pelicans shootaround

Veteran NBA players sometimes talk about how there’s no way to explain the level to which on-court intensity ratchets up during the playoffs, that newcomers must experience it for themselves to truly understand the difference between the postseason and the regular season.

Three games into his first trip to the league’s playoff tournament, New Orleans first-year wing Herbert Jones now recognizes the change – and is thoroughly enjoying it. Asked about his initial experience in the postseason after Sunday’s shootaround, the Alabama product said, “It’s been fun. Home and away. Especially being at home, the crowd’s always into it. When you’re on the road, it’s a very intense game. The refs kind of let you get away with a little more (physical defense). It’s heightened awareness. Everybody’s playing super hard. It’s just super fun to play in.”

New Orleans rookies Jones, Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III are all getting tested under the pressure of the playoffs, doing so while facing the NBA’s best team. On Sunday night in Game 4, the eighth-seeded Pelicans will try to even their season against No. 1 Phoenix (64-18 during the regular season) at two games apiece, with tip-off at 8:30 p.m. in the Smoothie King Center.

In addition to the rookie trio, four other Pelicans rotation members have put “playoff experience” on their NBA resume for the first time over the past week, including Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes, Devonte’ Graham and Naji Marshall.

A legitimate candidate for an NBA All-Defensive team, Jones on there being more physicality and fewer touch fouls called during the postseason: “I love it. I feel like it’s how the playoffs should be. More physical than the regular season. It’s almost like you’re playing pickup with your friends, and you can be super aggressive." …

New Orleans was outscored 64-40 in the paint in Game 3, a very unusual development for a Pelicans defense that ranked ninth-best in paint points allowed during the regular season (45.3 per game). Hayes on what New Orleans must do to cut into how much Phoenix scores around the basket in Game 4: “Forcing guys to shoot contested threes, playing inside and then getting out (to shooters). I feel like that was a big focus for us earlier in the year, forcing guys to get kick-outs, forcing tough shots. We need to get back to that.” …

Asked about how to better react to “agitation” from Phoenix in the series after he was ejected from Game 3 due to a flagrant foul, Hayes responded, “You’ve just got to keep your tempers low. Worry about what you can (control). Worry about your team. Worry about winning the game. The little things. Can’t worry about anything else.”

Chris Paul, Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton

Reserves: Landry Shamet, Cam Payne, JaVale McGee, Torrey Craig, Bismack Biyombo

Notes: Johnson started in place of Devin Booker (hamstring), who is also out for Game 4. ... Ayton and McGee have shot a combined 40/55 in the series, which is 73 percent. Phoenix’s top six scorers in the series are all shooting over 50 percent from the field. … The winner of New Orleans-Phoenix will advance to meet the winner of Dallas-Utah, which is tied at two games apiece.

CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes, Jonas Valanciunas

Reserves: Trey Murphy III, Larry Nance Jr., Jose Alvarado, Devonte’ Graham, Naji Marshall

Notes: Ingram is averaging a team-best 29.7 points in the series, followed by McCollum at 26.0. The Pelicans’ other double-digit scorers are Valanciunas (11.3) and Jones (10.3). … Seven of the club’s 10 rotation members are making their NBA playoff debuts this spring. McCollum, Valanciunas and Nance were the only players with previous experience.

Phoenix’s centers did a ton of damage in Game 3, with Ayton operating in the post and mid-range, while McGee scored a series of baskets from point-blank territory. In the fourth quarter, Paul executed the pick-and-roll to perfection, working his way to several high-percentage shots. New Orleans needs to make offense much more difficult for Phoenix’s bigs and its perennial All-Star floor general.

Phoenix has forced more turnovers than New Orleans in every game so far (14-10, 17-13, 15-6), with Game 3 representing the largest differential. The Pelicans must take better care of the ball in Game 4, while becoming much more disruptive on defense against the Suns’ efficient attack.

