New Orleans Pelicans: 4 Christmas Day matchups fans should root for
By Nick Alvarez
Evaluating the 4 most entertaining matchups for the New Orleans Pelicans on Christmas Day
It’s time for NBA fans to get excited! Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that both the league and the players association have decided to approve a 72-game season that will start on December 22nd! That means we’re just over a month away from seeing New Orleans Pelicans basketball again.
This news made me, just like every other fan giddy, especially because it means we’ll get the wonderful tradition of having basketball on Christmas Day! A tradition I believe the New Orleans Pelicans will partake in once again.
Is it a guarantee? No, but the Pelicans have a new head and are expected to be one of the best young teams in the league, so the NBA could get some great matchups by having the Pelicans play on the holiday. With just the potential of that idea happening, I decided to prove my point by coming up with some great matchups of my own.
Let’s get into them!
Christmas Day Matchup #4- New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns
The first matchup I think would be compelling for the NBA fans, is seeing the New Orleans Pelicans face off against the Phoenix Suns. Yes, these two teams are more low profile in terms of following, so this game would probably either open the holiday or closeout the night. Regardless of what time it’s played though, I think it would be phenomenal.
This matchup would see the New Orleans Pelicans play a Phoenix Suns who are just as young and hungry as they are, as evident by their 8-0 run in the NBA bubble. It would be an all offense back-and-forth showdown.
Why do I say this? Well, look at last year, the Pelicans and Suns were two of the fastest and highest-scoring teams in the NBA, they virtually unstoppable on offense. Assuming both of these teams return much of the same roster, I don’t see that changing.
I think this match-up would give Pelicans fans a fun game with a lot of 3 point shots and fast break opportunities, and most importantly I think it’d be a close game. Those are some of the keys to the best Christmas Classics, score a lot of points and keep the game close and competitive.
Want some added drama? After both narrowly missing the playoffs last season, this game also becomes important for the Pelicans and Suns as they’ll be trying to get the better of each other to put themselves on the path to finally returning to the Western Conference playoffs. Sign me up!