Could the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns be the NBA’s newest rivalry?
The last time the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans played one another tempers flared, emotions boiled over, and a new rivalry seemed to be brewing in the Western Conference.
During their last game not even a week ago, Zion Williamson received a pass at halfcourt with only five seconds on the clock. Williamson then took off towards the rim and executed the perfect 360 windmill dunk sending the fans inside Smoothie King Center into a frenzy.
While it was all fun and entertainment for the home crowd, the visiting Phoenix Suns didn’t find Williamson’s gesture amusing at all.
Williamson noted after the game during the team’s press conference that his dunk wasn’t meant as a sign of disrespect and that it was out of character for him to do it, but like it or not, the Suns eliminated them from the playoffs last season.
With that being said, Williamson was simply putting the Suns on notice and letting them know that he is here, he has arrived and it’s not going to be easy whenever they play against them. Funny how the schedule sorts itself out because as fate has it, these teams play again Saturday night this time in Phoenix at the Footprint Center.
Will this game be as intense as the last one? This game has all of the makings of a classic and it should be a playoff-type atmosphere with two of the best teams in the league going at it.
The New Orleans Pelicans
The plan of attack for the Pelicans should be to allow Williamson to get into the defense early and try to get his team off to a fast start. Not only will this draw attention away from the shooters but the possibility of getting the Suns in foul trouble should make it easier for the Pelicans to get into the lane.
The Suns rank 6th in 3-point percentage and have the ability to play from behind with their consistency from downtown. The Suns will have Devin Booker available as he sat out the last matchup due to injury. Damion Lee and Mikal Bridges could play big roles in this one as both players are among the best in the NBA from behind the arc percentage-wise.
Expect the Pelicans defenders to have their hands full all night as their young wings Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Larry Nance Jr. will have to focus on shooters making sure they close out. The Pelicans will be without the services of Brandon Ingram once again as he continues to recover from a toe injury.
The key to this game is who can step up in Ingram’s absence and some players who come to mind are Naji Marshall and rookie Dyson Daniels. Marshall is averaging 17 points against the Suns in three games against them as he can give the team quality minutes and also gives maximum effort on the defensive end.
The Pelicans have to be impressed with what Daniels does in the limited minutes he plays. While his time to shine will eventually come he is making the most out of his opportunities and could be the player to have a major impact on this game.
The Phoenix Suns
Even though emotions will be running high and players will be playing with added motivation, the Suns need on to focus on just getting the win. The Suns are currently in 4th place in the West and have lost six of their last 10 games.
Chris Paul finally returned after missing a stretch of 15 games as they went 10-5 during his absence. Paul must avoid getting into altercations similar to the one he had with Jose Alvarado so he won’t get called for any flagrant fouls that could possibly hurt the Suns down the stretch. Devin Booker is expected to return for this game after missing the Suns’ second game against the Pelicans.
During the first matchup, the Pelicans kept Booker in check holding him to only 14 points as he shot a dismal 29 percent from the floor. If the Suns are going to have any chance of winning this game Booker will have to play much better.
Williamson just scored a combined 70 points against the Suns and they must figure out how to limit him from getting in the paint where he thrives. Monty Williams could try and play a zone with Deandre Ayton anchoring the middle and attempt to force Williamson to attempt more jump shots late in the shot clock instead of allowing him to have his way at the rim.
The Suns have plenty of bodies they can throw at him from Bridges, Torrey Craig, and Ish Wainright but it will be enough to slow Williamson down? CJ McCollum also lit the Suns up for 29 points and they can’t allow him to get going or it could be a long night.
Prediction
This game could very well affect playoff positioning later on in the season so a lot is on the line even though it’s still early. The Suns have a 12-3 record at home and the homecourt advantage along with a big game from Booker should give the Suns the edge in another thriller in this rivalry.