New Orleans Pelicans: Why this Lakers’ game is still huge
The New Orleans Pelicans will play their final game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans have been officially eliminated from any playoff hopes and Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Steven Adams and Josh Hart are all injured, but their are still reasons why this game against the Lakers is huge.
The Pelicans will be running shorthanded but will do their best to play spoiler to the Lakers and build some positive momentum going into the offseason.
Here are some reasons this game is still huge even though the Pels have little to play for.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels can force the Lakers into the play-in game
What better motivation is there than spite? None that I know of.
If you don’t hate the Lakers, then you must be a Lakers’ fan, otherwise there is every reason to want to see the powerhouse of the NBA forced into the play-in tournament.
The Lakers will be there anyway if Portland wins, but the Pelicans can guarantee it by beating them in New Orleans. What better way for an up and coming team to serve notice to the champs than to beat them and force them into the play-in game?
This is a good enough reason for me to want the young Pelicans to play the game of their lives.
New Orleans Pelicans: Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a budding star
One of the good things that has come out of this season is the emergence of Nickeil Alexander-Walker as the potential starting combo guard of the future.
NAW has averaged 20 points per game as a starter this season and has one last game to show what he can do and it just happens to be against the reigning champs.
I’d love to see NAW finish this season with a monster game, put up about 40 points against LA and Kira Lewis Jr., Naji Marshall and Jaxson Hayes are all hungry young players who would love to get a win tonight, so I expect them to come out and play with purpose against the Lakers.
It’s hard to beat the Lakers on any night, much less shorthanded, so a big upset win would not only be a blow to a rival but would send the Pels into the offseason with some positivity.