One topic of discussion after Saturday’s Pelicans practice was the need to get Valanciunas more involved in the offense. The center from Lithuania has gone from 21 shot attempts in Game 1, to nine in Game 2, to just five in Game 3. He’s averaging a whopping 16.3 rebounds in the series, but New Orleans hopes to run more offense through its third-leading scorer in 2021-22.

pelicans-shootaround-update-herbert-jones-enjoying-first-nba-playoff-experience

Pelicans shootaround update: Herbert Jones enjoying first NBA playoff experience

It’s a long-standing cliché that NBA teams relying heavily on fast breaks during the regular season won’t be able to carry that over to the playoffs, when the pace of games dips to a crawl and opponents prioritize transition defense. For one game in New Orleans’ first-round series vs. Phoenix, the Pelicans appeared to suffer from the postseason’s natural slowdown, only scoring two transition points. Game 2 was a completely different story.

Highlighted by third-year power forward Jaxson Hayes running by the Suns for three third-quarter dunks and rookie wing Herbert Jones converting a back-breaking layup ahead of the field with three-plus minutes left in regulation, the Pelicans totaled 16 fast-break points, a swing factor in their 125-114 victory.

“That’s what we do,” rookie forward Trey Murphy III said. “We’re a young team, so we’ve got to use our athleticism. That’s one of the things that separates us from a lot of teams, that we have a lot of athletic guys. Getting out in transition is a way we can get easy points.”

“Playoff basketball it’s hard to get transition buckets, so I wanted to be able to get us a few easy ones down the stretch,” Hayes said of his focus.

New Orleans’ 98-68 edge in rebounding over Phoenix through two games helps Pelicans players leak out more and run after a defensive board has been secured. The Suns likely will focus even more Friday on making sure they have players back who can prevent Hayes and others from scoring on fast breaks. Phoenix head coach Monty Williams described his team’s transition defense in Game 2 as among the worst he’s seen since he took over the Suns in 2019-20.

Hayes sounded philosophical on the up-and-down nature of his 2021-22 season, which has turned in a very positive direction since he was moved into the starting lineup in February: “It’s been a pretty crazy season for me. Playing at the beginning of the year, then sitting out quite a few games, going to the G League, then making my way back to the starting lineup. It’s been a lot of experiences, a lot of learning lessons throughout the way. I wouldn’t change it.”

Reserves: Larry Nance, Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, Devonte’ Graham

Notes: This starting group went 7-3 in the regular season and is 3-1 in the postseason, for a total record of 10-4. Two of those 10 wins occurred on Phoenix’s home floor (Feb. 25 and Tuesday). … McCollum leads New Orleans in minutes through two games (83), followed by Ingram (78) and Jones (72). … Jones, Murphy and Alvarado are all rookies. Phoenix does not have any first-year pros in its rotation.

Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Deandre Ayton

Reserves: Cam Johnson, Cam Payne, JaVale McGee, Landry Shamet, Torrey Craig

Notes: Booker (hamstring) is listed as out, along with Dario Saric (knee), who has missed the entire season due to an injury he sustained during the 2021 NBA Finals vs. Milwaukee. … The above starting group went 31-7 in the regular season and is 1-1 in the postseason, for a total record of 32-8, but it will not be intact in Game 3 due to Booker’s injury absence. Beyond their five common starters, no Suns player has been in the first string more than 17 times (McGee) this season.

New Orleans outshot Phoenix from the three-point arc in Game 2, a big factor in the Pelicans pulling off the road victory. The Pelicans were 17/30, a rate of 56.7 that is their best for any game of 2021-22. The Suns went 13/35, with seven of those makes coming from Booker prior to his third-quarter exit. Paul and Bridges drained two apiece, while bench perimeter threats Johnson and Shamet sank one each.

During the regular season, New Orleans (third in the NBA) ranked 10 spots ahead of Phoenix (13th) in total rebounding percentage, an advantage that has carried over to this first-round series. The Pelicans have won the board battle by a 98-68 margin, with Valanciunas pulling down 38 of those rebounds.

