2016-17 schedule

Jim Eichenhofer

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSFriday, Oct. 28 (ESPN)

Already a huge road draw, Golden State stunningly became an even bigger attraction July 4, when Kevin Durant announced that he was leaving Oklahoma City in order to join the star-studded Warriors. En route to a record-setting 73-win regular season, Golden State’s 41 road games in 2015-16 drew 100.5 percent of capacity in opposing arenas, a number topped only by the Lakers and Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour (100.9 percent, via ESPN.com). This late-October visit to the Crescent City will be Durant’s first official game in a Warriors away uniform and televised nationally by ESPN, making it a must-watch for Pelicans fans. It’s just New Orleans’ second overall game of 2015-16 (two days earlier, the Pelicans host the Nuggets). Did we mention the Warriors also feature reigning two-time league MVP Stephen Curry? Dating back to Golden State’s recent championship season of 2014-15, fans have flocked to the Smoothie King Center to watch one of the NBA’s greatest shooters perform. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, Curry has produced some of his most memorable moments in the Big Easy over the past two years, including a 53-point eruption last October. For good measure, Golden State returns West All-Stars and USA Basketball participants Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the latter often tasked with defending Pelicans star Anthony Davis.

Durant was hands-down the most significant move in free agency and a no-brainer addition from the Warriors’ perspective, but it necessitated the departure of several key contributors, including Harrison Barnes (Dallas), Andrew Bogut (Dallas) and Festus Ezeli (Portland). In addition, assistant coach Luke Walton – who guided the Warriors to a 24-0 start last season – left to take over as Lakers sideline boss. Golden State made several cost-conscious signings to try to fill roles in the rotation, highlighted by signing center Zaza Pachulia and backup power forward David West.

Other 2016-17 games between these two teams

Monday, Nov. 7, New Orleans at Golden StateTuesday, Dec. 13, Golden State at New OrleansSaturday, April 8, New Orleans at Golden State

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 1 vs. Warriors

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSMonday, Jan. 23

The defending NBA champion Cavaliers make their only trip to the Crescent City for this late-January matchup, part of a season-long six-game Pelicans homestand. Cleveland future Hall of Fame lock LeBron James, who led the long-suffering franchise to its first-ever league crown in June, ensures a sellout in the Smoothie King Center, as has been the case throughout his 13-year career. James is part of a star-studded Cleveland trio that also includes Kyrie Irving – Game 7 crunch-time hero of the NBA Finals – and multi-time All-Star power forward Kevin Love. In their second year together, James, Irving and Love helped the Cavs go 57-25 and earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland rampaged through the East postseason – winning 10 straight games – then authored a historic comeback vs. Golden State in the Finals, after trailing 3-1. Cavs-Pelicans features a series of noteworthy individual matchups, including Irving vs. Jrue Holiday at point guard, as well as Love vs. Anthony Davis at power forward. New Orleans has relied on a series of defenders to try to slow down James, such as Quincy Pondexter, Dante Cunningham and Alonzo Gee. One of New Orleans’ most memorable wins from last season was a 114-108 overtime triumph over Cleveland, despite 37 points by James.

As is often the case, when a team wins an NBA championship, they proceed with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to the summer. The Cavs re-signed veterans Richard Jefferson, Mo Williams and James Jones, generally keeping the core together from the ’16 champs. However, with paychecks for many free agents rising due to the increase in the NBA’s salary cap, Cleveland lost backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova (signed with Milwaukee) and center Timofey Mozgov (Lakers). New faces include floor-spacing veteran Mike Dunleavy (traded by Chicago), energy big Chris “Birdman” Andersen (a past James teammate in Miami) and second-round draft pick Kay Felder.

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 2 vs. Cavaliers

DENVER NUGGETS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSWednesday, Oct. 26

In a scheduling oddity, Denver will be the opposition for New Orleans’ regular season opener in the fall, as well as its home finale in April. The fourth season of the “Pelicans” era of the franchise will officially tip off on Day 2 of the NBA’s 2016-17 campaign, a night expected to mark the New Orleans debut of several players who were acquired in the summer, including No. 6 overall draft selection Buddy Hield (Oklahoma). Denver coincidentally also should be debuting a lottery pick, in seventh overall choice Jamal Murray (Kentucky). In addition to Hield and fellow rookie Cheick Diallo (Kansas), the Pelicans acquired veterans including wing Solomon Hill, forward Terrence Jones and guards E’Twaun Moore and Langston Galloway during the ’16 offseason. With the departures of free agents Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon – both to Houston – Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis becomes the longest-tenured member of the New Orleans roster, now entering his fifth season. The three-time All-Star is the only remaining player from the 2012-13 squad, the last to be nicknamed “Hornets” in the Crescent City.

