New Orleans Pelicans: 4 Christmas Day matchups fans should root for
By Nick Alvarez
Christmas Day Matchup #3- New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant facing off against Zion Williamson yet again? The battle of the top two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft? A potential budding rivalry in the NBA? Yes, I’ll take any Grizzlies-Pelicans game you give me, especially on Christmas Day.
I mean, it feels like I don’t even need to make the argument for this game much more than I just did. Last season, every game between the Grizzlies and Pelicans was competitive, and with both teams being division rivals, each game had playoff implications. It feels like this matchup is guaranteed to give fans a quality product.
Not to mention, if NBA wants to continue growing their brand by building up young stars what better two are there put on television when all eyes will be on the NBA than Ja Morant and Zion Williamson? The pair grew up together and are both quickly rising through the NBA ranks as top stars. Hello NBA, perfect opportunity to make some bold Magic-Bird comparisons!
The only downside to this game is it could end up being a competitive slugfest, which typically isn’t the type of game casual fans are attracted to in the NBA. Given how the Grizzlies like to play, we could see a slow grind of a game that’s more methodical than break-neck. Also, the Grizzlies will be without Jaren Jackson Jr. which brings the matchup down a bit.
That’s why this matchup fails to compare to the two lying ahead.