Booker is sidelined for Phoenix, but the New Orleans defense must make sure no other Suns break out for a big performance Friday night. Phoenix has numerous wing players capable of significantly increasing their production, such as Johnson, who registered a 38-point game vs. New York in March, highlighted by nine made three-pointers. Another on-the-rise Sun, Bridges tallied 17 games of 20-plus points during the regular season.

pelicans-shootaround-update-rebounding-boosts-new-orleans-transition-game

Pelicans shootaround update: Rebounding boosts New Orleans transition game

Seven different New Orleans players made their NBA career playoff debut Sunday in Phoenix, but truth be told, the Pelicans have been performing under postseason-like conditions for several weeks now, having to battle their way into a play-in tournament berth since the All-Star break. Still, the atmosphere ratcheted up a few notches in Game 1 against the Suns, at least partly because the opposition presents the league’s biggest challenge right now, posting a 64-18 record this season.

Two days after his first NBA playoff tilt, New Orleans rookie wing Herbert Jones noted following Tuesday’s shootaround that the past week has featured some of the best environments he’s witnessed in basketball, starting with Wednesday’s play-in win over San Antonio in the Smoothie King Center.

“The play-in games were almost like Game 7,” the second-round pick from Alabama said. “When we had the game in New Orleans, it almost felt like a championship game. Then we came out to L.A., it was almost that same level of intensity. (And) when we came here (to Phoenix). I feel like the adjustments we made (entering Tuesday’s Game 2) and getting a (playoff) game under our belts, it definitely helps.”

Shooting woes significantly hampered New Orleans’ chances of posting a Game 1 upset, but the offensive struggles were a teamwide issue, not just for the club’s seven first-time playoff participants. CJ McCollum shot 9/25, while Jonas Valanciunas was 7/21. Larry Nance Jr. was an exception among the squad’s three playoff “veterans,” providing a big boost in the second half (14 points), but the Pelicans couldn’t overcome an uncharacteristic start.

Over the past 48 hours, the Pelicans have emphasized trying to return to the style of play that made them successful, particularly during the second half of the season.

“Playing how we play,” Jones said of the team’s Tuesday objective. “Playing fast, sharing the ball and crashing the boards. I feel like we got back to that in the second half (in Game 1). Hopefully we’ll come out tonight and do that for an entire game.”

Starting power forward Jaxson Hayes had a quiet Game 1 and only logged 11 minutes, with Phoenix doubling off him and leaving him open at the three-point line. Hayes indicated that he must be more aggressive: “(That is) really important. They’re always going to be guarding me with a pigeon, a smaller guy who sits in the middle and tries to plug stuff up. So I’ve got to crash (the boards), duck in (as a cutter), or run a quick play to (get the ball to an open man).” …

Jones on Phoenix perennial All-Star guard Chris Paul, whose 19-point fourth quarter in Game 1 sealed the win for the Suns: “Great player. Knows the game. He’s probably seen every coverage you can imagine. It’s going to be tough defensively guarding him, but that’s why it’s a team defense. Hopefully we’ll do a better job tonight than we did the first game.”

Reserves: Trey Murphy III, Larry Nance, Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado, Devonte’ Graham

Notes: Combined with two play-in round victories and Sunday’s defeat, this starting group is 9-4 overall this season. … Seven of the 10 New Orleans players who received playing time Sunday were making their NBA playoff debut, including rookies Jones, Murphy and Alvarado. Playoff newcomers Ingram, Graham and Hayes are in their sixth, fourth and third NBA seasons, respectively. Marshall is a second-year pro.

Reserves: Cam Johnson, Cam Payne, JaVale McGee, Torrey Craig

Notes: Sunday’s victory improved this starting group’s record to 32-7 this season. A separate combination with McGee at center in place of the injured Ayton is 9-0. … Of the nine Suns who received playing time Sunday, all are returnees from the 2021 Western Conference champions except McGee, who played for Denver last season. … The winner of the New Orleans-Phoenix series will face the winner of Utah-Dallas, which is tied at one game apiece after the Mavericks prevailed Monday.

New Orleans’ offense looked a bit stagnant Sunday in the first half, leading to some poor numbers, including just five assists and 22 percent shooting. The Pelicans moved the ball and their attack much better after intermission (15 assists), but overall finished with just two fast-break points (they averaged 14.3 during the regular season, sixth in NBA). Sunday’s 99 points represented the Pelicans’ first time being held under the century mark since Feb. 10 vs. Miami, McCollum’s debut in the Crescent City.

