Golden State’s Steve Kerr noted after Game 1 that one path to the Warriors winning a playoff series vs. New Orleans may come from limiting some of the Pelicans’ primary scorers, even if it means living with Anthony Davis putting up exceptional individual numbers. To an extent, that’s what’s happened in the first two games: Davis is averaging 30.5 points, but Golden State has held off New Orleans by margins of seven and 10 points, respectively.
However, the task of controlling New Orleans’ array of offensive weapons comes much more easily when some of them aren’t even on the floor, or are playing but hampered by injury concerns.
The Pelicans have five players who’ve averaged at least 17 points in a season of their NBA career, headed by Davis (24.4 ppg this season) and Eric Gordon (22.3 in 2010-11). Unfortunately for the Western Conference’s eighth-seeded team, the other three proven point producers have all been curtailed in some fashion by health. Jrue Holiday (17.7 in his ’12-13 All-Star season) was forced to sit out Game 2 due to leg soreness stemming from the injury that kept him out of 42 regular-season contests. Tyreke Evans (20.1 as NBA Rookie of the Year in ’09-10) was sidelined for the second half of Game 1 with a left knee bruise and was a game-time decision for Game 2, playing through the injury but not at 100 percent. Ryan Anderson (19.7 last season) returned from an extended injury absence just three weeks ago, but has not shot the ball like the player who was second in the NBA in three-pointers made in ’12-13, his last injury-free season.
As a result, a trio of Pelicans who combined to average 45.1 points per game during the regular season only averaged 17.0 in the two road playoff games at Golden State. When at full strength, New Orleans can put a five-man unit on the floor that’s capable of producing impressive offensive fireworks, but it’s been nearly impossible to implement it. With Holiday missing Game 2, the Pelicans still have only had all of the dangerous scorers available at the same time in 20 games (out of 84) this season.
Holiday’s status for Game 3 is to be determined, with Pelicans Coach Monty Williams saying Wednesday after practice that the point guard is “still day-to-day. He was so sore the other day (prior to Game 2), it didn’t make sense to play him. In my mind as a coach, he’s day-to-day.”
Meanwhile, Evans appears to be OK after it was uncertain whether he’d play in Game 2 until just before tip-off. The sixth-year veteran looked somewhat like himself in the Game 2 loss, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, though he shot 4-for-13 from the field and 7-for-12 from the foul line.
After an excellent April 1 return to the court at the Lakers – he’d been out since Feb. 21 with an MCL injury – Anderson is in the midst of perhaps the poorest shooting stretch of his seven-year NBA career. The NBA’s 2011-12 Most Improved Player award winner shot a career-low 34.0 percent from three-point range in the regular season; he is 1-for-4 there in the playoffs (2-for-11 from the field overall).
Anderson said he’s not consciously thinking about his recent knee injury while playing, but there’s a “lack of strength there from missing a couple months. It takes time to get that strength back in your legs.” He also attributes some of his individual struggles to the competition, which has included seven games (out of 11) against Western Conference playoff teams. Golden State was No. 1 in the NBA this season in defensive efficiency.
“We’ve played San Antonio, Houston, some great teams that have really battled,” Anderson said. “Those teams are all trying to take me out, because they understand what I can bring to this team, especially off the bench, as a scoring threat, which I feel like I am and can be. Teams are trying to take me out. That’s something I have to understand, especially now (in the playoffs).”
While Holiday’s numbers are fairly similar at home compared to on the road, the Pelicans could receive a boost from returning to the Smoothie King Center, because Evans and Anderson have been much more productive there. Anderson’s not sure why that’s the case, but is looking forward to playing Game 3 in familiar surroundings.
“We’re very confident at home,” he said. “Our fans have been great. Last game (at home, April 15 vs. San Antonio) was a playoff game in my mind. It was so fun, the crowd was great. So our confidence is really high. We’ve played well with (the Warriors) I’d say for three-quarters of both games – there’ve been little stretches where we haven’t played as well as we want to – but there are things we are tightening up in practice. We know we need to do them a little bit better tomorrow.”