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Toronto Raptors: Looking back at a special opening night

By Jade Johnson

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 22: The Toronto Raptors Championship banner is revealed prior to the first half of an NBA game against New Orleans Pelicans at Scotiabank Arena on October 22, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 22: The Toronto Raptors Championship banner is revealed prior to the first half of an NBA game against New Orleans Pelicans at Scotiabank Arena on October 22, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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NBA New Orleans Pelicans Alvin Gentry (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The New Orleans Pelicans (0-1)

I’ve been on the fence with regards to whether the Pelicans might make a playoff appearance this season. Last season, they missed the playoffs by a pretty large margin tying the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies with a 33-49 record.

Since the conversations were all based on the Pelicans landing Zion Williamson, it was difficult for me to get excited about their chances. Having seen them play though, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the Pelicans clinch a playoff berth this season.

I know they’re playing in the West and I know it’s early, but I saw some things to be excited about if you’re a Pelicans fan.

That said, the Pelicans have a pretty injury prone line up between Zion Williamson, Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram. It’s critical to the success of every team that they remain healthy. Because so much of their production is likely to come from those four guys, the loss of any of them for any significant period of time could mean a slide that they won’t be able to overcome and lock in a playoff position.

The Pelicans are playing a pretty quick style of basketball. It’s the kind of pace that not all teams are going to be able to keep up with. Is it going to cause some turnovers from time to time? Yeah, it will. They had 19 on the night. But as they develop as a team and move forward in the season, if that quickness can become more of a deliberate pace, it could be a real asset to the team.

The Pelicans came out strong and went on a 9-0 run around the 9:00 point in the first quarter. Lonzo Ball especially seemed to come out with a certain kind of swagger. It’s no surprise that he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder after being traded from the Lakers. It’s the kind of chip that’s easy to recognize as a long-time Raptors fan. The kind of chip that says, “It would be a mistake to sleep on me.” It looks good on him.

His shooting mechanics look miles better than they did last season. Even though his numbers weren’t stellar with eight points in 25 minutes, he also had five each in the rebound and assist columns. I have a feeling when he looks back at his career one day down the road, he’ll realize that the forced move away from the Lakers will be something to be thankful for.

The unexpected story for the Pelicans was Nicolo Melli. Based on Tuesday night’s performance if Melli is a new name to you, it won’t be by the end of the season. It seems the Pelicans and the Raptors employed a page out of the same basketball strategy book and brought over a sharpshooter from Europe. This guy is a knockdown shooter from range. He scored 14 points in 20 minutes on 5-7 shooting including 4-5 from 3-point range.

The combination of some more familiar faces also bodes well for a decent season for the Pelicans. J.J. Redick is such a known quantity when it comes to shooting from range and he did more of the same in this game. He had 16 points in 27 minutes on 6-9 shooting from the field.

Brandon Ingram also had a pretty impressive night. He finishes really well at the rim in spite of being a bit slight of frame. He handles the ball pretty well and moves around the floor effortlessly. He had five rebounds and five assists to go along with his 22 points.

He didn’t get a lot of touches early in the game so he production could easily have been higher. For the Pelicans to make the most of their season they’re going to need to make sure they’re utilizing him as much as possible and not let so many possessions go by without him getting him involved.

The Pelicans went an impressive 19-45 from 3-point range. If they shoot like that through the season or hopefully a little bit better, they’re going to be able to score at a pace that many teams will be hard-pressed to slow down. They also had nine blocks in the game.

In the things to work on category, the Pelicans had no answer for Pascal Siakam who is fast on the wing, with and without the ball; long like a big and tough enough that he’s not going to be pushed around. The Pelicans also sent the Raptors to the charity stripe 38 times and the Raps converted on 32 of those free throws. In a game that ended up being decided by only eight points, you gotta believe the Pelicans would like to have some of those fouls back.

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