14th November - New Orleans Pelicans VA LA Clippers - 2-8

[Pelicanidae]

The record's getting dicy. We are currently on pace to win 16 games. Ouch.

Tonight, we have another laundry list of injuries. Here's the injury report for this game:

Pelicans Injury Report - 11/14 vs. LAC
OUT: Lonzo Ball (R Adductor Strain), Josh Hart (L Knee Sprain/L Ankle Sprain), Darius Miller (R Achilles Surgery), Zion Williamson (R Knee Scope)
QUESTIONABLE: Brandon Ingram (R Knee Soreness), Jahlil Okafor (L Ankle Sprain)

— Pelicans PR (@PelicansPR) November 13, 2019

Yep, that's right. No Lonzo, no Hart, no Miller, no Zion, and possibly no Ingram or Okafor. That means that 6 guys are either guaranteed to be out, or questionable to play. That's almost a playoffs rotation worth of guys.

I guess I'll just quickly run through the Clippers. They're currently 7-4, and coming off a game just last night where they lost to the Rockets. So in a sense, that's an advantage: we've had rest, they haven't. On the other hand, we're injury riddled and just not that good, and they're getting Paul George back tonight. Hooray.

As of right now, the Clippers have the league's 16th rated offense (we're 14th) but the league's 10th rated defense (we're 28th) so obviously they have some advantages on us. And that's without Paul George, who is a 25+ point per night, 40% three point shooter, all defensive type guy. So they're probably just going to get better on both ends with him coming back.

Unfortunately paying too much attention to their individual stats is kind of pointless given the size of the piece that Paul George is. Right now, for example, they're 27th in the NBA in 3pt %age, but there's no way that's going to stay that low when PG returns. They barely take 30 threes a game: last year, PG took 9.8 per game at 39%. So he could well be responsible for something like a 30% increase in 3pt volume for them, at high efficiency. That would make their current 3pt %age totally unrepresentative of the team we actually face.

So basically, with so many guys out, we need a few things to happen:

- Jrue has to return to himself and have a good game offensively
- The backups need to really produce (NAW, for example)
- We need to take advantage of their relatively weak interior defense; more rolling from Favors would be good
- Team defense needs to come together

If those things happen, we have something of a chance. If they don't, we're gonna get smoked.

But let's hope they do happen! Let's go out there and give it our best. #WBD

[Taker597]

So, 2-9?

Rest of November is brutal. I see 2-3 wins at best and that includes an AD return.

[13 - 3]

Paul George debuts as Clipper tonight

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/s...ul-george.html

[luckyman]

So it seems the Clippers, through the first 11 games anyway, are playing exactly as I thought they would back in the summer. Which was not a popular take. Think someone here even said I was crazy.

I'll also add Kawhi is putting up numbers, but has not been efficient at all.

The key to tonight will be getting BI back, and how well Derrick and Jahlil play. The big men play well then they'll have a great chance to win tonight. It is and will continue to be the Clippers kryptonite.

[Pelicanidae]

Kawhi Leonard (left knee injury management) and Patrick Beverley (sore left calf) will miss tonight’s game vs. the Pelicans. Paul George is listed as probable.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 14, 2019

No Kawhi or Pat Bev

[kinglio21093]

This team is cursed. Prove me wrong.

[13 - 3]

Kawhi Leonard (left knee injury management) and Patrick Beverley (sore left calf) will miss tonight’s game vs. the Pelicans. Paul George is listed as probable.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 14, 2019

No Kawhi or Pat Bev

Load management. They are actually doing us a favor.

[Pelicanidae]

Load management. They are actually doing us a favor.

I know. Just figured that it's the kind of thing people would want to know, so I posted it

[Pelicanidae]

Only just realised I put ''VA'' in the title instead of ''VS'', smh

Apparently this game is now taking place in Virginia, guys, sorry.

[Fedupfan]

A friend of mine works at Oshner Sports Medicine, where some of the past Pels players have gone for things. She told me that a common feeling around there is that the injuries are largely due to the Pelicans pace and style of play. They believe that the majority of the injuries are non contact and more wear and tear. The new trainers were brought in to work on flexibility and body alignment in order to stop all the tendon and ligament issues. The sad thing she told me is that they are still having the same issues and it would benefit them to take it easier at practice. She said the Josh Hart knee buckle looked like it came from weakness and wear and tear. The contact wasn’t enough for his knee to bend like that without weakness.

[P_B_&_G]

A friend of mine works at Oshner Sports Medicine, where some of the past Pels players have gone for things. She told me that a common feeling around there is that the injuries are largely due to the Pelicans pace and style of play. They believe that the majority of the injuries are non contact and more wear and tear. The new trainers were brought in to work on flexibility and body alignment in order to stop all the tendon and ligament issues. The sad thing she told me is that they are still having the same issues and it would benefit them to take it easier at practice. She said the Josh Hart knee buckle looked like it came from weakness and wear and tear. The contact wasn’t enough for his knee to bend like that without weakness.

This is great and all but I don't buy it. None of these guys are playing heavy minutes so the pace shouldn't be an issue. Not to mention its way to early in the season for "wear and tear" to be an issue even with heavy minutes.

[Fedupfan]

This is great and all but I don't buy it. None of these guys are playing heavy minutes so the pace shouldn't be an issue. Not to mention its way to early in the season for "wear and tear" to be an issue even with heavy minutes.

Is this experience or opinion?

