After a difficult 2013-2014 campaign that saw the New Orleans Pelicans deal with a ton of injuries and go just 34-48 it wasn’t much of a surprise when the schedule for 2014-2015 was released and the Pelicans were on major national TV (ESPN, TNT) just two times with eight more games on NBATV. So how can the Pelicans do on national TV this season? Will there be chances to casual fans to realize just how good Anthony Davis is? Let’s take a look:
November 8 at San Antonio on NBATV:
In a nice start to the Pelicans NBATV schedule the team takes on the San Antonio Spurs early in the season with a chance to make a statement. The game will be tough as the defending NBA champions should be great again this season but the Pelicans will have a chance if their defense improves like most expect it too. For Davis this is a perfect chance to make an early season statement against Tim Duncan and it is a matchup he should do well in. Last season against the Spurs Davis averaged 16.3 points, 11 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game and if he does actually improve his three-point shot like he has talked about those numbers should go up. The game should also be one of the best early season tests of the new Pelicans defense as the Spurs perfect ball movement will put pressure on Davis and the rest of the Pelicans throughout the night. It should be a ton of fun.
November 22 at Utah on NBATV:
I have no idea why this game is on “national TV” even if it is just NBATV. The Jazz are going to be bad again in 2014-2015 and they aren’t a team like the Lakers that are going to draw ratings no matter what. But there the game is on the schedule and it is one the Pelicans should win, even as the second game of a back-to-back after playing in Denver the night before. For Davis it should be a good chance to have a monster night, though the Jazz played him tough last year, holding him to averages of just 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 25 minutes per game in the four meetings. Expect Davis to better all of those numbers when the teams meet this year.
December 4 at Golden State on TNT:
The first of the Pelicans two true national games should be a ton of fun as they head into one of the NBA’s best arenas to play a very entertaining Warriors team. The game will be important for the late season playoff races as both the Warriors and Pelicans look likely to challenge for the six through eight seeds in the Western Conference this year if they stay healthy so it should be a tight game. Davis should be a ton of fun in this game as well after averaging 22.5 points, 14 rebounds and 1.0 assists last season in two games against the Warriors and if Andrew Bogut misses this game those numbers are very repeatable this season. It is a perfect place for Davis to make a statement to a casual audience that may not watch him and the Pelicans often.
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January 5 vs. Washington on NBATV:
The Pelicans first “national” TV home game comes in January against a fun, talented Washington squad. The Wizards proved themselves as a tough game every night last season and with the normal growth of young talent and the addition of Paul Pierce that should continue. It should be a tough, close game that will draw in some eyes which is always nice for a team looking to improve and gain national recognition like the Pelicans. For Davis it looks like another chance to have a big game as he averaged 23.5 points and 9.0 rebounds last season in two games against the Wizards.
January 12 at Boston on NBATV:
It would be a massive upset for an awful Boston team to beat New Orleans here so the biggest thing will be how well Davis can play. He destroyed the Celtics last season to the tune of averaging 31.5 points, 15 rebounds and 2 assists in two games against Boston including an otherworldly 40/21/3 game late in the season. The Celtics did’t get any better at power forward this offseason so expect Davis to make Kelly Olynyk question why he is playing basketball again on the way to another Pelicans win.
February 2 vs. Atlanta on NBATV:
Besides San Antonio on their NBATV opener this looks like the toughest national game the Pelicans have up to this point. The Hawks are a tough matchup on any team with their ability to spread the floor from all five positions and before Al Horford went down they were one of the best four teams in the Eastern Conference last season. If Horford stays healthy the Hawks are going to be really good in 2014-2015 so winning this game could be a sign the Pelicans are ready to be as well. This also marks another game Davis could dominate though as he averaged 30.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists against the Hawks last season as Paul Millsap is just a bit too small to defend Davis. This game is going to be a ton of fun.
February 7 vs. Chicago on NBATV:
The problem with this game is how boring the Bulls are. If Derrick Rose isn’t back to his old self they become almost unwatchable most nights even to basketball nerds. Chicago will slow everything down to a grinding halt, pound anyone that comes through the lane and turn the game into a genuinely bogged down mess. Davis played well in his one game against the Bulls last year, shooting 10-14 from the field for 24 points while pulling in eight rebounds but without Carlos Boozer to victimize this year things will be tougher on him.
February 23 vs. Toronto on NBATV:
The Raptors should be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference this year after winning 48 games last season. They aren’t a nationally recognized team by many casual fans but a win in this game would be nice for the Pelicans. Davis played against the Raptors just once last year and shot 7-14 from the field for 19 points while pulling in 7 rebounds. A bigger game is surely possible though and it should be a fun game between two under appreciated teams.
February 27 vs. Miami on ESPN:
The Pelicans second true national TV game of the season is a big one for exposure purposes as they take on the Miami Heat at home late in the season. While the Heat aren’t the team they were the last few years with LeBron James they will still be good with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and bring with them the reputation of a very good team. Winning this game would be huge for the Pelicans from an exposure and standings standpoint so it should be a very fun, exciting game. Davis should also be looking forward to it after averaging 26.0 points and 11.5 rebounds last season against Miami in two games. Without LeBron James in town the Heat probably will play a bit more traditional this season which could make Davis’s life a bit tougher with more matchups against Chris Bosh but that could also mean more in the long run for his reputation if Davis plays well. It will be fun.
April 12 at Houston on NBATV:
There is a lot that could change with this game between now and April as both teams could be playing for the playoffs, one team could be resting for the playoffs or both teams could be resting for the playoffs. Assuming that both teams are playing hard in this game it should be fun and another game Davis can dominate. The Rockets weren’t good on defense last year and lost Omer Asik so Davis should have a field day against non-Dwight Howard Rockets. Last year he averaged 21 points and 11.5 rebounds on 59.3 percent shooting so a big game in a very important spot could be likely. Heading into a potential playoff series it could be the perfect ending to a breakout season for Davis if he improves as many Pelicans fans hope into a top five player in the NBA.
Like the back-to-back schedule the Pelicans national TV schedule sets up nicely to win a lot of games. The team plays most of their tougher games on their national schedule at home and has a fair share of games where they will be the clear favorite. For a team looking to be one of the breakout young groups in 2014-2015 that is important and could lead to many more national TV games in the coming seasons, especially with Anthony Davis poised to become a top five player in the league.