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Top 10 Home Games of 2017-18: Pelicans vs. Warriors

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Friday, Oct. 20 (8:30 p.m., ESPN)

Stephen Curry. Kevin Durant. Klay Thompson. Draymond Green. Anthony Davis. DeMarcus Cousins. When the Warriors and Pelicans square off in the second game of the regular season for both teams, half of the 2017 Western Conference All-Star squad will be in uniform (that loaded roster also featured MVP winner Russell Westbrook, along with MVP candidates James Harden and Kawhi Leonard). In other words, it’s difficult to find a game anywhere in the league that provides more star power than Golden State-New Orleans. It’s also a fascinating contrast in styles, between a Golden State team that popularized and perfected the usage of small lineups vs. a New Orleans supersized frontcourt. The pairing of Davis and Cousins goes against the grain of what the rest of the NBA is doing, with two 6-foot-11 dominant scorers and rebounders patrolling the paint (and beyond). In four head-to-head meetings last season, Golden State outrebounded New Orleans by 4.5 boards per game, but Cousins didn’t play in any of them.

Where it falls on the New Orleans schedule

Week 1 for the Pelicans consists of two games against perennial playoff teams, starting with an Oct. 18 game at Memphis (seven straight postseason berths). The opening week (based on the NBA’s new Monday-to-Sunday setup) will conclude Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Lakers, with the home game against Golden State sandwiched in between. This is the third consecutive year in which New Orleans was scheduled to face Golden State during the first four days of the regular season.

Normally when a team experiences the Warriors’ level of recent success (two NBA championships, three Western Conference crowns since 2015), roster attrition becomes an issue, because it’s often impossible to retain free agents at rising costs. That wasn’t the case for Golden State this summer, however, as it managed to bring back key reserves Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, while re-signing recent league MVP winners Curry and Durant. If that wasn’t enough, the Warriors improved their already-lethal stable of perimeter shooters, signing Nick Young and Omri Casspi. On paper, a team that has averaged an absurd 69 wins over the past three regular seasons somehow got even better.

Other 2017-18 games between these two teams

Saturday, Nov. 25, New Orleans at Golden State
Monday, Dec. 4, Golden State at New Orleans
Saturday, April 7, New Orleans at Golden State

top-10-pelicans-home-games-of-2017-18-no-1-vs-warriors

Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2017-18: No. 1 vs. Warriors

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Saturday, Oct. 28 (6 p.m.)

No matter what team LeBron James plays for, it’s a guaranteed sellout in the Smoothie King Center, with the future Hall of Famer ensuring a packed house as one of the NBA’s premier attractions. The Cavaliers will have a bit of a new look this season as they try to capture a fourth consecutive Eastern Conference championship, but Cleveland also returns several familiar faces. Included among the Cavs players who’ve been part of the franchise’s entire recent run of excellence are Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith. Love and Thompson will have their hands full in the frontcourt while facing the Pelicans’ All-Star big-man duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins; it will be Cousins’ first game vs. Cleveland in a New Orleans uniform.

Crescent City basketball fans won’t have to wait long to see two of the NBA’s most star-studded teams play, with the Pelicans hosting Golden State (Oct. 20) and Cleveland in their first two home games. The pair of challenging home tilts are part of a rough early-season stretch for New Orleans, which plays eight of its first 12 games overall away from Louisiana. Preparation for the Cleveland game Oct. 28 will be a bit condensed, because the Pelicans will play Oct. 26 at Sacramento in a late TNT game, then land at the local Kenner airport in the wee hours of the morning Oct. 27.

After weeks of rumors and discussion, last week the Cavaliers agreed to a trade with Boston that sent All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, in exchange for All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder, rookie center Ante Zizic and a 2018 first-round pick (via Brooklyn). Although ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the trade isn’t officially finalized due to concerns over Thomas’ hip injury, if the deal remains as is, Cleveland has improved its depth and versatility. Thomas is a relatively comparable player to Irving in terms of overall scoring ability – he finished third in the NBA at 28.9 points per game, while Irving was 11th – and Crowder is a valuable defender and three-point shooter (39.8 percent in 2016-17). Unless Brooklyn improves greatly upon its 21-61 and 20-62 records over the past two seasons, Cleveland will also benefit from a top lottery pick next June.

