MY PELICANS ARE FINALLY BACK IN THE PLAYOFFS BABY.
It’s been three years since we’ve seen Anthony Davis and the crew from New Orleans in the postseason, but finally, they are back. Not only that, they won their first playoff game since 2011 Saturday night versus Portland.
Let’s be real. No one thought the Pels would be where they're at now whenever Demarcus Cousins went down with a torn achilles in late January. Yet, they fought their way back to the sixth seed in the west.
However…
Now is not the time to be satisfied. Anthony Davis has not had success in the playoffs, which is one the major knocks against him from his critics. I’m sure he’s aware of this. New Orleans made the playoffs in 2015 and was swept by the Spurs, and they haven’t won a playoff series since the 2008 Chris Paul Hornets.
I genuinely believe the Pelicans have a chance to take this series against Portland, though. Anthony Davis has been playing at an elite level--arguably an MVP level-- with the fourth most total win shares in the league (basketball-reference.com). Jrue Holiday has been balling offensively, and Nikola Mirotic has been hot from long range as well.
The two keys for New Orleans to win are A) the guards being able to slow down Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and B) Anthony Davis dominating the paint on both ends. Lillard and McCollum were held to 37 points in game one-- 11 points less than their season average-- and the Blazers' stars only shot 32% from the field.
Davis’s success in the paint may see like a given, but Jusuf Nurkic is no slouch for Portland. He been scrappy, collecting more offensive rebounds this season than Davis did this season despite having 124 less total rebounds.
But, when Davis plays confidently and is able to score from the post as he has been, he can be impossible to stop, and New Orleans wins games. Based on the Pels recent success, they will continue to feed their star and rely on him to provide scoring and inside protection defensively.
The Trail Blazers and Pelicans split the season series 2-2. However, it is perhaps important to note that the Blazers did win the only regular season game the two teams played without Demarcus Cousins.
The Pelicans will need their other big men to step up and support Davis. Nikola Mirotic and Emeka Okafor-- yes, THAT Emeka Okafor, who hadn’t played an NBA game since 2013-- are going to be a big factor in the Pels’ success.
Unfortunately, I have no confidence that the Pelicans can make it out of the Western Conference to the Finals. However, a series win would be a big deal to the organization. It’d make fans happy and would make the team more marketable to other superstars around the league. Since the arrival of Demarcus Cousins, many analysts believe New Orleans is now just one piece away from being a superteam able to compete for a title.
Additionally, a series win would likely encourage Cousins, whose contract expires at the end of this season, to stay with the team. He has already expressed some desire to remain in New Orleans, and seeing the team win without him would entice him to stay.
The series should continue to be competitive. Win or lose, it’s impressive what the Pelicans have been able to do without one of their superstars. As a fan myself I can for once say that I am happy with the direction they’re headed as a franchise.
