Pelican State vs. Sooner State: New Orleans, Oklahoma City set to tip off intriguing Round 1 series

No. 8 New Orleans (49-33) vs. No. 1 Oklahoma City (57-25)

It’s the 504 vs. the 405.

It’s the Pelican State vs. the Sooner State.

It’s two of the NBA’s smallest markets, featuring several of the league’s most promising young players.

It’s the Crescent City vs. Oklahoma City.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder have never faced each other in the Western Conference playoffs prior to this weekend, but their histories are inextricably linked to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. New Orleans spent two temporary seasons hosting its games in Oklahoma’s largest city, before returning to Louisiana in 2007-08. The then-Hornets’ stunningly successful tenure on the plains paved the way for Oklahoma City to land an NBA franchise in 2008-09, a squad that quickly rose to prominence behind Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, reaching the NBA Finals in 2012. Of course, the mid-2000s are ancient history to many of the current New Orleans and Oklahoma City players, given that top performers Zion Williamson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were 5 and 7 years old, respectively, when Katrina devastated the Gulf South region.

Oklahoma City enters its first playoff appearance since 2020 as the No. 1 seed in a loaded West, returning to the bracket following a rapidly-progressing rebuild. Meanwhile, New Orleans got in via the play-in tournament, qualifying as an eighth seed by defeating Sacramento on Friday. This is the Pelicans’ second trip to the playoffs in three years, having also been a No. 8 in 2022 vs. Phoenix. Their chance to advance to late-April hoops in 2023 was denied by the Thunder in the play-in tourney, a loss that still seems fresh in the minds of Pelicans players.

Here’s a look at the projected lineups for both teams (to varying degrees, the Pelicans and Thunder use relatively non-conventional starting lineups that doesn’t necessarily fit neatly into tidy position titles, but we’ll do the best we can):

CJ McCollum vs. Josh Giddey
Different in a multitude of ways, McCollum’s strengths, job description and experience are a stark contrast to Giddey’s traits. An 11-year NBA veteran who’s now reached the playoffs 10 times, McCollum finished third among all players during the regular season in three-pointers made per game (3.6, behind only Steph Curry and Luka Doncic). He can set the table for teammates, but finished third on the Pelicans in assists (4.6), relied on more for difficult shot-making and his ability to get hot from the perimeter. Meanwhile, pass-first, third-year pro Giddey will be making his playoff debut. The Australian is just a career 31 percent three-point shooter, though he upped that to 36 percent after the All-Star break and was 5/8 from beyond the arc in the Thunder’s March 26 win in the Blender.

Herb Jones vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Speaking of differing opponents, Jones is a bona fide NBA First-Team All-Defense candidate, while Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the sport’s most dangerous scorers since becoming Oklahoma City’s No. 1 option. The Toronto area native was one of four players to average 30-plus points this season, joining the exclusive company of Joel Embiid, Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Neither Jones nor Gilgeous-Alexander entered the league as a feared outside shooter, but Jones has made enormous strides in that area, finishing at 42 percent on three-pointers this season (34 percent over his first two campaigns). SGA used crafty dribble moves, feints and fakes to finish fourth in the NBA in free throw attempts (8.7 per game).

Brandon Ingram vs. Lu Dort
In keeping with the theme of divergent styles between opposing players in this Pelicans-Thunder series, Ingram is a thinly-built, multi-dimensional offensive threat, while the granite-framed Dort is recognized more for his work on the defensive end of the floor. Both players are making their second trip to the NBA playoffs and stood out during their debuts in unique ways – Ingram was arguably the best player for either side during a 2022 first-round series vs. Phoenix (averaged 27.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 6.2 apg), while Dort capped his rookie season of 2019-20 with a phenomenal Game 7 in a first-round loss to Houston (30 points, 6/12 three-point shooting).

Trey Murphy vs. Jalen Williams
This is an exceptionally fun pairing, featuring two of the NBA’s rising talents and potential “breakthrough” performers on the 2024 playoff stage. Among a select group of three-point shooters comfortable firing at any moment from the logo, Murphy has alternated between starter and reserve over the past two years, but for now is taking over the injured Zion Williamson’s spot in the first string. He was the league’s second-most prolific three-point maker among reserves. Meanwhile, Williams is a Most Improved Player candidate and an emerging star as Oklahoma City’s second-leading scorer (19.1 ppg) and a do-it-all passer, rebounder and defender.

Jonas Valanciunas vs. Chet Holmgren
As is the case with McCollum-Giddey, the contrast in NOLA-OKC at the “five” position is significant. The intimidating, burly Valanciunas is a grizzled veteran of NBA wars in the paint, second among the Pelicans with 54 games of playoff experience under his belt, including making five postseason trips with Toronto. On the other hand, the 21-year-old Holmgren is in his first NBA season, probably a Rookie of the Year lock if he’d entered the league during any recent non-Wembanyama campaign. The lithe Holmgren is much more likely to fire from three-point range than Valanciunas, or put the ball on the floor to drive past a defender, while JV uses his rugged frame to operate near the low block, scoring on hooks or grabbing tough rebounds.

(Players who logged at least 1,000 regular season minutes)
Pelicans
With Murphy moving to the starting lineup, offense is needed at a higher level from a combination of reserves. Three Pelicans subs contributed double-digit points in Friday’s playoff-clinching victory over Sacramento. … Point guard Jose Alvarado has been critical in recent games, providing an invaluable boost of defense, energy, playmaking and timely offense. … Center/forward Larry Nance Jr. was an integral component of the team’s appearance in the 2022 playoffs and played one of his best games of 2023-24 on Friday against the Kings, with 13 points and two steals. … Always-aggressive Naji Marshall was out of the mix lately but also delivered one of his top performances Friday, posting 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. … Second-year wing Dyson Daniels is an excellent individual defender, a skill that may come in handy against a Thunder team filled with backcourt and perimeter threats. … Rookie shooter Jordan Hawkins logged 1,160 minutes, but a large chunk of those were early in 2023-24, when the Pelicans were missing numerous rotation members due to injury. Hawkins shot 37 percent on threes and made 10 starts.

Thunder
Rookie guard Cason Wallace didn’t receive a ton of attention for his contributions after being a lottery pick from Kentucky, but the 20-year-old logged more minutes than any OKC reserve this season with 1,692. Wallace’s 42 percent rate from distance was elite for a first-year pro. He’s also a quality defender, the skill that was most discussed when he entered the 2023 draft. … A spot-up gunner extraordinaire, Isaiah Joe was one of the NBA’s most productive reserves all season, shooting 50-percent plus from the arc in three separate months. The fourth-year pro from Arkansas finished the regular season at 42 percent. … A beloved figure in New Orleans during his two seasons with the Pelicans at the start of his career, forward Kenrich Williams – also known as “Kenny Hustle” for his relentless style of play – is a glue guy for the Thunder’s second unit. In four seasons with OKC, Williams has also made major progress on his jumper, at 39 percent from three-point range over that span. … Third-year wing Aaron Wiggins does a little bit of everything, averaging 6.9 points and jumping to 49 percent on threes in low volume this season (62 of 126).