November 4th - New Orleans Pelicans vs Golden State Warriors - 4-3

Back in the @SmoothieKingCtr tonight vs. the Warriors!

🕢: 7:30 pm CT
📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @995WRNO #Pelicans | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/CVI3mO0ssO

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 4, 2022

Back in the Smoothie King Centre, and it's time to see what happens yet again. Obviously last game out was a rough loss. In terms of the team's record, it's not a big deal and nobody will care within a few weeks, but in terms of giving LA a win it's very annoying. Tonight is a chance to get a win as the team enters a very rough period: we play 7 games in the next 11 days, and there are two separate back to back stints, both of which involve both a home and an away game, meaning travel.

Our first back to back is tomorrow, where we face the Hawks on the road, so really playing Golden State at home becomes a real target that we want to win.

Why? Well, Golden State are 0-5 on the road so far this year, with losses to the Pistons and Hornets among those losses. They're not, so far, a good road team. We need to take advantage of any such opportunity we can get, and if we can do it before they start returning to the mean as a road team that would be great.

Injury Report: Herb and BI are both increased to 'probable' on the injury report. If they do both return, this will be our first time playing with a full starting lineup since the Jazz game, when we were 2-0.

Let's see if we can take it before one of the rougher schedules of the season hits in full force.

PSA: I shall wager a decent sum of money on the Pels vs Warriors tonight. It would be a VERY decent sum of money if somebody can convince me that Herb and BI will be playing.

Should be a win since we should be playing pissed after that lakers loss and the warriors just played last night and losing a close one against the magic.. steph played 38 min while klay played 34 min... buy then again we aren't good defensively which could be a problem

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Originally Posted by PaKwAn

Should be a win since we should be playing pissed after that lakers loss and the warriors just played last night and losing a close one against the magic.. steph played 38 min while klay played 34 min... buy then again we aren't good defensively which could be a problem

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We aren't an elite defense but, with Herb back (hopefully), our defensive rating as a team when adjusted to remove garbage time is top 14, so we're not a horrific defensive team either. Meanwhile, the Warriors have the worst adjusted defensive rating in the NBA, and are 12th on offense (we're 2nd).

Overall, we have the leagues 5th best net rating when adjusted for garbage time, they have the 26th. This game should be a win if everyone is healthy and focused. Of course, the games you should win are also the riskiest.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

We aren't an elite defense but, with Herb back (hopefully), our defensive rating as a team when adjusted to remove garbage time is top 14, so we're not a horrific defensive team either. Meanwhile, the Warriors have the worst adjusted defensive rating in the NBA, and are 12th on offense (we're 2nd).

Overall, we have the leagues 5th best net rating when adjusted for garbage time, they have the 26th. This game should be a win if everyone is healthy and focused. Of course, the games you should win are also the riskiest.

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31 of the 45 FG's made by the Lakers at the rim on Wednesday is not good defense by any measure. Is your argument that the whole Laker game was 'garbage time'?

Now, you wanna talk about defensive rebounding or the slew of defensive rebounds (3) our starting PF had on Wednesday?

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Originally Posted by As I See It

31 of the 45 FG's made by the Lakers at the rim on Wednesday is not good defense by any

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Also worth mentioning that Nance played 30 min compared to Jonas 20 min.

“The Warriors are resting Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins tonight in New Orleans.”

Say what?

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

“The Warriors are resting Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins tonight in New Orleans.”

Say what?

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Well, that should help.

Honestly, makes the Laker game even harder to swallow

We absolutely need to come out focused, put this game away early, and rest our starters for tomorrow.

Come on Jazz, you're our only help/hope

Wow, check this out: https://www.si.com/nba/2022/11/04/wa...game-road-trip

The Warriors are resting Steph, Klay, Draymond, & Wiggins tonight.

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Originally Posted by Eyquem

Wow, check this out: https://www.si.com/nba/2022/11/04/wa...game-road-trip

The Warriors are resting Steph, Klay, Draymond, & Wiggins tonight.

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Well that's fantastic. I'll take it. But I wouldn't have thought to take his comments last night to THAT extreme. :hihi:

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"We have to save us," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Because nobody else is coming.

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"We've had nine games now, so we've had a decent look at combinations. It's time to try something different," Kerr said. "Everybody's gonna get a chance to play. We've got guys who are dying to get on the floor, and we've got to find combinations that play. We will look at that as a staff."

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Originally Posted by luckyman

Well that's fantastic. I'll take it. But I wouldn't have thought to take his comments last night to THAT extreme. :hihi:

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Sounds like Steve Kerr is using this game as a player evaluation game. Like a preseason game almost. I'm not sure if we should feel disrespected or not.

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Originally Posted by Chris

Sounds like Steve Kerr is using this game as a player evaluation game. Like a preseason game almost. I'm not sure if we should feel disrespected or not.

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Not even worried about it. He probably looked at the back-to-back and actually took the swing to win one yesterday against Orlando. Seems like a load management thing, and I absolutely will take it

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Originally Posted by Chris

Sounds like Steve Kerr is using this game as a player evaluation game. Like a preseason game almost. I'm not sure if we should feel disrespected or not.

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Feeling disrespected doesn't matter to me. Wins are wins, it all looks the same in the win column at the end of the season.

Of course, this also makes it very easy for this to be a trap game. Team sees it's facing the C-team, comes out slow, feeling like they've already won, and gets rocked. It's happened before to a huge number of teams: can't fall into that trap. Gotta come in as serious and as focused as you ever would.

Probably a trap game where we could coast for 40 minutes, then turn it on for the last 8 and win by 15 in the end

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Probably a trap game where we could coast for 40 minutes, then turn it on for the last 8 and win by 15 in the end

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Based on how we played last game, we shouldn't be doing no coasting. Put them away early and rest the guys so they can be ready for tomorrow

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Originally Posted by Silverfoxx

Based on how we played last game, we shouldn't be doing no coasting. Put them away early and rest the guys so they can be ready for tomorrow

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Think about what the psychology of the team will be, knowing that 80% of their starting five is out. The only guy left is a nominal offensive threat, even when they have a whole squad.

Human nature to dial things back a bit until it really counts, when your expectations are that things are likely to be a lot easier than what they should have been

Elite sport is 90% above the shoulders, as they say

First time going to see Steph in person so disappointing from that aspect. Obviously better for our chances to win so that's good.

Winning the game is always the goal, but I want to keep them below 90 points in the worst way. We'll only go as far as our defense takes us. With their top four guys out, we should crush them, but I won't hold my breath.

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Originally Posted by Silverfoxx

Based on how we played last game, we shouldn't be doing no coasting. Put them away early and rest the guys so they can be ready for tomorrow

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This has got to be the mindset. Crush them early and let the bench play the 4th qtr.

I just hope the staff doesn't think "let's give Herb one more day of rest because the GSW scrubs are playing tonight."

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Originally Posted by ml wave

First time going to see Steph in person so disappointing from that aspect. Obviously better for our chances to win so that's good.

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He's my favorite player in the league and 2nd favorite behind MJ all time.

Have seen him twice in person and it was painful both times. If he can't go against the Pels, its time to celebrate.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Feeling disrespected doesn't matter to me. Wins are wins, it all looks the same in the win column at the end of the season.

Of course, this also makes it very easy for this to be a trap game. Team sees it's facing the C-team, comes out slow, feeling like they've already won, and gets rocked. It's happened before to a huge number of teams: can't fall into that trap. Gotta come in as serious and as focused as you ever would.

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On top of that, you will have bench players looking to "show out" now that the starters are resting. They will be fighting hard to prove they deserve a starting spot. We can't get complacent.