November 26th - New Orleans Pelicans @ Utah Jazz - 9-8

Pelicans Gameday in Utah!

🏀: vs Utah Jazz
🕖: 8:00 pm CT
📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @995WRNO #Pelicans | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/9cJtQX0KJG

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 27, 2023

Lost last game. It was bad, we all know it. Moving on.

Zion's back, as expected - whether people like it or not, the team is continuing the trend of resting him in circumstances of 3 games in 4 nights, and while I hope they stop towards the end of the season, I do still understand why. Whatever the case, he's back now.

Other injuries:

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The official injury report for Monday sees CJ McCollum (right lung small pneumothorax), Trey Murphy (left knee partial meniscectomy), Matt Ryan (right calf strain) and Dereon Seabron (G League two-way) all listed as Out.

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With regards Utah; Lauri Markkanen is now listed as ''questionable'' rather than out, as is Clarkson.

I think this should be a win game, after the loss last time out. I expect Lauri's return because we never get good luck, and this will amplify their offense but will present opportunities to attack him - particularly in transition, which is an area this team has thrived on in recent wins.

Team's got to get back on track. Effort was down massively last game, they have to pick it back up. Win or lose, the intensity of the 5-1 stretch must remain.

After that preformance last time we deserve to lose this one. I can already see some random guy like Olynyk shoots 7-9 from 3.

If we want to show that we are better team, we have to do it during 48 minutes. Every game we have 5-6 minutes colapse which cost us 14-15 points.
I really beleave in this team, much more then i did on the start of the season. That first quarter against Minnesota showed me what we can be. Question is if we WANT to be that.
Valanciunas had a stinker he will be better, Herb needs to stay out of foul trouble. Limit turnovers, play hard on defense and offense will come by itself.

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Originally Posted by Mrakar

After that preformance last time we deserve to lose this one. I can already see some random guy like Olynyk shoots 7-9 from 3.

If we want to show that we are better team, we have to do it during 48 minutes. Every game we have 5-6 minutes colapse which cost us 14-15 points.
I really beleave in this team, much more then i did on the start of the season. That first quarter against Minnesota showed me what we can be. Question is if we WANT to be that.
Valanciunas had a stinker he will be better, Herb needs to stay out of foul trouble. Limit turnovers, play hard on defense and offense will come by itself.

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What a ridiculous thing to say.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

What a ridiculous thing to say.

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Why? Karma is a **********, i really beleave in that.

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Originally Posted by Mrakar

Why? Karma is a **********, i really beleave in that.

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Any team can lose to anyone given circumstances and fortune. We should have won last game but we didn't. You know what the ''karma'' was for playing badly last game?

Losing last game.

That was the consequence of the action. Now they have an opportunity to take a new, different action. Acting like making one mistake means you deserve other mistakes is a pathway to a downward spiral that never lets anyone get any better.

Lauri Markkanen (hamstring) ruled out Monday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) November 27, 2023

Markkanen confirmed out.

Pelicans and CJ McCollum, out since Nov. 4 due to small lung collapse, set a target for his return to action: pic.twitter.com/WS6zouOhwm

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 27, 2023

Pels & CJ targeting a return later this week, according to Shams.

When (if) we ever get fully healthy, I’d like to see us run these two lineups:

Dyson, CJ, Herb, BI, Jonas. Good combo of shooting and defense.

Jose/Naji, Hawkins, Trey, Zion, Zeller Not much defense, but the analytic people should salivate over the potential this lineup would have.

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Originally Posted by Freyfamilyreuni

When (if) we ever get fully healthy, I’d like to see us run these two lineups:

Dyson, CJ, Herb, BI, Jonas. Good combo of shooting and defense.

Jose/Naji, Hawkins, Trey, Zion, Zeller Not much defense, but the analytic people should salivate over the potential this lineup would have.

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If your intent is just to totally sack defense off and go with a hyper-offensive lineup, then you'd want to trade Jose/Naji out for CJ or Matt Ryan anyway. Zion + max shooting and a rebounding big.

Yeah, the defense would downgrade but frankly, if you're going hyperoffense you can't afford to half-bake it. You have to guarantee an outrageous ORtg, so shooting from as many positions as possible is a virtue next to Zion. And to be honest, CJ has been a fine defender in his few games this year so far anyway. Not great, but fine.

Jordan Clarkson (illness) available to play Monday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) November 27, 2023

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

If your intent is just to totally sack defense off and go with a hyper-offensive lineup, then you'd want to trade Jose/Naji out for CJ or Matt Ryan anyway. Zion + max shooting and a rebounding big.

Yeah, the defense would downgrade but frankly, if you're going hyperoffense you can't afford to half-bake it. You have to guarantee an outrageous ORtg, so shooting from as many positions as possible is a virtue next to Zion. And to be honest, CJ has been a fine defender in his few games this year so far anyway. Not great, but fine.

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It depends. CJ isn’t always comfortable as a catch and shoot guy, and I don’t want CJ creating his own shot, interfering with a constant barrage of point Zion. (Plus I’m trying to get as many people involved as possible). And having some dog out there always helps.

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Originally Posted by Freyfamilyreuni

It depends. CJ isn’t always comfortable as a catch and shoot guy, and I don’t want CJ creating his own shot, interfering with a constant barrage of point Zion. (Plus I’m trying to get as many people involved as possible). And having some dog out there always helps.

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Or Matt Ryan, as I said - which simply gets more people involved as well, since he wasn't part of your Lineup 1.

In any case, CJ has been a really good C&S guy his entire career, I trust him in the role.

His last 5 years of C&S 3s:

2023/4: 37.9% on 4.8 a game
2022/3: 41.3% on 4.3 a game
2021/2: 39.4% on 3.1 a game
2020/1: 47.6% on 3.1 a game
2019/20: 46.0% on 3.4 a game

Dude's great off the catch, and has only increased his C&S volume since coming to NO.

I'd be good with CJ coming off the bench in order to insert TM3 in the starting lineup. Otherwise we need CJ as the starter to provide perimeter shooting.

Oh he's definitely starting. You can give arguments for and against it, but at the end of the day him being a vocal, visible veteran with an all-star level name and a $30m contract means he's going to get started regardless of whether it's the right decision for the on-court play.

Fortunately, there are real basketball arguments supporting him starting, so we're spoiled in that sense. Lucky Pelicans fans.

im glad clarkson is playing because i believe in crazy things like utah falling back to earth tonight instead of playing above their heads because both of their stars would be out again......so, i hope clarkson level things out for the other players to rely on him and we can get the win....

go pels...

These are the teams we agave to start beating 90 percent of the time. If we have aspirations to compete, we need to start beating these grimy goblin teams. With Zion back this should be easy, but don’t take it for granted. With our without we should not be losing.

Another sloppy start

Dyson really needs to get a corner 3 shot

I guess if the refs aren’t going to call the foul they decided to even it up by not calling the travel.

Sheesh

Where is BI ?? Does he still play for us or is he glued to his seat??

All those good games against the top west teams only to struggle against the Jazz.... hopefully we don't see them in the play-ins

why cant we just dunk it on a fastbreak. naji was too worried about the defender. just go hard and slam it home.

great drive naji! Can i just say that I really hope the organisation is having serious thoughts about rebranding the team. The city edition uniform is fire, how boring are our regular uniforms? I think the city edition encapsulates new orleans perfectly. I think they will sell a hell of a lot more around the world. Also we can become like the Raiders of the NFL from the 80s and 90s have a party atmosphere at the blender but with some badass uniforms. do it Gale! We are so vanilla and boring with branding.

That was a sweet pass