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The New Orleans Pelicans began this 2021-22 season on a sour note with a league-worst 1-12 record. Without Zion Williamson and with so many questions swirling around his future, it seemed like another lost and disappointing season for the organization. Instead, the Pelicans roared back to earn the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, giving them an opportunity to get in the playoffs via the play-in tournament.
Zion Williamson still has not played, but Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Jonas Valanciunas are ready for this do-or-die affair against the San Antonio Spurs. The talent of the players is an advantage for the New Orleans side, but anything can happen in a one-game scenario.
With that, here are three bold predictions for the New Orleans Pelicans in their first play-in game.
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New Orleans Pelicans Play-In Tournament Predictions
3. Ingram, McCollum combine for over 50 points
The midseason acquisition for McCollum has proven to be a boon for New Orleans. The guard is scorching the nets to the tune of over 25 points per game with the Pelicans, giving Ingram a trusty sidekick with Zion off the floor.
For this high-pressure contest, New Orleans will need Ingram and McCollum to get buckets in order to secure the victory. The Spurs' defensive unit will be heavily challenged with Ingram and McCollum at their best, especially with the home crowd cheering on the two scorers for 48 minutes. If the Pelicans get monster performances from both players, they will have a great chance of advancing to another play-in game.
2. Jose Alvarado will be the X-Factor in this game
If Dejounte Murray indeed returns for this important game for the Spurs, they will need pesky and relentless defenders to contain Murray's sensational prowess on the floor. Murray's emergence as a reliable three-level scorer and playmaker is one of the main reasons for San Antonio's performance this season. His repertoire has developed into more than just a defensive stopper, even becoming an All-Star.
While rookie Herb Jones will surely be called upon to defend Murray, don't forget about Jose Alvarado, who has been an unsung hero off the bench for the Pelicans this season. Having Jones and Alvarado as primary defenders against Murray could very well be enough to pull out a win, especially if the three-headed monster of Ingram, McCollum and Valanciunas go to work offensively.
1. Zion returns to play 10-15 minutes
These are bold predictions after all, so why not see Williamson play for the first time this season in the play-in tournament? His debut game in the NBA was also against the Spurs in which he had a strict minutes restriction, so that would be the case for this game as well. He could lead the second unit and provide a spark off the bench in limited action.
His stepfather just recently shared that he expects Williamson to suit up this season, so perhaps it turns out to be in this do-or-die game. The pressure and responsibility must not be focused on Williamson after rehabbing an injury for a long time, but short spurts of inspiring play would be a huge plus for the Pelicans to advance to the second game of the play-in tournament. It would certainly be a risk, but there could be a huge reward if Zion suits up.
