The Pelicans have undoubtedly become one of the most impressive teams this season. Although they only got 36 wins in the regular season, they have made surprises one after another since the second half of the regular season. The Organs eliminated the Clippers and entered the playoffs without being optimistic. In Game 2 of the series against the Suns, they won again without being optimistic. Obviously, the current Pelicans have seen it. It is time to stage the hope of the Black Eight Miracles.
In the match against the Suns, the Pelicans withstood the opponent’s counterattack in the final quarter. In the process, coach Willie Green only used 7 players, and 6 of these 7 players were only available this season. The players who just joined the team, they are Valanciunas, McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and Alavado, there is no doubt that this victory It is also the biggest affirmation of the work of Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin.
With the exception of Ingram, the Pelicans are now relying on almost all of the players they acquired in the past year. Valanciunas was a player Griffin traded from the Grizzlies last year. In addition, they also paid a 10th overall pick in the first round. After joining the team, Valanciunas’ overall performance can be described as remarkable. In the regular season, he averaged 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. The average rebounds per game ranked 7th in the league, of which 3.1 offensive rebounds per game ranked 9th in the league. In the playoffs, in the two games with the sun, Valanciunas scored 38 rebounds, especially In the first game, he grabbed 25 rebounds, including 13 offensive rebounds, his scramble also dwarfed Suns center Ayton.
With Zion out of season, the arrival of Valanciunas has guaranteed the Pelicans’ interior offense and allowed them to continue to be a team that is both inside and out, like Valanciunas today. McCollum, who is already the core of the Pelicans, can also be called Griffin’s magic. Before the trade deadline, Griffin seized the opportunity of the Blazers’ intention to rebuild, using Hart and the first-round pick as the main body. Collum was brought to the team. Although McCollum has never been selected as an All-Star in the Blazers in the past few years, after he started the team, he has averaged 20 points per game every season, which is very stable in the league. A scorer, and since joining the Pelicans, McCollum has also shown more possibilities at the point guard position, and his play has been more comprehensive than he was with the Blazers. In the two seasons that have been going on In the playoffs, McCollum also became Ingram’s best partner on offense.
The most famous of the remaining 4 new recruits is Nance. Nance is also a player who joined from the Blazers. Although he did not play much due to injuries at the beginning of his joining, after his comeback, Nance quickly gave the team to the team. Help, Nance scored 14 points and 16 rebounds in the play-off with the Clippers before. His offensive rebounds became the key to the team’s final victory. The arrival of Nance also gave the Pelicans a better inside line. With more options, his comprehensiveness can allow the coach to arrange more lineups.
Jones, Murphy and Alavado are all rookies this season. Among them, Herbert Jones is only the fifth pick in the second round, but it is no exaggeration to say that Jones is already the youngest player in the league. One of the best defensive players in the team, his 3D attributes allow him to play well next to Ingram and CJ, and Murphy was last year’s No. 17 rookie. In the second half of the regular season, Murphy began to get More opportunities to play, his biggest feature is the three-pointer. In the game with the Clippers, his 4 three-pointers changed the game. In the two games against the Suns, his three-point shooting rate was as high as 56%.
Alvardo was undrafted and is now 24 years old. Although he has only been in the NBA for less than a year, Alvardo is now a well-known presence in the NBA world because he often likes to hide when his opponent sends the baseline ball. Three points from the bottom corner, and then complete stealing steals without the opponent noticing. Such steals have appeared many times this season. The highlights of Alavado’s stealing methods are also widely circulated on the Internet. It is interesting that , In today’s game with the sun, Alavado tried to replicate his stunt, but was finally seen through by the old Paul.
However, whether it’s Jones, Murphy or Alavado, they can all play their part in this Pelicans team. Of course, he is also the head coach that Griffin personally hired, and it is clear that Willie Green, who is the first NBA head coach, is a perfect fit for this young Pelicans.
“There are a number of issues the team needs to address this offseason, including basketball IQ, toughness, and shooting. We’ve done a lot of work this season to avoid the luxury tax, and I believe the management and the owners have the same consensus that if we have the The opportunity to form a championship team, the team will try to do it. We also understand that the team is not in the championship right now, we still have a long way to go, but we are sure that if we At the level of a championship contending team, the owner of the team will be very willing to pay the luxury tax to fight for the championship.” This is what David Griffin said in an interview before the start of the offseason last year. The operation is successful, and he is slowly fulfilling his promise when he took over as president of the Pelicans. The current Pelicans team can be said to have completed the rebuilding work.
As for the series between the Pelicans and the Suns, it can be said that Booker’s injury has made the game more suspenseful. Next, the Pelicans will return to the home court. Their six new players and Ingram will undoubtedly be well. With the Suns at their door, the really interesting part of this series has only just begun. (Sports Weekly)Return to Sohu, see more
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