Paul and Booker are a handful and then some for every NBA defense. After a week-plus hiatus from games, the Phoenix duo took turns doing damage Sunday, with Booker’s 10-point first quarter setting the tone and Paul’s 19-point fourth period putting the game on ice. The backcourt All-Stars totaled 55 points, including 8/14 three-point shooting.

Speaking of highly productive duos, on the New Orleans side, top scorers McCollum and Ingram experienced rough Game 1s, but the Pelicans were still within striking distance in the fourth quarter, before Paul took over with a bucket barrage. McCollum and Ingram totaled 43 points, but did so in inefficient fashion, needing 42 shots to get there. The Pelicans shot under 40 percent as a team in a game for the first time since Jan. 31 at Cleveland.

pelicans-shootaround-update-new-orleans-aims-to-play-how-we-play-in-game-2

Pelicans shootaround update: New Orleans aims to ‘play how we play’ in Game 2

Play-in tournament history is repeating itself Wednesday for Jonas Valanciunas, who for a second straight year is preparing to start at center for a ninth-seeded Western Conference club hosting 10th-seeded San Antonio.

Last May, the results were spectacular individually and team-wise, as Valanciunas dominated the Spurs with a 23-point, 23-rebound, three-block performance, spearheading Memphis to a 100-96 victory. The Grizzlies later advanced to the West playoffs and a matchup against the conference’s top seed (Utah).

New Orleans would love a repeat of that scenario this week, but first the Pelicans must defeat a Spurs team that has given them problems in 2021-22, including San Antonio prevailing twice since mid-February in the Smoothie King Center.

Like Valanciunas, CJ McCollum has produced a big game in a previous play-in tournament game. In 2020, McCollum racked up 29 points on 11/19 shooting to help Portland post a 126-122 victory over Memphis. Valanciunas went for 22 points, 17 rebounds and six assists for the Grizzlies. …

Pelicans guard Devonte’ Graham on New Orleans’ focus against San Antonio’s Dejounte Murray: “You’ve got to contain him. Try to make it tough on him, try to get the ball out of his hands obviously, and make someone else beat you. We want to make it as hard as possible.” …

Larry Nance Jr. on how to mentally approach a game with huge stakes like Wednesday’s contest: “You want it to affect you to a certain degree. This time of year is special and different. If you haven’t been there, you don’t necessarily (understand) that right away. You want to make it a big deal without making it too big. Just make sure guys take it seriously.”

Brandon Ingram is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game. He said following Tuesday’s practice that he’ll play against San Antonio.

Dejounte Murray, Josh Primo, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl

Reserves: Josh Richardson, Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Keita Bates-Diop, Joe Wieskamp, Jock Landale, Devontae Cacok

Notes: This starting group went 3-3, with all of those appearances occurring late in the regular season after Primo was moved into a first-string role. … Murray was sidelined for five consecutive games prior to returning Sunday against the Mavericks. … San Antonio used 23 different starting lineups, with the most common going 11-13 but featuring Derrick White (traded to Boston) and Doug McDermott (season-ending severe ankle injury).

CJ McCollum, Naji Marshall, Trey Murphy III, Jaxson Hayes, Willy Hernangomez

Reserves: Gary Clark, Tony Snell, Garrett Temple, Jose Alvarado, Jared Harper, Larry Nance Jr.

Notes: This starting group went 0-1, together only for Game 82 as the Pelicans gave several key players a night off for rest and recovery heading into the postseason. … New Orleans’ preferred starting five went 7-3, part of a 16-12 record with Hayes as a starter this season. … Ingram did not play in either March game against San Antonio, but McCollum played in both contests, a 33-point Pelicans win and a four-point loss.

San Antonio’s first-time All-Star point guard is the engine for the silver and black at both ends of the floor. Murray posted a pair of triple-doubles vs. New Orleans this season and nearly averaged one over the four games (18.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 10.0 apg). The Pelicans must keep the Seattle native and past NBA All-Defense selection from having another big night.

On paper, New Orleans is a significantly better rebounding team than San Antonio, ranking third among the 30 NBA teams in board percentage (51.8) compared to the Spurs at No. 18 in that stat (49.4). However, San Antonio won the rebounding battle twice against New Orleans this season, one facet of its 3-1 season-series victory.

