New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Things to Watch vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Will the real Lonzo please stand up?

Which Lonzo are we going to see?

Lonzo Ball had a tough night shooting the ball against Utah, though I did like his early aggressiveness, how he took the ball to the hoop and his overall defensive effort.

He finished the night 2-13 for four points, missing all of his 3-point shots in the process.

This was surprising, as Lonzo was red-hot before play was shut down, shooting over 50% from long-range in his last five games.

He looked tight in game one and really never found a rhythm, forced a few shots and generally looked uncomfortable.

Part of this is on Genty, who ran very little pick-and-roll, which Lonzo often uses to get open step-back three’s when the defender goes under the screen.

This game will be different.

The Clippers started Reggie Jackson at point guard in game one, and if he is the one guarding Lonzo for most of the game, it could be good news for the Pelicans.

Jackson is not a good defender, so Lonzo should be able to get into the lane and do damage with his passing when the defense collapses. Lonzo needs to forget about game one, come out aggressively and take Jackson to school.

Lonzo is the engine that makes this team go, so if he has another poor game, they have no chance.

When Lonzo is knocking down shots and being aggressive with the ball, the Pels can find a different level offensively.

Tonight’s matchup is not going to be easy, as the Clippers are one of the best teams in the NBA, and both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George look locked-in already.

Turnovers, free throws, points in the paint and Lonzo will likely be the deciding factors and will be things to watch.