New Orleans’ up-and-down, five-game road trip alternated wins and losses, but both victories illustrated why the Pelicans have been relatively consistent in 2022-23 and sit in third place of the Western Conference standings. With triumphs over Washington (now 18-26) and Detroit (12-35), New Orleans (26-18) improved to 10-0 this season vs. opponents that are currently five games below .500 or worse. The ability to rack up Ws against struggling foes can be an underrated element to a club’s success, particularly in a league that often features so many unexpected outcomes.
“If you’re going to be a good team in this league, you have to win every game that you’re supposed to win,” reserve forward/center Larry Nance Jr. said after Wednesday’s shootaround. “We did that on the road trip. We’ve got to keep that going, and that will help us elevate our seed.”
New Orleans has kept itself a level above the fray in a West that is jam-packed between fifth and 13th-place. Entering Wednesday’s games, only 3.5 games separate No. 5 Dallas (24-21) and the No. 13 Lakers (20-24). The Pelicans are four games ahead of the cut-off line for the West playoffs/play-in tournament, with the seventh-place Clippers at 23-23. They’ve done that partly by receiving major contributions from across the roster, remaining competitive despite not having Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson.
“(Offense has been productive) as a unit,” Nance said. “Guys are playing different roles now. Naji (Marshall) has been thrust into more of a scoring role. Jose (Alvarado) and obviously (Trey Murphy) is an offensive mind. (Jonas Valanciunas) has been a monster for us and is continually doing that.”
Larry Nance Jr. talks CJ McCollum, road trip | Pelicans-Heat Shootaround 1/18/2023
Meanwhile, guard CJ McCollum has taken on even more responsibility, scoring at least 25 points in all but one appearance since Zion Williamson was sidelined Jan. 2.
“He’s been great,” Nance said of his Portland and New Orleans teammate. “His usage had to be super high, obviously with (Ingram) and (Williamson) out. CJ has been effective and really efficient. If he’s continues that, we can maintain and keep our head above water with these guys gone.”
Miami Scouting Report
Offensive efficiency rank: 24 (111.1)
Defensive efficiency rank: 8 (111.2)
Net rating: 17 (-0.1)
Streak: Lost 1
Go-to guy: Jimmy Butler spent parts of November and December moving in and out of the lineup due to injuries, but Butler has played in all eight January games. Not coincidentally, Miami has put together one of its best stretches of the season. Butler averages a team-high 22.1 points, a number that’s increased lately after 35- and 34-point outings vs. Oklahoma City and Atlanta, respectively.
On the rise: Fourth-year guard Gabe Vincent broke out of a shooting slump last week with a pair of big offensive games in wins vs. Milwaukee, including scoring 27 points (on 5/8 three-point shooting) during a national TV broadcast. Vincent started eight of Miami’s 18 playoff games in 2022.
Previous Game Starting Lineups
MIAMI (24-21, 7TH IN EAST)
Monday loss at Atlanta
Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo
Notes: Due to an array of injuries, Miami has already used 19 different starting lineups. This group is 1-1. … Every game has the potential to push the Heat up or down the East standings, with them one game behind sixth-place New York (25-20) and one game ahead of eighth-place Indiana (23-22). … Miami is 9-12 on the road and much better vs. the West (14-8) than its own conference (10-13).
NEW ORLEANS (26-18, 3RD IN WEST)
Monday loss at Cleveland
CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall, Jonas Valanciunas
Notes: New Orleans has used 12 different starting lineups. This group is 1-2, posting a win at Detroit, losing at Boston. … The Pelicans are one game ahead of fourth-place Sacramento (24-18), having yet to face the Kings, the only West team not on their schedule yet. The Kings visit NOLA on Feb. 5 and April 4, with one matchup at Golden 1 Center on March 6.
FanDuel Keys to the Game
REESTABLISH STRENGTHS
Back on the home floor (well, at least for one game), it’s time for the Pelicans to regain their identity after struggling in a few areas on their five-game road trip. Most significantly, New Orleans is an elite rebounding team but only ranks 16th in the NBA in percentage (50.0) since Jan. 7 (a loss at Dallas to open trip). NOLA’s offense is only 18th over the same timeframe.
UNDERRATED AND UNDRAFTED
In four games this season, New Orleans has used two undrafted players in its starting lineup (Marshall and Jose Alvarado). That’s become a rather common development for Miami in recent seasons, which has undrafted players such as Vincent and Max Strus filling significant roles, including during the Heat’s 2022 run to the East finals.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
New Orleans’ wing defenders will be put to the test against Miami, as the Heat’s offense is often led by foul-drawing tactician Butler, deep-shooting Herro (team-best 3.3 made treys per game) and the versatile Victor Oladipo (three games of 20-plus points since Dec. 31).