They may not go head-to-head much if at all Wednesday, but one X-factor could be the performance of former University of Alabama teammates Jones and Primo, in the postseason debut for both. Jones started 69 games for New Orleans, while Primo only recently became a San Antonio starter, but closed the regular season in strong fashion.

pelicans-shootaround-update-new-orleans-has-pair-of-veterans-whove-produced-recent-play-in-success

Pelicans shootaround update: New Orleans has pair of veterans who’ve produced recent play-in success

Willie Green described Jonas Valanciunas' health status during New Orleans’ four-game West Coast road trip as “banged up,” which led to the starting center sitting out Tuesday’s win at Sacramento due to right ankle soreness. The good news is Valanciunas will be back in the lineup Thursday vs. Portland, saying after this morning’s shootaround, “I will play tonight.”

Asked about his ankle, he responded, “It feels good. As good as it can be.”

Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram (right hamstring tightness) was listed this morning as doubtful with right hamstring tightness. Ingram has played in five consecutive games, but was sidelined for the previous 10 contests due to a hamstring injury.

Having guaranteed a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, the objective for New Orleans now is to lock up the No. 9 seed and start the postseason at home.

Valanciunas on the importance of staying in New Orleans to face San Antonio: “Playing in front of the home crowd is always an advantage. We’re trying everything to bring this to New Orleans and play the first play-in in New Orleans. We’ve still got three games left. If we win those three, we’re good.”

Larry Nance Jr. said, “It’s massive. If we can go into the play-in coming off a 3-1 road trip, and hopefully pick up some of these last few games, the crowd’s energy is going to be a must-have.” …

Nance said he expects to play in all three remaining games. He did not play in the second game of a back-to-back vs. the Lakers on March 27, but otherwise has played in six contests since his March 24 debut.

Go-to guy: It would be guard Anfernee Simons, but he’s sidelined by injury. It could be former Pelicans wing Josh Hart, but he’s also out of action. Since March 15, center Drew Eubanks leads Portland in scoring at 16.4 points per game, followed closely by Ben McLemore (16.3). Eubanks went for 21 points and nine rebounds vs. New Orleans on March 30.

On the rise: Rookie wing Keon Johnson is averaging a team-best 19.0 points over Portland’s last three games, shooting 52 percent from the field and 50 percent on three-pointers, going 10/20. The Tennessee product tallied a career-high 20 points at San Antonio on Friday.

Kris Dunn, Keon Johnson, C.J. Elleby, Greg Brown, Drew Eubanks

Notes: This group is 0-1 and became starting lineup No. 33 used by Portland this season. … Portland’s most common starting five went 9-8 and featured a backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. … If the season ended today, the Trail Blazers would have the No. 6 pre-lottery slot. The Pelicans (by virtue of the Lakers) would be in the No. 8 pre-lotto slot.

CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes, Willy Hernangomez

Notes: This group is 1-0 and became starting lineup No. 22 used by New Orleans this season. The Pelicans are 7-3 with the same combination but with Valanciunas at center. … New Orleans is 18-21 at home this season, but 18-15 in Louisiana after a 0-6 start. … The 7-8 play-in matchup in the West will feature the eighth-seeded Clippers on the road, likely visiting Minnesota (Denver is the only other possible No. 7 seed).

New Orleans can nearly lock up the No. 9 seed and be home vs. San Antonio next week simply by winning its two remaining Smoothie King Center games vs. Portland and Golden State. Even if the Pelicans drop their road game at Memphis and finish 2-0, San Antonio would need to go 3-0 against a challenging schedule (at Minnesota, vs. Golden State, at Dallas) to claim the 9 spot.

The Pelicans gave the upset-minded Trail Blazers some hope March 30 by starting sluggishly and trailing 54-51 at halftime. New Orleans has been forced to overcome a few so-so first halves lately in order to get wins, including being up just 60-57 at the break in Sacramento on Tuesday.

