Tag: Brandon Ingram

Nets can’t afford to sleep on Pelicans

A matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans has the makings of a big game for Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen.

The last time the Brooklyn Nets faced the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson was on the sideline, having just undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair his torn right lateral meniscus. The Nets also had Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert, who dropped 39 and 23 points, respectively, in Brooklyn’s 135-125 win at Barclays Center on November 4.

Williamson will be at Tuesday’s tilt down on the bayou, so will LeVert, but neither of them will be suiting up. (Irving won’t even be in attendance. He and Kevin Durant are not traveling with the team on their two-game road trip.)

As much as the Pelicans have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA through the first eight weeks of the season, Brooklyn isn’t guaranteed to have an easy time at Smoothie King Center (as much as that sounds like the name of a theme park, not a professional sports stadium).

Now, JJ Redick (left groin soreness) is also out, per the Pelicans. That helps. But if you’ve caught a glimpse of Jrue Holiday you know he’s got as much fight in him as anyone.

By no means does that mean Holiday has the edge over Spencer Dinwiddie. He’s just not going to back down. Talent plus determination is always a scary combination.

Then there’s New Orleans’ leading scorer, Brandon Ingram. A solid test for Taurean Prince and Wilson Chandler. Maybe Garrett Temple, as well. But he won’t beat the Nets on his own. Ingram needs Holiday.

The forward also needs either Lonzo Ball or Josh Hart, the latter of which can be a pest at times. (Hart is also good for a solid gif everyone so often. So DeAndre Jordan needs to be prepared.)

Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

If anyone is going to have a big night for Brooklyn, besides Dinwiddie, it should be Jarrett Allen. He failed to get into double figures against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday and did so again in Brooklyn’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday

So, Allen is due. Additionally, he should eat Jaxon Hayes’ lunch every time they share the floor (same goes for Jordan). That’s not to say Allen won’t do well against Derrick Favors — he absolutely should — but going up against Hayes is the type of matchup Allen should dominate every time (two reasons being he nearly has a 40-pound advantage and Hayes is a rookie).

RELATED: Zion Williamson will return after initial 6-8 week timetable

RELATED: Ben Simmons on Spencer Dinwiddie: ‘I love the way he plays’

Billy Donovan wants ‘collective defensive effort’ vs. Pelicans

New Orleans shot 44.8% from the floor in Friday’s loss to the Thunder and were led by Brandon Ingram with a game-high 26 points.

For the second time in just three days, the Oklahoma City Thunder are squaring off against the New Orleans Pelicans.

OKC closed out the game Friday on a 9-2 run. Over the final 5:11 of game-time, the Thunder blocked two of the Pelicans shots and allowed New Orleans to make only one of their final nine shots.

It’s going to take another solid defensive effort on Sunday, especially against Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.

Billy Donovan said what makes Ingram such a tough matchup is his ability to “play over people.”

“He’s a tough guy because he is so long. I thought he got to the front of the rim a little too easy against us. We’ve got to do a better job there coming with help when it’s necessary. But he was very, very aggressive.”

Ingram scored a game-high 26 points in Oklahoma City’s 109-104 win over the Pelicans Friday night, finishing 11-of-17 from the floor.

As a team, New Orleans shot 44.8% from the floor but hit just 11 of their 38 3-point attempts. Oklahoma City was able to come away with eight steals while forcing 14 total Pelicans’ turnovers.

 

LeBron James says refs ‘never want to be wrong’ on replay reviews

Los angeles Lakers star LeBron James believes the egos of the referees plays a part in reviewing calls they may have missed.

A moment of candidness from LeBron James was caught on microphones during the closing moments of Wednesday night’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans, focusing on a process that is becoming more mainstreamed in the National Basketball Association these days: replay reviews.

Reviews have been around for a few years now and this season is the first year in which coaches are allowed to challenge a play they’d like to dispute. That situation presented itself on Wednesday when Frank Vogel challenged a foul call on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope when he was guarding Brandon Ingram in the closing moments of the win.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, who was in New Orleans, described the situation.

James approached ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy courtside to share how incredulous he was with the review process.

“That’s a bad call,” James said, which was picked up on the game broadcast. “When the ref makes that call, he don’t never want to be wrong. They’re never going to overturn it. Ever. Ever.”

James is always vocal but he’s also smart about his money, usually managing to toe the line between fair questions and personal gripes. But the moment of candidness was a rare moment caught on the microphone of LeBron not being so measured in the heat of competition.

Although the NBA might take issue with the comments after the weekend, they shouldn’t because even though James might be a little unfair to the refs given the personal stake in every game, his honesty in the moment is a welcome moment fans should hear more often.

