rebounder like Vanderbilt is and that can prove to be a real weak point against well-equipped teams inside. If Davis suffers from back pain, Zion Williamson could take the opportunity to attack him.
PRESENTATION OF THE PELICANS
The holders : C. McCollum, B. Ingram, H. Jones, Z. Williamson, J. Valanciunas
The replacements : T. Murphy III, N. Marshall, L. Nance Jr, J. Alvarado, J. Hawkins, D. Daniels, C. Zeller.
The absents : None
The coach :Willie Green
Brandon Ingram just returned, but he obviously won't be 100%. In his absence, Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum held down the house, and they signed perhaps their best career season. Having gone under the radar all season, the Pelicans have a rotation of 7-8 very high level players, with athletic qualities, outside shooting and running. But it lacks an interior capable of regularly punishing from afar to bring out the big opponents.
The strong point
– 3-point defense. Even though D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves dominated them on Sunday, the Pelicans have the best outside defense in the country, and the 6th defense in the country. Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III are aggressive and mobile, and the long segments of Brandon Ingram and the progress of Zion Williamson greatly hamper the opponents, limited to 35% at 3-points. Another strong point: balloon flying, with the 3rd mark in the entire NBA.
The weak point
– Protection of the circle. The Pelicans racket is “heavy” with Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson. The first compensates with his profession and his physique, while the second brings his dynamism and explosiveness. But as we saw on Sunday, the Lakers did a lot of work in the racket with, for example, 50 points to 12 in the first half.
THE KEY TO THE MATCH
– Defense on LeBron James. Very close to his career passing record, LeBron James reigned over Sunday's meeting. Master of the tempo, he anticipated the Pelicans' zone passes, and Willie Green never found the solution to limit his influence on the game. Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones are athletic and mobile, but neither managed to hinder James.
REGULAR SEASON
LA Lakers 3-1
December 7: LA Lakers – New Orleans (133 – 89)
December 31st : New Orleans – LA Lakers (129 – 109)
February 9: LA Lakers – New Orleans (139-122)
April 14: New Orleans – LA Lakers (108 – 124)
VERDICT
LA Lakers. The Pelicans' real pet peeves this season, the Lakers beat them by 15 points or more three times, and in two games, they had a lead of 30 points! This shows that Willie Green has not yet found the solution to slow down the Lakers. Moreover, in the two high-stakes matches they played, the Pelicans took a spanking. Notably in the semi-final of the NBA tournament with a 44-point defeat!
HOURLY
At 1:30 a.m., Tuesday night to Wednesday.