McCollum was red-hot in the first quarter March 30 against his former team at Moda Center, dropping in 14 points. He finished with 25 points on 9/16 shooting, including 3/6 three-point accuracy. The nine-year NBA veteran gets his second crack at the Trail Blazers on Thursday.

pelicans-shootaround-update-jonas-valanciunas-to-return-to-lineup-thursday

Pelicans shootaround update: Jonas Valanciunas to return to lineup Thursday

It would require a pair of wins next week to turn it into a full-fledged Western Conference playoff berth, but New Orleans (34-44) can ensure that it will compete beyond the 82-game regular season by winning Tuesday at Sacramento (9 p.m., Bally Sports, 100.3 FM). A win in any of the ninth-place Pelicans’ four remaining games will clinch a play-in tournament berth, but they’d prefer to get that out of the way as soon as possible, while increasing or maintaining a one-game lead over No. 10 San Antonio (33-45). Simply beating the Kings on Tuesday – or if the Lakers lose Tuesday in Phoenix – will guarantee New Orleans qualifies for the NBA postseason for the first time since 2018.

Regardless of how the rest of 2021-22 plays out for New Orleans, the experience of playing in high-stakes games is something first-year head coach Willie Green believes will be invaluable for his club long term. New Orleans has three rookies playing significant roles (Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado, Trey Murphy III), as well as seven other players with four years or less of NBA experience on its roster.

Asked Sunday about the impact of the NBA’s implementation of extra play-in spots, Green responded, “It’s pretty cool coming down the stretch of the season, when you’re in the ninth spot or 10th, normally if you couldn’t get to eighth (place due to too large of a standings deficit), those games didn’t matter as much. But now, having play-in implications, these are meaningful games, especially for a young team like us. And even for myself, being able to coach in games down the stretch, it means a lot to our team and our organization.”

How much has Sacramento’s rotation changed since New Orleans’ most recent trip to California’s capital city? From the Nov. 3 game won by the Kings 112-99, among nine players who appeared for Sacramento, only two of them also played in Sunday’s loss vs. Golden State. There are more Kings from the Nov. 3 matchup currently on Eastern Conference rosters (Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield; Chicago’s Tristan Thompson) than may be on the floor Tuesday vs. New Orleans.

Go-to guy: With franchise cornerstones De’Aaron Fox (hand) and Domantas Sabonis (knee) sidelined recently by injuries, Davion Mitchell (18.7 ppg) and Harrison Barnes (17.2) have been Sacramento’s top offensive threats over the past six games. The Kings have gone 4-2 over that stretch, with Barnes shooting 48 percent from the field and Mitchell connecting on 46 percent of his shots, though both have been below average from three-point range.

On the rise: Baton Rouge native Damian Jones is in the midst of the best stretch of his six-year NBA career, averaging 16.7 points and 8.2 rebounds over the last six games. Starting at center with Sabonis and Richaun Holmes (personal) out of action, the Vanderbilt product registered 17 points and 17 rebounds at Houston on Friday, two days after he notched 24 and nine in those categories against the Rockets.

Notes: This group is 7-3. Sunday’s loss in Los Angeles was its first in regulation since Feb. 17 vs. Dallas. Valanciunas is listed as questionable due to right ankle soreness. … New Orleans holds a magic number of one to clinch a West play-in berth and four to clinch the No. 9 seed. The ninth spot could be sealed as soon as Thursday evening, but would require a pair of NOLA wins and two San Antonio losses (at Denver, at Minnesota in its next two games). … The Pelicans are 16-23 on the road. They went 13-23 in away games last season during the shortened 72-game schedule.

Davion Mitchell, Justin Holiday, Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles, Damian Jones

Notes: This group is 4-2, beating four opponents also eliminated from postseason contention (Indiana, Orlando, Houston twice), but losing to Miami and Golden State. … Sacramento still has a chance to catch the 31-47 Lakers in the standings and potentially affect L.A.’s pre-lottery slot (currently No. 8), but for that to happen, the Kings must finish 2-1 or better. Sacramento concludes the season on the weekend with road games against the Clippers and Phoenix.

Fatigue can set in at the end of a lengthy road trip that began with a flight out of New Orleans last Tuesday, but New Orleans has clear motivation to bring the intensity to the Golden 1 Center hardwood. A win over the Kings would sew up a play-in spot and make for a much happier return trip across two time zones Wednesday.

