Pregame Report from AdventHealth Training Center
ORLANDO – There are just a handful of teams in the NBA who are as hot as the Orlando Magic are right now.
One of those squads is the New Orleans Pelicans, who’ve recorded victories in seven of their last eight games.
The Magic (41-28) will look to put themselves to the test against one of the best in the West when they square off with the Pelicans (42-26) at Kia Center on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
“It’s a great gauge to see where we are, what we’re doing, what we’re capable of doing, and what we’re going to face (in the postseason),” said Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley of the matchup.”
Orlando has done a great job of excelling in areas that will translate to the postseason. The Magic have won games that they should by going 15-0 this season when playing sub-.500 squads at Kia Center; they’re 34-1 when having a lead heading into the fourth quarter; and they have held their opponents under 100 points an astounding 20 times this season – the second most in the NBA behind only the New York Knicks.
“We’re going to get a playoff atmosphere (at Kia Center) tonight,” said Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., whose team has won four consecutive contests. “They’re fifth in the West, which is the same spot that we’re in (in the East). I think it’s just a good opportunity for us to see where we’re at, see what we need to work on, (and) what a number five team in the West looks like. We’re super excited. We’ve been talking about it all of this week (about) these next couple games against teams (from the West). We’re excited to start off against New Orleans.”
IN AND OUT: The Magic have a clean bill of health. Only Kevon Harris (G League – Two-Way), Jett Howard (G League – On Assignment), and Trevelin Queen (G League – Two-Way) are out for Orlando.
For New Orleans, Matt Ryan (illness) is questionable, while Dyson Daniels (left knee; meniscectomy), Malcolm Hill (G League – Two-Way), E.J. Liddell (G League – On Assignment), and Dereon Seabron (G League – Two-Way) are out.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We have to lock in on their two primary scorers in Brandon Ingram and Zion (Williamson). They have a lot of other great players to complement them (in) CJ (McCollum), (Jonas) Valanciunas, and (Trey) Murphy III. We have to do a good job of locking in on the game plan. It’s a good opportunity for us tonight to show what we’re capable of against any team in the league. I’m pumped for tonight. I’m super excited for tonight. It’ll be a good test just for us.” – Carter
KEY STATS: Jonathan Isaac has been a defensive nightmare for opponents this season with his rare blend of length, instincts and technique. During the 2023-24 campaign, when Isaac contests a shot, opponents are shooting 37.1 percent, which ranks No. 1 among the 303 players who have contested at least 200 shots.
RIVALS REPORT: Our Rivals Report series returns, as we catch up with longtime Pelicans.com beat writer Jim Eichenhofer. One of my favorite people to catch up and chat hoops with on the road, Eichenhofer was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Pelicans.
Savage: New Orleans has won seven of its last eight games. What has the team been doing exceptionally well over that span?
Eichenhofer: Immediately jumping on opponents (league-leading plus-62 scoring margin in first quarters over the last eight games). Defending at an elite level (second in efficiency with a 105.3 rating, trailing only New York, while slightly ahead of third-ranked Orlando). Emerging as one of the league’s most accurate three-point shooting teams (39.5 percent in the last eight games, ranking fourth). It’s been a gradual climb this season for the Pelicans, who battled through an assortment of injuries in October and November, starting just 4-6, then 12-11 following the In-Season Tournament. After key reserves Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy made delayed 2023-24 season debuts before and after Thanksgiving – then CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. made returns from in-season injuries – the Pelicans have excelled. With Zion Williamson continually getting closer to 100 percent physically, they’re a much different team than the one that started the season in the fall.
Savage: As we approach the final stretch of the 82-game schedule, what are the Pelicans' main goals to close out the 2023-24 regular season campaign?
Eichenhofer: Former Orlando guard and current New Orleans head coach Willie Green was recently asked about his team’s opportunity to win 50 games this season and he responded, “I like that number.” The last time this franchise reached that level of regular season success, its nickname was “Hornets” and it was 2007-08, when Chris Paul and David West were running high pick-and-rolls. The Pelicans only need to go 8-6 the rest of the way to get to 50 and secure the second-best record in the team’s 22-year history. New Orleans also has a legitimate chance to earn a top-four seed in the West, entering Wednesday night just a half-game behind the LA Clippers. But simply avoiding the play-in tournament via a top-six seed would be a goal achieved and an excellent step forward, after entering the postseason as a No. 9 seed each of the past two springs.
Savage: Zion Williamson has the chance to play the most games in a single season in his career this year. How's he been able to do that and what have you seen from the former No. 1 overall pick?
Eichenhofer: He appears to have committed to a great extent to putting his body in the best position possible to avoid injury and maintain top-notch shape throughout the long season. As guard CJ McCollum recently explained of Williamson, “We’ve had a lot of conversations behind closed doors about what it takes to be successful. He’s been getting extra conditioning in for months at this point. I think you can see it in the explosiveness, the ability to pivot around the basket, the pace.” The result has been the most consistency we’ve seen from Williamson since he was drafted in 2019. It’s showing up all over the floor – he’s improved as a rebounder and is making his presence felt on a much more frequent basis on defense. He’s had more games this season than ever where he simply took over the action for a quarter, or a half, and put the Pelicans on his back.
Savage: Like the Magic, the Pelicans have a plethora of talented players that fly under the national radar. Which member of the team do you think is most deserving of more attention from people outside of New Orleans?
Eichenhofer: There are many candidates here, including Alvarado and Murphy, but both of them are relatively known in national media, based on Alvarado’s patented out-of-nowhere steals (AKA a “Grand Theft Alvarado” play), and Murphy’s runner-up status in the NBA’s 2023 dunk contest. So I’ll go with a fellow third-year Pelican who’s been underrated since the moment he entered the league as a second-round pick in 2021. Herb Jones is a bona fide candidate for NBA First-Team All-Defense and probably should receive some votes in Most Improved Player balloting, having dramatically improved his three-point touch (33.7 and 33.7 percent in his first two seasons, now 43.3 this season). Jones exhibits pretty much all of the qualities that fans and his teammates love, a humble, selfless team-first guy who never seeks recognition. His defensive prowess earned him the extraordinarily popular nickname “Not On Herb” – a description that was actually coined by Pelicans players. Everyone around here looks forward to him gaining wider recognition for how valuable he is to this team, as soon as the upcoming postseason.