Tag: New Orleans Pelicans

Trail Blazers-Pelicans odds: Portland favored vs. banged-up New Orleans

Previewing Tuesday’s Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Portland Trail Blazers (5-9) and New Orleans Pelicans (4-9) get together at the Smoothie King Center at 8 p.m. ET in the Crescent City. We analyze the Trail Blazers-Pelicans odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Trail Blazers at Pelicans: Key injuries

Trail Blazers: PF Pau Gasol (foot) is out indefinitely.

Pelicans: PG Frank Jackson (neck), SF Brandon Ingram (knee) and PG Lonzo Ball (groin) are listed as questionable, while C Jahlil Okafor (ankle) is considered doubtful. SG Josh Hart (knee) and PF Derrick Favors (back) have also been ruled out.

Trail Blazers at Pelicans: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:50 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Trail Blazers 114, Pelicans 103

Moneyline (ML)

The TRAIL BLAZERS (-154) were embarrassed against the Houston Rockets Monday night by a 132-108 score, but they’ll have a much better time of it against the struggling and banged-up Pelicans (+145).

New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered on a Portland win profits $0.65 if the Blazers prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $6.50, $20 to win $13, $15.38 to win $10).

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Roll with the TRAIL BLAZERS (-3.5, –105), despite the fact they’re 1-4 against the spread in the past five road games and 2-7 ATS in the past nine in the second end of a back-to-back. They have reinforcements, as veteran Carmelo Anthony joins the squad.

The trends point to picking the Pelicans (+3.5, -106), but they’re just too banged up. They could be playing with a short bench, and that’s never a good thing.

Over/under (O/U)

The UNDER 230.5 (+105) is worth a look. Portland might have tired legs after just playing the night before in Houston, while New Orleans has some injury woes and they’ll be stretched thin, too. So their offense won’t exactly be on point, either. I love the Under in this one among all plays.

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Carmelo Anthony expected to make Trail Blazers debut vs. Pelicans

Carmelo Anthony will hope to make promising debut against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

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It’s been over a year since Carmelo Anthony played in the NBA. Last time he played on an NBA court, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were still with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, the pair of former No. 2 overall picks are on the New Orleans Pelicans, who will host Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday for what is expected to be Anthony’s season debut.

Anthony agreed to a non-guaranteed deal with the Trail Blazers on Thursday, but he didn’t play in the two games they’ve played since then — including the game against the team that cut him last season, the Houston Rockets — because he’s targeting Tuesday for his season debut, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Anthony won’t solve all of Portland’s problems — especially not on defense, where they’re ranked No. 21 in the league — but he can still score at a high level. In the 10 games he played last season, be scored at least 20 points in three of them. That’s not to say the Trail Blazers should expect Anthony to return to his All-Star form this season, but given their disappointing 5-9 record, they certainly wouldn’t be upset if the 35-year-old turned back the clock.

The Trail Blazers will get an idea of how much Anthony still has left in the tank on Tuesday against the Pelicans. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. EST.

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Lonzo Ball listed as questionable vs. Trail Blazers

The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t ruled out Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram out Tuesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Coming off of a comfortable win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, the New Orleans Pelicans will look to get their first back-to-back win of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, and they may have the reinforcements to do it.

According to the Pelicans, two of the team’s starters — Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram — have been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game. Ingram, who leads the Pelicans in scoring with 25.9 points per game, has missed the last four games with right knee soreness. Meanwhile, Ball has missed the last five games with an adductor strain, more commonly known as a groin strain.

Frank Jackson has also been listed as questionable for the Pelicans’ matchup with the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Jackson missed Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors with a neck bruise he suffered against the Miami Heat on Saturday. The second-year guard is averaging a career-high 10.3 points per game this season.

Their availability will be updated closer to tip-off at 8 p.m. EST.