Jones and Mitchell are first-year pros to watch, currently ranked seventh and eighth on NBA.com’s weekly Rookie Ladder. Jones has been a prominent piece in NOLA’s dramatic turnaround from a 3-16 start, while Mitchell’s role increased significantly in recent weeks (the Baylor product and guard has started eight straight games).

At small forward, Ingram and Barnes are dynamic scorers who can hurt a defense in multiple ways. Ingram is one of the NBA’s premier mid-range bucket-getters, while Barnes has scored at least 18 points in all three meetings vs. New Orleans this season.

pelicans-shootaround-update-new-orleans-can-seal-first-trip-to-postseason-since-2018-with-win-in-sacramento

Pelicans shootaround update: New Orleans can seal first trip to postseason since 2018 with win in Sacramento

For the third time over a four-game stretch, the New Orleans Pelicans enter a matchup Friday that carries more stakes than your average contest during the lengthy 82-game schedule. With only six games remaining, New Orleans (33-43) has an opportunity this weekend in Los Angeles to move into excellent position to cement a Western Conference play-in berth, while also increasing its chances of earning at least one postseason home game. In fact, the Pelicans – whose play-in magic number is 4 – could clinch a spot as early as Sunday night, but would need to beat the Lakers and the Clippers over the next 72-plus hours, while getting one assist on the scoreboard (the Lakers face Denver on Sunday afternoon, also in Crypto.com Arena).

But first things first: New Orleans carries a two-game lead into Friday’s season-series finale over the Lakers (31-45), with the Pelicans already clinching the tiebreaker. The clubs will only have five games left following Friday’s meeting (9:30 p.m., Bally Sports, NBA TV, 100.3 FM), which means if New Orleans builds a three-game edge (plus the tiebreaker), the odds of L.A. overcoming that deficit would be minimal. The Lakers also face one of the NBA’s most daunting schedules over their last handful of games in 2021-22, matching up against Denver twice, as well as Phoenix and Golden State (the latter are both on the road).

There may not be a final answer until this afternoon or perhaps closer to game time Friday, but the status of LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (foot) is to be determined. James and Davis sat out Thursday’s loss in Utah, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Davis will suit up Friday against his former team, and that James will test his injured ankle but hopes to also be back in uniform vs. New Orleans. By NBA rule, teams are required to submit their injury report on the second day of a back-to-back before 1 p.m. local time (in this case, that means 3 p.m. Central time).

Go-to guy: In his 19th NBA season, James is averaging over 30 points per game for the first time since the 2007-08 season, when Cleveland’s next highest scorers were Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden (now Washington’s TV analyst). The Lakers have needed every one of James’ baskets this season, going 25-30 when he plays and just 6-15 when he does not (1-7 since Jan. 1, with the only win occurring vs. Portland on Feb. 2).

On the rise: Fifth-year shooting guard Malik Monk has been a bright spot for the Lakers, increasing his scoring average (13.4) every season of his career. The Kentucky product ranks among the NBA leaders in three-point percentage for a second straight campaign, at 40.1 last season with Charlotte and 39.1 in 2021-22. Monk dropped in 23 points at New Orleans in Sunday’s loss, coming off the bench for the 38th time in 70 appearances.

Notes: This group is 6-2 and serves as one of the strongest arguments for a case that the current version of the Pelicans are significantly better than their overall record, which was greatly hampered by a 3-16 start. New Orleans is 11-5 in the last 16 games Ingram has played, including wins at Denver, vs. Toronto, at Phoenix and vs. Utah. … The last time New Orleans swept the Lakers in a season series was a 3-0 blanking in 2017-18, which was also the most recent Pelicans playoff appearance.

Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Stanley Johnson, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard

Notes: This group is 0-1, becoming the 37th different starting lineup the Lakers have used this season. … Los Angeles has the same record as 10th-place San Antonio (31-45), but the Spurs own the tiebreaking advantage based on conference record. The Spurs host Portland tonight at 7:30 p.m., then again on Sunday at 6 p.m. The Lakers will host Denver at 2:30 in a Sunday ABC afternoon game. … Los Angeles is trying to qualify for the playoffs for a third straight season, after not making it for six straight years.