[Pelicanidae]

This is great and all but I don't buy it. None of these guys are playing heavy minutes so the pace shouldn't be an issue. Not to mention its way to early in the season for "wear and tear" to be an issue even with heavy minutes.

Yeah, if this was March I'd buy that completely, but some of these guys (Lonzo) barely played all summer, they've really only been under heavy pace for maybe 6 or 8 weeks if you include training camp, and that shouldn't be long enough for ''wear and tear'' to be taking guys out for 5 games at a time.

Obviously I'm no doctor, so maybe I'm wrong, but we aren't even playing at the craziest pace in the NBA. Rockets are faster than us, and we're less than 1 point faster than the Bucks, and neither of those teams are experiencing breakdown at this rate. Each team has had basically 1 injury (Capela for Rockets, Middleton for Bucks) whereas we have half the damned roster out.

I just wanna add that this is just my speculation. No medical training whatsoever, but it does just seem a little odd to me that we would be getting this, and in such volume, and not any of the other teams playing at this kind of pace.

[PELICANSFAN]

A friend of mine works at Oshner Sports Medicine, where some of the past Pels players have gone for things. She told me that a common feeling around there is that the injuries are largely due to the Pelicans pace and style of play. They believe that the majority of the injuries are non contact and more wear and tear. The new trainers were brought in to work on flexibility and body alignment in order to stop all the tendon and ligament issues. The sad thing she told me is that they are still having the same issues and it would benefit them to take it easier at practice. She said the Josh Hart knee buckle looked like it came from weakness and wear and tear. The contact wasn’t enough for his knee to bend like that without weakness.

With regards to Hart, the contact was certainly enough to cause injury. It was reckless by Westbrook (likely out of frustration).

[msusousaphone]

We will absolutely steamroll these mofos!

[Fedupfan]

With regards to Hart, the contact was certainly enough to cause injury. It was reckless by Westbrook (likely out of frustration).

I actually told her that. I’m not arguing here. This is just what I was told and thought I would share.

[Pelicanidae]

With regards to Hart, the contact was certainly enough to cause injury. It was reckless by Westbrook (likely out of frustration).

It was basically the same thing Pat Bev did to Westbrook years ago to tear his meniscus.

[Fedupfan]

Yeah, if this was March I'd buy that completely, but some of these guys (Lonzo) barely played all summer, they've really only been under heavy pace for maybe 6 or 8 weeks if you include training camp, and that shouldn't be long enough for ''wear and tear'' to be taking guys out for 5 games at a time.

Obviously I'm no doctor, so maybe I'm wrong, but we aren't even playing at the craziest pace in the NBA. Rockets are faster than us, and we're less than 1 point faster than the Bucks, and neither of those teams are experiencing breakdown at this rate. Each team has had basically 1 injury (Capela for Rockets, Middleton for Bucks) whereas we have half the damned roster out.

I just wanna add that this is just my speculation. No medical training whatsoever, but it does just seem a little odd to me that we would be getting this, and in such volume, and not any of the other teams playing at this kind of pace.

It could be a curse. It’s what I attribute it to. I’ll believe other wise when they actually play a game with all five predicted starters.

[P_B_&_G]

Is this experience or opinion?

Experience, we aren't far enough along for overuse injuries. Dae pointed out some great observations in replying to my post as well. We aren't even the fastest paced team in the league. The injuries are just bad luck. Ie. #Pelslife

[JJackisangry]

A friend of mine works at Oshner Sports Medicine, where some of the past Pels players have gone for things. She told me that a common feeling around there is that the injuries are largely due to the Pelicans pace and style of play. They believe that the majority of the injuries are non contact and more wear and tear. The new trainers were brought in to work on flexibility and body alignment in order to stop all the tendon and ligament issues. The sad thing she told me is that they are still having the same issues and it would benefit them to take it easier at practice. She said the Josh Hart knee buckle looked like it came from weakness and wear and tear. The contact wasn’t enough for his knee to bend like that without weakness.

With as much depth as we have, I doubt this is the case- especially this early in the season. However, I do not think the style of play helps. The ball travels faster than any player can, so we need to start moving the ball more and less iso/driveandkicks. Our players are putting themselves at risk more than they have to. It’s one of the reasons I’m not crazy about this high pace transition basketball. We don’t prepare for the half court enough.

[Fedupfan]

Wow BI and Jah are out tonight. So, no Zo, BI, Hart and Jah.

I’ll say it ahead of time. This loss can’t be blamed on Alvin. Yes, he will help make it quicker, but not even Popovich could win with half the roster out.

[P_B_&_G]

Wow BI and Jah are out tonight. So, no Zo, BI, Hart and Jah.

I’ll say it ahead of time. This loss can’t be blamed on Alvin. Yes, he will help make it quicker, but not even Popovich could win with half the roster out.

So, who starts tonight?

Jrue, JJ, Kenrich, Favors, Melli?

Or

Jrue, JJ, Frank, Kenrich, Favors?

[Fedupfan]

So, who starts tonight?

Jrue, JJ, Kenrich, Favors, Melli?

Or

Jrue, JJ, Frank, Kenrich, Favors?

I’m going with Moore cause they can’t get enough of him.

Option 2 with Moore instead of Frank.

[P_B_&_G]

I’m going with Moore cause they can’t get enough of him.

Option 2 with Moore instead of Frank.

I actually like that lineup, lots of vets.

[Fedupfan]

I actually like that lineup, lots of vets.

Probably works well in a freelance system. These guys know where to be more. But, we shall see.