 

LeBron James brings tears by making kid’s day after win in New Orleans

LeBron James can bring oohs and aahs on the court but there are times when we see the unreal emotions his presence brings out from others.

LeBron James, perhaps more than any NBA star before him, understands the meaning of the moment. So when he left the court after an impressive comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans late Wednesday night, James looked to do something more than putting a cherry on top of a big win for his running mate Anthony Davis against his former team.

As James left the floor on Wednesday, not unlike what his buddy Carmelo Anthony did on Monday in Chicago for a father and son, James gave his game worn sneakers to a child accompanied by his father to cap off the ninth straight win for the Lakers.

Understandably, the child was overcome by emotion after meeting his hero and getting a gift of the magnitude of game-worn sneakers. For most of the night, James put the focus on his squad and Anthony Davis. And while Davis carried a big load, were it not for James, a story like LeBron making this kid’s day may have otherwise gone another way.

 

Anthony Davis drops 41 and LeBron is clutch in the 4th for Lakers 9th straight W

Davis had going all night long and LeBron James came through for closing time for the Los Angeles Lakers winning their ninth in a row.

Anthony Davis had game-high 41 points and nine rebounds in his first game against his former New Orleans Pelicans squad in a win for the Los Angeles Lakers, 114-110. For the Lakers, the win is their ninth straight, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the longest active win-streak in the NBA.

But Davis needed plenty of help to close. LeBron James had 16 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter while Kyle Kuzma had nine points in the final frame, including a pair of huge 3-pointers as the Lakers rallied from a double-digit deficit in the win.

The Lakers began the game by force feeding Davis. He scored 14 points for the Lakers in the first quarter but they found themselves down by double-digits early on, 38-25. It was almost as if in a trip back to New Orleans, the Lakers made Davis feel as though he were back on the Pelicans.

The theme of Davis scoring prolifically while the Lakers struggled to keep pace with the Pelicans continued well into the second half. Davis had 36 points when he was forced to leave the game momentarily after having Josh Hart ran into his right arm.

Luckily for the Lakers Davis returned with 7:41 left, but with a big job done for him as the Lakers rallied from double-digits to take the lead in the fourth quarter. A jumper by James gave the Lakers a 97-95 lead with six minutes left. A 3-pointer pushed the lead to five but the Pelicans would hang in for the final stretch.

Now the Lakers leave to go back home to Los Angeles still holding the best record in the league and with the emotions of Wednesday’s return for Davis behind them.

 

 

 

LeBron James proud of former Lakers trio for flourishing with Pelicans

The Lakers may have ended LeBron James’ playoff streak last season, but he still has love for his former teammates.

On Wednesday, when the New Orleans Pelicans host the Los Angeles Lakers for their first matchup of the season, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart will see a few familiar faces — the most notable being LeBron James.

The trio of former Lakers only spent one disappointing season with James in Los Angeles, but they formed a good relationship during their short stint together in spite of the 10-year age gap between them. In fact, ahead of the Lakers’ matchup with the Pelicans on Wednesday, James took some time to show respect to his former teammates, telling Kyle Goon of the OC Register that he’s happy Ball, Hart and Ingram are enjoying success in New Orleans:

James didn’t acknowledge any awkwardness between him and his former teammates, saying it would be “great” to play against them.

“All three of them have been put into a much better situation and they’ve taken advantage of it,” he said. “So it sucks to see some of your teammates go, then when you see them flourish and be able to get a new beginning, you’re super excited for them and proud of what they’re doing.”

As nice as that is of James to say, it’s unclear if they feel the same way about James, who had a hand in orchestrating Davis’ move to Los Angeles and, coincidentally, Ball, Ingram and Hart’s move to New Orleans. Regardless of whether or not they’re all still on good terms, James and the Lakers are going to some inspired play from Ball, Ingram and Hart because of the trade.

Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.

[lawrence-related id=18244,18233]

Lonzo Ball questionable, Derrick Favors out for Pelicans vs. Lakers

One of the most well-known former Los Angeles Lakers on the Pelicans may not be able to play due to a stomach virus.

Tonight is all about Anthony Davis and his return to New Orleans as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but Davis knows better than anyone that there’s another side to the coin in tonight’s Pelicans-Lakers matchup. However, circumstances may keep a few of the most well-known former Lakers involved in the Davis trade from playing against their former team.

The Pelicans are expected to have Brandon Ingram, who has been their leading scorer through the first month of the season, but they could be without both Lonzo Ball (illness) and Josh Hart (ankle). In addition to the ailing former Lakers, the Pelicans will also be without skilled defensive big man Derrick Favors, according to The Athletic’s Will Guillory.