Aggressive, tenacious, opportunistic. Those are a few terms that could be used to describe the Pelicans’ defense while going 2-0 vs. the Lakers this season. New Orleans forced 23 turnovers during the Feb. 27 blowout in Southern California and has totaled 26 steals over the pair of victories.

New Orleans’ 29-assist performance at Los Angeles on Feb. 27 was topped by McCollum and Ingram handing out eight dimes apiece. A month later, they combined for 11 assists out of NOLA’s 25 helpers. Both talented offensive players are shooting around 50 percent in the two Laker games (Ingram 18/35, McCollum 15/31).

Pelicans reserves have been game-changers against the Lakers in both victories. On Feb. 27, the New Orleans bench piled up 41 points and shot 8/17 from three-point range. On Sunday in the Smoothie King Center, rookie Trey Murphy III pierced L.A.’s defense for 21 second-half points, sparking a comeback from a 23-point deficit.

pelicans-shootaround-update-new-orleans-has-chance-to-solidify-play-in-spot-in-l-a-this-weekend

Pelicans shootaround update: New Orleans has chance to solidify play-in spot in L.A. this weekend

It’s accurate to say that CJ McCollum will face his former franchise, Portland, for the first time as an opposing player Wednesday. It’s less true that the shooting guard will be competing against many familiar former teammates.

Of the eight Portland players who appeared in Wednesday’s overtime loss to Oklahoma City, only three of them were on the Trail Blazers’ roster with McCollum when the 2021-22 season began (C.J. Elleby, Ben McLemore, Keljin Blevins). From their lineup back in October, several notable names have moved on, including Robert Covington (Clippers), Norman Powell (Clippers) and the three players dealt to the Pelicans.

New Orleans is 5-1 in the last six games Brandon Ingram has played, as well as 26-25 overall this season. Head coach Willie Green on Ingram’s fourth-quarter impact Sunday vs. the Lakers, in Ingram’s first game since March 6: “He literally took over the game down the stretch, and that’s what he’s capable of doing. We’ve just got to keep doing it as a team, and the wins are coming. It’s good to see.”

Go-to guy: Portland’s attack has a major by-committee feel to it. Consider that over the past two weeks, its leading scorers have nearly identical numbers, with center Drew Eubanks (17.0 ppg) leading the way, followed by veteran guard Ben McLemore (16.5) and point guard Brandon Williams (15.0). Only five players have appeared in all of the past eight games.

On the rise: LSU product Trendon Watford recently joined Portland’s lengthy list of sidelined players, but in his past seven appearances, the rookie has averaged 13.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He’s started 10 games, highlighted by a 27-point night in a win over Washington on March 12.

Notes: This group is 5-2. Prior to Ingram being sidelined by a hamstring injury in early March, this group was leading New Orleans to some of its best basketball of the season. … A win Wednesday over Portland would guarantee that the Pelicans finish ahead of the Trail Blazers in the standings, partly because it would lock up the tiebreaker. … To remain in ninth place through Wednesday, New Orleans must win or have San Antonio lose vs. Memphis (7:30 p.m. tip-off in Texas).

Brandon Williams, Keon Johnson, CJ Elleby, Elijah Hughes, Drew Eubanks

Notes: This group is 0-1. It was Portland’s 31st different starting lineup of this season. By comparison, in a 2020-21 season that was much more impacted by health and safety protocols (and was only 72 games), the Trail Blazers used just 13 starting lineups. … The Trail Blazers are still mathematically alive in the play-in race, but need to win the majority of their upcoming games to remain that way. They travel to No. 10 San Antonio next for a weekend “baseball series” Friday and Sunday.

McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell are making their return to Portland after being traded to New Orleans last month. Despite spending the first few months of this season in Oregon, they may not recognize some of the players in red and black uniforms.

New Orleans needs to familiarize itself with a handful of brand-new Blazers who have not yet developed thick pro resumes, but have tried to keep Portland competitive and pulled off recent wins at Detroit and vs. Washington.

After missing 10 straight games, Ingram was excellent in his return vs. the Lakers (26 points in 26 minutes). With a rotation lacking much time on the court together, Portland faces a major defensive challenge in Ingram and the Pelicans.