Under former New Orleans front-office executive Tim Connelly, the Nuggets have made steady progress by drafting wisely and building a core that helps comprise perhaps the NBA’s youngest team. Since 2014, Denver has selected big man Nikola Jokic and point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, two pieces who should figure prominently in the franchise’s future. In this June’s draft, the Nuggets again added to their stable of potential key players, choosing the 19-year-old Murray, forward Juan Hernangomez (15th pick) and Malik Beasley (19th pick) in the first round. The only notable subtraction from the 2015-16 roster is backup point guard D.J. Augustin, who signed with Orlando in free agency.

Sunday, March 26, New Orleans at DenverTuesday, April 4, Denver at New OrleansFriday, April 7, New Orleans at Denver

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 3 vs. Nuggets

HOUSTON ROCKETS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSThursday, Feb. 23

Four days after the Crescent City hosts the NBA All-Star Game for the third time since 2008, the Pelicans will get back to action inside the Smoothie King Center, in what could be termed a “reunion game” for some of its participants. The late-February trip by Houston to New Orleans will mark the first return for former Pelicans players Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, who had five- and four-year tenures with the franchise, respectively. Meanwhile, on the sideline, the Pelicans’ Alvin Gentry will go up against good friend Mike D’Antoni, who was hired by the Rockets in May. Gentry and D’Antoni were on the same coaching staff with the ultra-successful Phoenix Suns of the last decade. Additionally, new Pelicans signee Terrence Jones will face many former Rockets teammates; the versatile forward played his first four NBA seasons in Houston, prior to signing with New Orleans in July. Did we mention that Rockets-Pelicans also features two of basketball’s premier stars? After the 2014-15 season, for example, prolific Houston scorer James Harden finished as a runner-up in the MVP race (behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry), while New Orleans standout Anthony Davis placed fifth.

The Rockets invested a reported total value of over $130 million in contracts to Anderson and Gordon, by far the two most impactful personnel moves of Houston’s summer. The duo could help make the Rockets even more explosive offensively, after they finished eighth in efficiency last season (105.5 points per 100 possessions, via NBA.com). Houston also made two less-discussed additions of veterans who’ve been valuable in the past, signing forward/center Nene and 39-year-old point guard Pablo Prigioni. The most significant departure of the summer was center Dwight Howard, who signed with his hometown team Atlanta.

Friday, Dec. 16, New Orleans at HoustonFriday, March 17, Houston at New OrleansFriday, March 24, New Orleans at Houston

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 4 vs. Rockets

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSWednesday, Nov. 23 (ESPN)

Media and fans sometimes decry a lack of genuine rivalries in today’s NBA, with the list dwindling markedly in recent years. Clippers-Warriors sits at the top of the rundown, but there seem to be few heated matchups beyond that Pacific Division blood feud. If you’re looking for a potential Western Conference rivalry of the future, however, New Orleans-Minnesota could fit the bill. The two clubs are brimming with young stars, including three of the past five No. 1 overall draft picks and the two most recent Rookie of the Year winners. Anthony Davis (top pick in 2012, finished second to Portland’s Damian Lillard in ROY voting) headlines the Pelicans, while Andrew Wiggins (No. 1 in 2014) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015) both turned in ROY seasons, indicating a bright future for the long-suffering Timberwolves. The name recognition on both rosters made another jump during the June draft, when the Pelicans added consensus national college Player of the Year Buddy Hield; the Wolves selected Providence guard Kris Dunn one pick earlier at No. 5 overall. ESPN acknowledged the promise of this West matchup by selecting it for the second half of its Nov. 23 national doubleheader.

By many accounts, the Timberwolves enjoyed an excellent summer, considering they landed two-way player Dunn, as well as one of the league’s most proven head coaches. Tom Thibodeau joins Minnesota after a year out of basketball, following an ultra-successful run with Chicago. The Bulls dropped off significantly without Thibodeau at the helm last season, missing the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Thibodeau’s mission in the Twin Cities will be to guide the Timberwolves to the postseason for the first time since 2004. Minnesota’s free-agent additions primarily served to increase depth, including Cole Aldrich (played for Clippers last season), Jordan Hill (Indiana) and Brandon Rush (Golden State).

Friday, Feb. 10, New Orleans at MinnesotaSunday, March 19, Minnesota at New Orleans

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 5 vs. Timberwolves

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSWednesday, Dec. 28 (NBA TV)

The Clippers and Pelicans actually meet in the Crescent City prior to this game a few weeks earlier, but the Dec. 28 matchup gets the nod for two reasons: It takes place in the heart of the holiday season, and will be televised nationally by NBA TV. Home games between Christmas and New Year’s are particularly popular attendance-wise at the Smoothie King Center, not that this contest needed much additional interest. Behind the star power of former New Orleans franchise point guard Chris Paul and the high-flying tandem of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers are one of the NBA’s biggest road attractions, consistently selling out in their trips to the Big Easy. Although they no longer want to be known as “Lob City,” Los Angeles has ascended into the upper echelon of the Western Conference in recent years, now a consensus choice as the third-best team, behind Golden State and San Antonio. The Clips have been extremely successful against the Pelicans in the Staples Center, going 6-0 since the latter’s nickname change occurred in 2013-14. However, some of New Orleans’ premier home victories of late have been against L.A., including a short-handed 109-105 triumph in March of last season.

