Tag: Josh Hart

3 things to watch in the Warriors’ game against the Pelicans

The Golden State Warriors are 2-11 through their first 13 games of the 2019-20 NBA season.

The Golden State Warriors are in the midst of a temporary rebuild this season and have two wins through 13 games.

Despite injuries to Steph Curry, D’Angelo Russell and Draymond Green affecting their rocky start, the Warriors have made strides.

The Warriors lost 105-100 against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, allowing their second-fewest number of points. The fewest points they’ve allowed was 93 in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 2.

As the Warriors continue to grow, they’ll play the New Orleans Pelicans on the road Sunday. The Pelicans are one of two teams Golden State has defeated this season, with the other being the Portland Trail Blazers.

Will the Warriors continue good defense in New Orleans?

After the Warriors’ loss to the Celtics, coach Steve Kerr praised his team’s quality defensive performance.

The Warriors allowed their lowest field goal percentage of the season, as the Celtics shot 40.7% from the field.

“We played our best defensive game of the year…It was the first night, all year, I thought we looked like we knew what were doing defensively,” Kerr said, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. 

This season, the Warriors rank 29th in opponent field goal percentage and last in opponent 3-point field goal percentage.

When they defeated the Pelicans on Oct. 28, the Pelicans shot 46.6% from the field and 31.9% from the 3-point line.

Rebounding Growth

The Warriors grabbed 55 rebounds against the Celtics, tying their second-highest number of rebounds for the season.

This season Golden State ranks 20th in rebounds per game (44.4), a decrease from last season when they ranked 11th. Willie Cauley-Stein is Golden State’s top rebounder this season, averaging 6.3 rebounds a game.

The Pelicans rank 12th in rebounds per game, with Derrick Favors and Brandon Ingram being the team’s top two rebounders. Along with Favors and Ingram, Jrue Holiday, Kenrich Williams and Josh Hart each average at least five rebounds a game.

Alec Burks’ quality play off the bench

In nine games coming off the bench, Alec Burks has been the Warriors’ best reserve.

Burks has averaged 13.2 points a game off the bench this season, ranking 18th among bench players in the league, according to NBA.com. 

On Friday night against the Celtics, Burks had a team-high 20 points on 4-of-11 shooting. He also had three rebounds and an assist. With Burks starting the season well, it’ll be important for him to consistently bring a spark off the bench.

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Lonzo Ball listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Miami

After missing the last three games with a groin strain, Lonzo Ball is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest against Miami.

Lonzo Ball may be closer than ever at returning to the court for the New Orleans Pelicans after his recent injured stint. Ball was listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Miami Heat on the official injury report released by the Pelicans on Friday.

It’s the first time since Ball sat out against Charlotte last Saturday that he has been listed as anything other than “out” in the injury report released the day before the game. Ball has missed three games with a groin strain.

Ball suffered the injury against the Nets on Nov. 4 and initially played through the injury in the next contest against the Raptors on Nov. 8. However, Ball sat out in the next contest against the Hornets one night later on Nov. 9 and has not been on the court since. The Pelicans have noted they don’t expect Ball’s injury to lead to a long-term absence.

In his absence, the Pelicans have gone 2-1 with wins over Charlotte and the Clippers and a loss to the Rockets. Interestingly, Jrue Holiday had his best game of the season on Thursday with Ball out, finishing with 37 points, four rebounds, seven assists and six steals.

Brandon Ingram, who was a late scratch against Houston and sat out against the Clippers as well, is listed as probable for Saturday. Josh Hart, who suffered a sprained knee and ankle against Houston and sat out against the Clippers, will be out on Saturday.

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Pelicans vs. Clippers Preview: Injuries tell tale of two sides on different paths

The New Orleans Pelicans welcome in the Los Angeles Clippers for Paul George’s potential season debut in an anticipated clash.

Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Clippers

When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 8:00 p.m ET

Where: Smoothie King Center

How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans

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While the New Orleans Pelicans continue to struggle with injuries as Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart each will be out on Thursday, the Los Angeles Clippers enter on an entirely different injury-related path. After going through the opening weeks of the season undermanned, Paul George is expected to make his Clipper debut on Thursday, offering another weapon to one of the sides expected to be amongst the conference’s elites.

George’s status is still officially uncertain for the night but whether it’s Thursday, Saturday or into next week, George will add to the Clippers’ loaded roster. New Orleans, meanwhile, continues to lose players at an alarming rate this season. Hart is the latest edition in the injury report, joining Ball on the sidelines tonight while Brandon Ingram could join them with his status still uncertain. With Zion Williamson still out, the Pelicans are quickly developing a starting five on the injury report that could rival the one put on the court.

There remains the possibility that George doesn’t play on Thursday. With Kawhi Leonard not playing back-to-backs this season and having played on Wednesday, the possibility also remains neither are on the court on Thursday.

The depth the Clippers have, though, can help them absorb the lack of George and Leonard on the court, though they’ve struggled in Leonard’s absence this season. In 236 minutes without Leonard on the floor this season, the Clippers have an offensive rating of 101.3, a defensive rating of 109.3 and a net rating of -8.0. That would rank them the 28th-best offense and the 19th-ranked defense without Leonard this season.

The opportunities will be available with or without George on the court. Whether an undermanned Pelicans team can take advantage of those opportunities will be the key tonight.

Lonzo Ball to miss third straight game, Josh Hart out vs. Clippers

For the third straight game, Lonzo Ball will be sidelined by a groin injury while Josh Hart will also miss Thursday’s game against the Clippers.

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Both Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart will be out for the Pelicans’ upcoming battle with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Pelicans announced on Wednesday.

While New Orleans has remained positive about Ball’s groin injury and his recovery, Thursday will mark the third consecutive game the guard will miss. Ball initially suffered the injury in the Pelicans’ loss in Brooklyn but he played through the injury Friday against Toronto before sitting out on Saturday at Charlotte.

Hart, meanwhile, suffered left ankle and knee sprains during the team’s loss to Houston on Monday after an awkward collision near mid-court; Hart had surgery over the summer on his right knee.

Unlike the Pelicans, the Clippers will be adding to their arsenal on Thursday with Paul George expected to make his season debut for the Clippers in New Orleans. With Kawhi Leonard not playing back-to-backs this season, his status versus Houston on Wednesday is up in the air.

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Pelican Peek: Injuries further dampen brutal start for New Orleans

The New Orleans Pelicans picked up their second win of the season on the week but injuries highlight more struggles for the team.

Results: Loss versus Toronto, 122-104; Win at Hornets, 115-110; Loss versus Houston, 122-116

The New Orleans Pelicans have had a brutal start to the season that has only grown worse through matters not even on the court. Injuries to Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram left both out of action for Monday’s contest against the Rockets. For Ball, Monday’s game was the second-consecutive contest he sat out after suffering an injury in last week’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.

With Ingram on Saturday, New Orleans grabbed its second win of the season on the road against Charlotte. Without him on Monday, the underpowered Pelicans struggled against one of the Western Conference elites in the Rockets.

As reports have begun circulating that Paul George could make his return to the court on Thursday this week against the Pelicans, matters may only get worse moving forward if New Orleans can’t start to turn things around.

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