The other names on the injury report include Derrick Favors, Josh Hart, Darius Miller, Zion Williamson and Jahlil Okafor. With the exception of Okafor, who is listed as doubtful with a left ankle sprain, all of the aforementioned names have been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest.

Luckily for the Pelicans, the Trail Blazers are dealing with injuries of their own, so New Orleans shouldn’t be at too much of a disadvantage. The Blazers are 5-9 on the season. The Pelicans are 4-9.

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Eric Paschall is one of the most complete rookies in the NBA

Warriors forward Eric Paschall is one of the best rookies in the NBA so far this season.

In an era where versatility is craved, Eric Paschall has one of the brightest futures among NBA rookies.

A do-it-all forward out of Villanova, Paschall has proven to be one of the most skilled first-year players in the league.

He scored a team-high 30 points on Sunday night during the Golden State Warriors’ 108-100 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. With the performance, Paschall is the only rookie to have multiple 30-point games this season. 

One of Paschall’s best attributes is his ability to score in multiple ways. He can bully opposing players in the paint. He can move without the ball and score. He can take opponents to the rim. He’s capable of making open jumpers.

Though he’s shooting 27.3% from the 3-point line this season, his shooting from the midrange has been where he’s thrived. According to Basketball Reference, Paschall is shooting 66.7% on field goals 10-16 feet from the hoop.

Paschall is third on the Warriors in points per game (16.7), and he’s also third in the league for points per game among rookies behind Ja Morant and Kendrick Nunn, according to NBA.com.

Along with his scoring, though, Paschall grabs rebounds well and can set up his teammates. Paschall ranks fifth among rookies in rebounds per game (4.8). Paschall is also averaging 1.3 assists per game.

Earlier this month, coach Steve Kerr compared Paschall’s defense to Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker’s, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.

Tucker is one of the best defenders in the league, being able to defend guards and wings on the perimeter. He can also defend bigger players around the rim.

With Paschall defending in multiple places, he contests 3.0 2-point shots a game, according to NBA.com. But his work defending on the perimeter is a bit more prevalent, as he contests 3.3 3-pointers a game. That number ranks fifth among rookies this season.

Through 13 games, Paschall has showed a quality all-around game. An early Rookie of the Year candidate, Paschall has an opportunity to be a key player in the Warriors’ future.

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Coach Alvin Gentry pleased with Pelicans’ youth stepping up in win over Warriors

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry is optimistic the burn his team’s young core is getting in the wake of multiple injuries to the team’s veterans will contribute to a winning culture long-term.

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The win might have come against the league-worst Golden State Warriors, but New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry was pleased with how his team responded just the same.

Gutting out their fourth win of the season with a late offensive outburst despite not having more than half their roster available due to injury, the team came away with a 108-100 victory through the contributions of both their veteran backcourt and a solid starting debut by rookie big man Jaxson Hayes.

Gentry acknowledged the extraordinary play of the Warriors’ young core who have been doing much of the team’s heavy lifting, particularly forward Eric Paschall, who logged his second 30-point outing of the season in the Warrior’s loss.

“They [have] a bunch of guys that are trying to establish [themselves] in the league,” he offered (via the New Orleans Pelicans). “But I thought we did everything that we needed to [get] the win. You know, J.J. [Redick] made a big shot … Jrue [Holiday] made a couple of big shots … to come away with a win is what we wanted to do and that’s what we accomplished.”

Both teams had off nights in terms of efficiency, and the Pels had trouble with the Warrior’s frontcourt, particularly Paschall — a fact not lost on Gentry. “Obviously, we didn’t shoot the ball very good,” he added, referencing the team’s 41.6 % shooting from the floor on the night.

“We still continue to struggle with keeping the ball out of the paint. “We’ve got to do a much better job,”, he added.

The Pelicans coach saw a lot of positive growth for the mostly-younger players who were able to step up and provide quality minutes in the wake of so many veterans being out hurt, especially Hayes (10 points and boards apiece with 3 blocks), forward Nicolo Melli (16 points and 5 rebounds) and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (19 points, 5 boards and 4 assists).

