{"id":64531,"date":"2018-05-01T07:37:06","date_gmt":"2018-05-01T07:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=64531"},"modified":"2018-05-01T07:37:06","modified_gmt":"2018-05-01T07:37:06","slug":"why-the-pelicans-are-in-major-trouble-vs-the-warriors-even-after-game-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/why-the-pelicans-are-in-major-trouble-vs-the-warriors-even-after-game-1.html","title":{"rendered":"Why the Pelicans are in major trouble vs. the Warriors even after Game 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why the Pelicans are in major trouble vs. the Warriors even after Game 1<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you thought Golden State’s Oracle Arena was loud on Saturday night \u2013 and coach Steve Kerr swears it was as raucous as he\u2019s ever heard \u2013 then just wait for tipoff on Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two-time MVP and Warriors fan favorite Steph Curry is expected to return for the first time since he suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain on March 23 for Game 2 against New Orleans in the Western Conference semifinals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet with the Warriors having been so dominant without Curry in Game 1, winning 123-101 while showing the kind of championship swagger that had been missing of late, it\u2019s fair to wonder now that they\u2019re about to get their biggest star back: Is this series already over? We won\u2019t go that far just yet, but here are three reasons the Pelicans are in serious trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. DURANT\u2019S DEFENSE IS NO HOLIDAY<\/span><\/p>\n

Jrue Holiday was coming off a fantastic first-round showing, the ninth-year guard having averaged 27.8 points, 6.5 assists and four rebounds in the sweep of Portland. Holiday and Nikola Mirotic (18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds) gave franchise centerpiece Anthony Davis the support he needed to help them advance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nBut after muscling through Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Evan Turner in that series, Holiday now finds himself facing a more formidable defensive foe: Kevin Durant. The Warriors star may be listed 6-9, but he\u2019s widely considered a seven footer. That length makes it tough for Holiday to find his spots, and Durant\u2019s athleticism and speed means he\u2019s able to keep up all over the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

The end result in Game 1? Holiday, who also faced everyone from Andre Iguodala to Kevon Looney to Klay Thompson, had just 11 points (4-of-16 shooting), four rebounds, three assists and a minus-23 rating. As NOLA.com pointed out, Holiday was just one-of-nine from the field when Durant guarded him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Holiday has been really, really good, in that last series and late in the year so he was a priority for us for sure,\u201d Kerr said. \u201cI thought Kevin’s size factored in and Kevin did a great job on him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mirotic was no better, finishing with nine points (3-of-9 shooting) and eight rebounds while facing everyone from Shaun Livingston to Thompson, Looney and Draymond Green.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alvin Gentry knows as well as anyone it\u2019s nearly impossible to beat the Warriors at their own scoring game. After all, the Pelicans coach was Kerr\u2019s lead assistant until he headed for the Big Easy in the summer of 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

So while New Orleans\u2019 breakneck style mostly worked during the regular season when they played the league\u2019s fastest pace \u2013 102.73 possessions per game, compared with Golden State\u2019s fifth-place mark of 101.5 \u2013 Game 1 was a clear sign that it isn\u2019t likely to work against these Warriors. The game was even faster than normal for both squads, ending with a one-game mark of 105.96 that tested the lungs of all involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Man, it was tiring,” Thompson said after scoring his game-high 27 points. “The Spurs (who the Warriors beat in five games in the first round), they are a little older, so they play a little more methodical. They try to beat us up in the half court and low block. This team is kind of like playing ourselves. It’s like, you make a bucket, you can’t relax. You have to sprint back, find a shooter and they are pushing the tempo. It’s a whole different ballgame.”<\/span><\/p>\n

But this hoops life is rough for the underdog Pels when you\u2019re facing a Warriors team with the NBA\u2019s greatest collection of offensive talents, and that had the league\u2019s best offensive rating during the season (112.3). Consider this key contrast: The Pelicans were 17th in offensive rating after losing big man DeMarcus Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury on Jan. 26, with a mark of 106.8.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. KLAY AND DRAYMOND<\/span><\/p>\n

Newsflash: All-Stars, more often than not, will play like All-Stars.<\/span><\/p>\n

So now that Thompson and Green have found their games in the playoffs, it puts all sorts of pressure on the Pelicans to find an answer. Take out Thompson\u2019s one bad game in the postseason, when he shot just (4-of-16) from the field in a Game 4 loss to San Antonio in the first round, and he\u2019s averaging 25.6 points (on a red-hot 55.9% shooting overall and 52.9% from three-point range) in the other five games. Green, who is averaging 12.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the playoffs, has the highest individual net rating of any starter in the postseason (plus-19.6).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDraymond is going to guard everybody,\u201d Kerr said in discussing Green\u2019s impact. \u201cHe started on Davis, but when (Looney) came in to guard Davis, Draymond slid over to (Rajon) Rondo. You know how Draymond is. He wants to be in the fray and he wants to be in the middle of the floor. Middle of the action, I should say. We’re going to put him on people that are going to be in the middle of the action and probably not guys who are spotting up and shooting, so that he can make an impact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/nba\/2018\/04\/30\/why-pelicans-major-trouble-warriors-game-1-stephen-curry\/563738002\/<\/span><\/p>\n

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