Continuity has been an advantage for the Clippers in recent years, beginning with a starting lineup that has remained largely unchanged. Los Angeles didn’t make many big splashes in the summer, instead electing to keep its core together and re-sign rotation players such as Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson. The most notable additions based on name recognition were Marreese Speights (who comes from heated rival Golden State), Raymond Felton (Dallas), Brandon Bass (Lakers), Alan Anderson (Washington) and first-round pick Brice Johnson (NCAA runner-up North Carolina). Speaking of continuity, despite being hired in 2013, Doc Rivers is already tied for the NBA’s sixth-longest tenure among head coaches.

Friday, Dec. 2, Los Angeles at New OrleansSaturday, Dec. 10, New Orleans at Los Angeles

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 6 vs. Clippers

SAN ANTONIO SPURS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSFriday, March 3 (ESPN)

New Orleans will make three home appearances on ESPN’s national airwaves over the course of the regular season, with this being the third such game in the Smoothie King Center (the others are Oct. 28 vs. Golden State and Nov. 23 vs. Minnesota). For the entirety of New Orleans’ tenure as a member of the Southwest Division, San Antonio has been the gold standard, winners of five NBA championships overall, including three titles since the division was created in 2004-05. Despite the departure of Tim Duncan via retirement, the Spurs remain one of the league’s premier teams, coming off a 67-15 campaign that trailed only 73-9 Golden State in the overall standings. The Pelicans’ fortunes against the Spurs over the past two seasons have been symbolic of how they’ve fared in general: New Orleans went 3-1 vs. San Antonio in 2014-15 en route to a playoff berth, but was 1-3 last season. The Pels have rarely prevailed in the Alamo City in recent years, but games in the Crescent City have always been competitive, even in defeat.

Duncan retired in predictably understated fashion, but the Spurs moved quickly to sign Pau Gasol to a two-year contract. San Antonio also added past All-Star power forward David Lee, who may ostensibly take over the role previously occupied by David West (signed with Golden State). It’s not easy to crack Gregg Popovich’s rotation as a young player, but the Spurs received praise for landing guard Dejounte Murray with the No. 29 overall draft pick, a player many believed had the potential to be a lottery selection. Along with the departures of Duncan and West, versatile Spurs reserve Boris Diaw was traded to Utah, while massive backup center Boban Marjanovic signed with Detroit.

Saturday, Oct. 29, New Orleans at San Antonio (NBA TV)Sunday, Dec. 18, New Orleans at San AntonioFriday, Jan. 27, San Antonio at New Orleans

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 7 vs. Spurs

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANSThursday, Dec. 8

With three consecutive seasons of notching fewer than 20 wins, the 76ers have been an unlikely choice to appear on anyone’s games-to-watch list, but that changed in June, when Philadelphia drafted point forward Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick. Simmons, who has been in the media spotlight as a projected star since well before he even enrolled in college at LSU, enters the NBA with significant hype. He demonstrated during the Utah and Las Vegas summer leagues that he may be one of the best passers to enter the pros in quite some time, gifted with superior floor vision and the ability to find open teammates for easy baskets. LSU turned in a disappointing season with Simmons on campus – the Tigers failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament – but that did not dissuade NBA teams from considering him the top player in the ’16 draft class. Now playing in the Eastern Conference, the 20-year-old will make one return trip per season to Louisiana. One of his first orders of business: Helping the 76ers improve on last season’s abysmal 3-38 road record. The Pelicans also boast a lottery pick in No. 6 choice Buddy Hield of Oklahoma. The shooting guard delivered a memorable 32-point, seven-trey performance to boost the Sooners over LSU and Simmons in January.

When a team goes 10-72, as the 76ers did last season, usually just about everything is new. That’s the case for the most part, with Philadelphia adding Simmons, along with fellow first-rounder Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. In addition, past touted draftees expected to make their long-awaited NBA debuts include Joel Embiid (third overall pick in 2014, but injuries have kept him sidelined) and Dario Saric (spent previous two years overseas). The Sixers also made a series of moves to try to upgrade what’s been an overmatched backcourt, signing veteran free agents Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson and Sergio Rodriguez. Their most significant departures were guards Ish Smith (Detroit) and Isaiah Canaan (Chicago).

Other 2016-17 games between these two teamsTuesday, Dec. 20, New Orleans at Philadelphia

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Top 10 Pelicans Home Games of 2016-17: No. 8 vs. 76ers

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2016‑17 schedule