The New Orleans Pelicans should alter their line-up against the Clippers
By Nick Alvarez
Why the New Orleans Pelicans should make some tweaks to their starting line-up against the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow
The New Orleans Pelicans are in a tough spot. Through 9 games, they’re a troubling 4-5, putting them at risk to fall out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference if they don’t turn around soon.
Luckily, the Pelicans just caught a break. Due to COVID-19 concerns, their game yesterday against the Dallas Mavericks was canceled and is scheduled to be played later date. That cancelation turned a daunting 7-game trip, into a manageable 6-game stint, with multiple games played in the same location.
However, that doesn’t take away from my original point, that the New Orleans Pelicans need to make some changes. And there’s no better game to do that than against the 7-4 Los Angeles Clippers.
What I have in mind for a change this team can make against the Clippers is a simple albeit bold one, change the starting line-up.
Why the New Orleans Pelicans should change their starting line-up against the Los Angeles Clippers
The reason I say the Pelicans should attempt a line-up change against the Clippers tomorrow night has as much to do with the team’s performance as it does their opponent.
So far, the Pelicans’ go-to starting line-up has been Eric Bledsoe, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and Steven Adams. On paper, this line-up makes sense because it’s the team’s five best players, but the results haven’t been what fans have expected.
Yes, that line-up is a major factor in the Pelicans’ defensive turnaround with a stellar defensive rating, but their offense is mediocre and lacks shooting. That’s why I propose the Pelicans start their game against the Clippers with a line-up that utilizes Josh Hart at power forward, and Zion Williamson at center.
This might seem bold, but as we broke down last week, there have been times when this line-up has worked. You may also notice that I didn’t mention the guards in the line-up because I think it’d be best for Stan Van Gundy to play with their rotation too.
Maybe an Eric Bledsoe-J.J. Redick backcourt with Lonzo Ball on the bench? Or maybe move Lonzo back to point guard where he’s more comfortable with Redick or rookie Kira Lewis Jr playing shooting guard?
Now, let’s look at why this might work against the Los Angeles Clippers.