February 27th - New Orleans Pelicans @ San Antonio Spurs - 14-18

No #Pelicans players listed on injury report for tonight?s game ⤵️ @SmoothieKing | #WBD https://t.co/Ed96AwSOmV

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 27, 2021

On the road again, this time to face off against the 16-12 San Antonio Spurs.

They are 22nd in ORtg and 8th in DRtg, which is the kind of thing we actually don't mind meeting: our offense is great so matching up against a good defense doesn't ruin us, and our defense is bad so playing a team with a bad offense is (on paper) a good thing. Of course, the reverse is also true: they have a terrible offense so they'll be glad to meet a porous defense, and so on.

The Spurs have played one game since February 14th. This is due to various game reschedulings and cancellations due to COVID stuff, but the end result is that this team has basically had 2 weeks off, meanwhile we've been scratching and clawing at games that entire time. Will we be able to catch a sleeping team, gone cold? Or will their rest have re-energised them while we flag in strength? It will be interesting to see.

Aldridge and DeRozan are both questionable, and Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Derrick White, and Rudy Gay are all listed as out. Frankly speaking, that should make this game eminently winnable: they're missing at least 4 of their top 10 minutes getters this season, potentially missing as many as six. That should make them a team designed for us to steamroll.

Of course, it's San Antonio, so it's never that easy. They're a disciplined team, only turning the ball over 11 times a game and fouling at the league's second lowest rate. They don't give up easy looks at the rim: opponents get the 5th fewest 2pt attempts against San Antonio in the league. In general, this is a team that is winning due to discipline and structure, despite a relative lack of talent (not saying they have no talent, but they're not stacked top to bottom like, say, Utah is).

For us, I think we should enter this game determined for a win. Nobody on our team is out, while they're plague-stricken. Their offense is bad, they have barely played in weeks, and we're actually not playing too badly recently (won 3 of our last 5, and are 7-6 over our last 13), so we should try and pick this one up while we can.

Will we?

This game will tell for sure who is better

Keldon or Zion?

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Originally Posted by AusPel

This game will tell for sure who is better

Keldon or Zion?

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Sadly, Keldon is listed as out for now so we may miss this epic battle of the titans.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Sadly, Keldon is listed as out for now so we may miss this epic battle of the titans.

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Ah, shoot.

Another bloody win coming up

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Ah, shoot.

Another bloody win coming up

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How could the Spurs ever pull off a win without the

14/7/2 on 46/32/77 splits (55.6%TS), -1.0BPM, +0.0 Net Rating, -14.4 on/off, -0.3 ScoreVal, -0.6 PlayVal, -0.6RPM, -1.1 EPM

of Keldon Johnson?

Very jealous of them, all we have is the

26/7/3 on 62/32/71 splits (65.7%TS), +4.5BPM, +10 Net Rating, +1.9 on/off, +2.4 ScoreVal, +0.5 PlayVal, +1.3RPM, +2.1 EPM

that Zion gives us. Just not nearly as good.

Was not mad about the Milwaukee loss. Was a road b2b. Bad matchup even with them missing a couple players. Was actually proud they took it to the final seconds. They probably win that game if defense isn't trash.

This game though. Will be highly disappointing if they can't take it. With Utah up next. They kinda need it.

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Originally Posted by luckyman

Was not mad about the Milwaukee loss. Bad matchup even with them missing a couple players. Was actually proud they took it to the final seconds. They probably win that game is defense isn't trash.

This game though. Will be disappointing if they can't take it. With Utah up next. They kinda need it.

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Need it for what reason? To get 10th and a chance of the play in?

Nah fam. Essentially we know what we have with every player on the roster. Winning does nothing for me right now. I want to lose every game from here on out to get the best pick possible

2021-2022 is when we attack hard

So what I'm saying is play NAW and Jax 40 minutes a night, they are the only 2 "unknowns". Zo too, but he's starting to find a trend with his play

Spurs always a tough battle. I wish I had the day off. I'd drive to SA. Love the Spurs arena.

JJ Redick (right hamstring tightness) has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight’s game against San Antonio.

— Pelicans PR (@PelicansPR) February 27, 2021

Have many players re-built their jumper as effectively as Lonzo has

Props to both Vinson and Zo

Nice pass from Adams to extricate the ball out of that very awkward position

I actually think Adams stopped Zion from rebounding that. Kind of self-over the back

Good drive from Bledsoe and nice bounce pass from Lonzo to move it along

1st quarter BI with the drip

Really good drive defense from Bledsoe and Adams and then Ingram hits an awkward and-one on the other end

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Originally Posted by AusPel

1st quarter BI with the drip

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Joel and AD on the broadcast pointing out that he's trying to hit that comeback after going 1/10 from deep last game

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Joel and AD on the broadcast pointing out that he's trying to hit that comeback after going 1/10 from deep last game

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I like it, but nothing will tell more of a story than what the guys do in the last 5 minutes

BI = Being Instrumental

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Originally Posted by AusPel

I like it, but nothing will tell more of a story than what the guys do in the last 5 minutes

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Oh for sure. Not saying that first quarter heroics make up for anything, just pointing it out.

Zion has not yet taken a shot.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Oh for sure. Not saying that first quarter heroics make up for anything, just pointing it out.

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NBA 1st quarters are fun, but there's barely a lick of defense ever played

Same with the 2nd quarter really

If BI is hot. Let him cook.

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Originally Posted by AusPel

NBA 1st quarters are fun, but there's barely a lick of defense ever played

Same with the 2nd quarter really

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I would caution against having timer-bias though.

Scoring 20 points matters just as much in the first quarter as it does in the fourth. Points don't suddenly become more magical later in the game; 2 points is 2 points and it adds to the score-board in precisely the same way. Bury an opponent deep enough early enough and it doesn't matter how good they would have been in clutch time because clutch time never happens: you get garbage time instead.

Pretty much the sole reason Zo has gaudy numbers is because no one plays defense in the 1st quarter

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Originally Posted by Taker597

If BI is hot. Let him cook.

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Sure, what's the explanation for Hart getting more shots in 1 minute than Zion got in 7?

Not saying ''take shots away from Ingram'', saying ''why do we seem to have an allergy against feeding Zion for like 40% of all game minutes?''