Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans: Setting up week one of the Pelicans’ 2019-2020 season

By Steven Balkos

Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans talks to James Harden (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans talks to James Harden (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 28: Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the Dallas Mavericks on December 28, 2018 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 28: Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the Dallas Mavericks on December 28, 2018 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) /

Thursday @ Smoothie King Center – Dallas Mavericks @ New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans will travel from Toronto back home to New Orleans where they will host their home opener against the Dallas Mavericks. It is expected that Smoothie King Center will be packed and energized for the city’s first look at this new era of Pelicans basketball.

This game will be no easy task as the Mavericks have two young studs in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis who will be looking to become one of the youngest deadly duos in the league this season. Luka, coming off a Rookie of the Year season will look to develop into the likes of an All-Star this season while Porzingis will take the court for the first time in the regular season since being a member of the New York Knicks.

This game will be all about containing Luka, via perimeter defense from Jrue and Lonzo as well as help defense for post-ups by Kristaps Porzingis. The Mavericks do have a few knockdown shooters in Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Seth Curry as well so the Pelicans will need to be conscious of their surroundings even when the ball is primarily in the hands of Kristaps and Luka.

The Pelicans will look to feed off the home crowd as well as push the ball in transition as much as possible, something that Alvin Gentry has preached since the Summer League of this season.

Getting good guard play will also be key in defeating the Mavs at home as Jrue finding teammates, Lonzo distributing and playing defense as well as J.J. Redick knocking down threes off of screens are all great ingredients in a recipe for success.

This game will be full of speed, shooting, creativity and passion from the Pelicans faithful in what will be the Pels first opportunity to win over the crowd at Smoothie King. If their effort is anything like it was in preseason, the Pelicans should win over the hearts of Louisiana and the NBA community as a whole very easily.

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