Ingram had been with the Lakers for three years while Hart and Ball were both drafted in 2017 by the Lakers. Ingram in particular has made huge improvements this season, nearly doubling his scoring average while shooting almost 46% on 3-pointers so far this season.

As for the Lakers side of things, Avery Bradley and DeMarcus Cousins are the only names listed on the injury report.

Anthony Davis expects former Lakers to ‘take heads off’ Wednesday

Anthony Davis knows the spotlight is on him but knows the former Los Angeles Lakers on the Pelicans will have a point to prove too.

Anthony Davis making his first visit to New Orleans as a visiting player in the NBA is expected to take all of the headlines surrounding tomorrow’s game between the Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers. But Davis is also conscious that there’s another side to the story about the trade that landed him with the Lakers: the young former Lakers who are now members of the Pelicans.

Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart were all valued and beloved members of last year’s Lakers group who ended up in New Orleans. Davis believes that those spurned Lakers, if available to play, will look to “take off heads” against their former team, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic.

“It’s two-folded,” Davis said. “It’s going to be me (against the) Pelicans, and then the three guys (Ball, Ingram and Hart), if they play, against the Lakers. So it’s going to be a great battle. Those guys are going to try to take our heads off just to prove a point.”

Ball and Ingram should be ready to play while Hart missed the last game with an ankle injury.

 

Pelicans vs. Jazz Preview: Can New Orleans continue the win streak?

New Orleans looks for his fourth consecutive win on Saturday against the Utah Jazz while moving closer to the playoffs.

Who: New Orleans Pelicans at Utah Jazz

When: Saturday, Nov. 23, 9:00 p.m ET

Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena

How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans, NBATV

After its rocky start to the season, most of it a result of injuries, the New Orleans Pelicans appear to have found its stride in the recent week. Thursday’s win in Phoenix was the third-straight victory, marking the first three-game win streak of the season, and the fourth win in the last five games.

On top of boosting the confidence of the young Pelicans, the streak also has slowly pulled New Orleans back into the early playoff picture. The Pelicans are in the 10th seed, 1.5 games back of eight-seed Phoenix. Saturday’s contest against Utah pits them against the current six seed in the standings and one of the projected Western Conference favorites.

Unlike New Orleans, Utah started fast this season, winning four of its first five games. Not surprisingly, the Jazz have the top-ranked defense in the league with a rating of 100.7. Also unsurprisingly, Utah is playing at a pace that ranks them 21st in the league.

Comparatively, the Pelicans are ninth in offensive rating and fifth in pace, making Saturday’s contest a battle of two teams composed in two different styles. New Orleans is also getting closer to full strength with Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball both back on the court. Derrick Favors, however, will not be available for the Pelicans in the contest in his first potential return to Utah.

[lawrence-related id=18089,18050,18022]

No, Brandon Ingram isn’t Kevin Durant, but he’s making the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis trade look so good

What a breakout!

Of all the “gonna tell my kids” memes — which are great, keep ’em coming — the one that made me stop in my tracks was all the comparisons made (probably in jest but whatever) by NBA fans between Brandon Ingram and Kevin Durant.

Durant, of course, is a once-in-a-generation player, who will end his career as one of the league’s greatest scorers.

That said, Ingram has broken out in a BIG way for the New Orleans Pelicans, who dealt for him as part of the Anthony Davis trade. He’s leading the Pelicans in scoring (25.6 ppg), is second in rebounds (7.4 rpg), and is dishing at a career-best 4.1 apg. Plus, he’s swatting a shot per game and hitting 45 percent (!) of his 5.5 three-point attempts.

This is obviously the best news ever for the Pels, who were forced to deal The Brow and attempt to get the bet possible value for a disgruntled superstar. And I’d say they got a terrific return: Ingram has become a centerpiece as a stretch scorer. Josh Hart has taken a step forward as a shooter off the bench. Lonzo Ball has missed time with a groin injury, and although his shooting continues to be a problem, he’s not the starter, which masks some of his weaknesses and focuses on his strengths like his defense.

Plus, the Pels ended up trading the first-round pick that was De’Andre Hunter to the Hawks and got the eighth overall selection, which they used to take Jaxson Hayes, who will be a rim protector as he develops.

When’s the last time there’s been a pretty even trade like this one?

But really, it’s all about Ingram. Let’s all remember he’s just turned 22 and is in just his fourth season. The hope is he’ll keep this up when Zion Williamson returns, but even if the rookie takes a little chunk out of his workload, Ingram will still be a vital part of the rebuild in the Big Easy.

[opinary poll=”will-luka-doncic-win-an-mvp-award-during” customer=”forthewin”]