Lady Luck came up aces in Sacramento and the New Orleans Pelicans are now sitting pretty in Sin City. Willie Green's squad landed in Las Vegas just hours before the Los Angeles Lakers booked their ticket. Now the NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals are set. The championship experience of Anthony Davis and Lebron James meets a young, upstart group led by Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. It's a title bout made for the boxing mecca of the world.
Green will have some decisions to make with the rotation and maybe even the starting five. CJ McCollum is a lock but Trey Murphy III has already made a case after just two games back into the rotation. It already seems like rookie Jordan Hawkins has been squeezed out of the rotation. Whichever way it works out for the Pelicans, here are a few bold predictions for the NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinal.
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Ingram's 25/5/5 record run continues for Pelicans
Brandon Ingram is in contention to win NBA In-Season Tournament MVP and it's not a fluke. Ingram didn't just happen to have his five best games in the league's new venture. No, B.I. is leading the team in total points and assists. Big Game Brandon is a force to be reckoned with and it goes back to that playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Expect another 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists from Ingram on Thursday night. He is just two more 25/5/5 games away from the franchise record.
“He won us the game,” said Jose Alvarado after beating the Sacramento Kings. “He was the leader he’s supposed to be. He stepped up and said, ‘You know what, I’m going to put you on my back and we’re going to go to the promised land,’ and that’s what he did.”
“Long story short, that’s talent,” agreed Zion Williamson.
History says this is a good bet as well. Ingram is averaging 25.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game against his former club.
Williamson's ‘walking' around speeds up
Williamson will not be sluggish while playing Lebron James. Not with the chance to win a trophy and an extra $500,000 on the line. Sure, Zion might not need the extra coin but Jose Alvarado's daughters will appreciate the college fund.
The 2019 first-overall pick plays up to his potential against the Lakers. Williamson's career stats (27.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists) against Los Angeles are MVP caliber. He gets to the line almost a dozen times per game against Davis and Lebron.
“Zion is the wildcard. They got depth, they got 2 All-Stars named Ingram and McCollum. I've said before. This team is scary on paper but it's all gonna come down to Zion. He's got to get himself in better shape because McCollum and Ingram, man they're a handful,” Barkley said on TNT's Inside the NBA show.
Taking a “back seat” is fine offensively. It worked against the Kings. Don't let the pressure of the unique environment lead to unforced errors. Just focus on helping Jonas Valanciunas clear the boards and the rest will come in the flow of the game.
Green goes with veterans, holds Jordan Hawkins back
Green's rotations with McCollum and Murphy III available go nine deep unless there is an injury or major foul trouble. If ever there was a time to play the matchups and limit the number of players getting minutes early in the regular season, that time is now for the Pelicans. Even though the roster is littered with players who could use the payday, the franchise needs the experience that comes with the elimination battle.
Jordan Hawkins already received a DNP-CD during the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals. He'll have to be humble yet again. Expect most of the minutes to go to veterans like Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum, two guys who could use a trophy to boost their NBA legacies.
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