New Orleans Pelicans: 3 things to watch against the Toronto Raptors
The New Orleans Pelicans will need a team effort against the Toronto Raptors
The New Orleans Pelicans start the 2020-21 NBA season on the road against the Toronto Raptors, one of the best teams in the East.
The Pelicans looked sharp in preseason, with new coach Stan Van Gundy establishing some positive trends right away.
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The Raptors are running it back with almost the same team as last year. They re-signed guard Fred VanVleet and replaced Marc Gasol with Aron Baynes.
They will look to make another deep run in the playoffs behind budding superstar Pascal Siakam, and the Pels are going to have their work cut out for them if they want to start the season with a win.
Here are three things to keep an eye on vs. the Toronto Raptors in the first game of the season.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Toronto Raptors: Things to watch
Are the preseason trends a fluke?
I’ve written about some trends that emerged from the preseason, namely that the Pels looked improved on defense, have turned the ball over less and are getting to the line more frequently.
Consistency is the key with any young team, and Stan Van Gundy will stay on the Pels to play intense defense, to take care of the ball and to live at the free-throw line.
The real question is whether the Pelicans can do these things night after night during the course of an entire season.
Their defensive intensity looks to be improved but they have to prove it now that the games matter.
The Raptors are a great test right out of the gate, so it’s time for the Pels to show that some of the positives from the preseason were not anomalies.