Friday, March 30, New Orleans at Cleveland (ESPN)

top-10-pelicans-home-games-of-2017-18-no-2-vs-cavaliers

Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2017-18: No. 2 vs. Cavaliers

top-10-home-games-of-2017-18-pelicans-vs-cavaliers

Top 10 Home Games of 2017-18: Pelicans vs. Cavaliers

HOUSTON ROCKETS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Friday, Jan. 26 (7 p.m., ESPN)

As the closest city to New Orleans on the NBA map, Houston makes for an excellent geographical and divisional rival, but proximity is far from the only reason Pelicans-Rockets is a compelling matchup. Houston now boasts the All-Star backcourt of James Harden and former New Orleans franchise player Chris Paul (2005-11), a duo that hopes to threaten Golden State’s supremacy atop the league. New Orleans has an All-Star tandem of its own but in the frontcourt, featuring Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. The NBA’s television networks clearly agree that this Southwest Division encounter is one to watch – three of New Orleans’ 14 appearances on the national airwaves consist of head-to-head meetings with Houston. The Jan. 26 game vs. Houston is one of three ESPN home tilts for the Pelicans (they also host Golden State and Memphis on the “Worldwide Leader in Sports”).

The second half of January is very favorable site-wise for the Pelicans, who’ll enjoy a stretch of five games at home out of six overall, with the only road game including a relatively short flight to Charlotte. It’s not always easy for New Orleans to squeeze in home games in Januarys, because they cannot play in the Smoothie King Center on dates when the NFL is holding playoff games (due to potential conflicts with the New Orleans Saints needing to use the Mercedes-Benz Superdome next door). In 2018, for example, that means road games in Minnesota (Jan. 6) and New York (Jan. 14). However, the Pelicans are home Sunday, Jan. 28, because that coincides with the Super Bowl off week.

Paul was the marquee acquisition for the Rockets, but Houston also picked up a pair of wing players who could improve the team’s defense, P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute. Tucker also supplies three-point shooting, which could help compensate for the departure of some valuable role players. In the Paul trade, the Rockets were forced to send hard-nosed defender and spot-up shooter Patrick Beverley to the Clippers, along with instant-offense sixth man Lou Williams and rising forward Sam Dekker.

Monday, Dec. 11, New Orleans at Houston (NBA TV)
Saturday, March 17, Houston at New Orleans
Saturday, March 24, New Orleans at Houston (NBA TV)

top-10-pelicans-home-games-of-2017-18-no-3-vs-rockets

Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2017-18: No. 3 vs. Rockets

top-10-home-games-of-2017-18-pelicans-vs-rockets

Top 10 Home Games of 2017-18: Pelicans vs. Rockets

SAN ANTONIO SPURS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Wednesday, April 11 (7 p.m.)

In a scheduling coincidence, the Spurs coming to the Smoothie King Center for Game 82 of the regular season is a repeat of April 15, 2015, when the Pelicans posted a 108-103 victory and earned the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. That game is arguably the most memorable regular season win in franchise history, as New Orleans notched a must-win to qualify for the postseason (one runner-up may be April 15, 2008, when New Orleans beat the Clippers to become Southwest Division champions for the only time). The Pelicans would prefer to be safely in the 2018 playoff field by the time this April 11 matchup comes around, but it’s possible there will be something at stake seeding-wise for both teams. In one of toughest divisions in all of professional sports, San Antonio has still managed to dominate, winning six of the past seven Southwest championships. In fact, the only time since 2010-11 that San Antonio did not capture the division title occurred in 2014-15, when Houston finished first at 56-26. The 55-27 Spurs’ chances to prevail were ended by their Game 82 defeat to the Pelicans.

As noted above, it’s the regular season and home finale for the Pelicans. It comes on the heels of a three-game road trip that is necessitated by unusual circumstances. With the Mercedes-Benz Superdome hosting the immensely popular Wrestlemania on April 8, the Pelicans must make way by leaving town for a few days, in this case an April 6-9 road excursion that features matchups with Phoenix, Golden State and the Clippers. April is no easy month for New Orleans, with two other home games vs. Oklahoma City and Memphis.

The Spurs aren’t known for dramatic offseason overhauls, with elite continuity being one reason they are so good year in and year out. San Antonio did make one major pickup this summer, signing forward Rudy Gay to a two-year deal. Gay is coming off an Achilles’ tear, but provides the Spurs with an athletic wing who can thrive in an up-tempo style. San Antonio did lose some depth in free agency, as Jonathon Simmons and Dewayne Dedmon signed with Southeast Division teams Orlando and Atlanta, respectively.

Wednesday, Nov. 22, San Antonio at New Orleans
Wednesday, Feb. 28, New Orleans at San Antonio
Thursday, March 15, New Orleans at San Antonio

top-10-pelicans-home-games-of-2017-18-no-4-vs-spurs

Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2017-18: No. 4 vs. Spurs

top-10-home-games-of-2017-18-pelicans-vs-spurs

Top 10 Home Games of 2017-18: Pelicans vs. Spurs

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