“I don’t think anything can take the place of experience of being in the game,” noted the New Orleans coach. “Learning from your mistakes or just figuring out what you can do to help the team.”

Gentry is optimistic the win is helping to lay a foundation for success once the team’s more seasoned players are able to return to action. With Lonzo Ball (hip), Brandon Ingram (knee), Derrick Favors (back), Jahlil Okafor (ankle), Frank Jackson (neck) and Josh Hart (knee) all out for the short term and rookie phenom Zion Wilson out until at least mid-December, the trio of healthy rookies may yet see some burn over the Pels’ next few games.

“Hopefully, this is going to be something that helps us down the road,” explained Gentry, “because when we do get healthy and get all the players back, then I think our depth will help even more because these guys will be put in a situation where they’ve got to play 25, 35 minutes.”

“At the end of the day, you have to be out there,” he added “You have to experience what it’s like in rotation, what it’s like setting the screen and rolling to the basket and the decisions that you have to make.”

With a tough west coast trip ahead after Tuesday’s home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Pelicans may have to settle for mostly moral victories in the coming weeks. But should Gentry’s suspicions about the value of live game action prove correct, the future of the team ought to be the brighter for it.

Pelicans vs. Warriors Recap: The Good, the Bad and the Ball

Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick led the New Orleans Pelicans to their fourth win of the NBA regular season.

Despite having more than half of their roster unavailable due to injuries, the New Orleans Pelicans earned their fourth win of the regular season after beating the Golden State Warriors 108-100 Sunday at the Smoothie King Center. Here was the good, the bad and the Ball from the game.

The Good: The New Starting Backcourt

In the six games that Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday have started together this season, they posted an offensive rating of 106.8 and a defensive rating of 116.5 for an overall net rating of -9.6. With Ball sidelined, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has started Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick in the backcourt, and the two veteran guard have looked great together.

On Sunday against the Warriors, Holiday and Redick combined for 48 points on 43.5% shooting from the field. In the previous game they started together, they combined for 45 points 61.5% shooting from the field in a win against the LA Clippers. The Pelicans are 3-1 in the games Redick and Holiday have started together.

The Bad: The Warriors

The team that made the last five NBA Finals has the worst record in the league with two wins and 12 losses and much like the Pelicans, injuries are at the center of all of their problems. The bright side is that once they’re healthy, they’ll have four All-Star players on their roster in Stephen Curry, D’Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, plus — in all likelihood — a high lottery pick.

The Ball

Lonzo Ball sat out of his fifth consecutive game with an adductor strain. Ball has been sidelined since Nov. 9.

He will re-evaluated on Monday.

Anthony Davis on LeBron telling him to be No. 1 option: ‘Let’s have fun’

The Los Angeles Lakers stars have managed their partnership very well and are succeeding, which is leading to a much happier Davis.

Basically everything for the Los Angeles Lakers has gone according to plan this season and some things are succeeding more than anyone could ever foresee this early in the season. But one of the pivotal moments of the Lakers season happened months before when LeBron James told Anthony Davis he wanted Davis to be the team’s No. 1 scoring option.

The results have been incredible with Davis averaging 25 points per game and James leading the NBA in assists through the first 12 games. Earlier this week, Davis described when LeBron approached him and how it caused him to change his outlook on the upcoming season in an interview with The Athletic/Stadium’s Shams Charania.

Transcribed by Christian Rivas of Silver Screen and Roll

“It was tough because I had done it in New Orleans, but that was because it was like ‘AD you have to.’ Now it’s like, ‘well all right, we’re gonna split this 50/50. And when (LeBron) came he was like ‘nah, this is yours. I’ll play the second guy. We’re going through you.’ … And then it’s the Lakers … There’s a bigger spotlight, the media is bigger, ‘does AD have what it takes?’ … I really had to really wrap my head around ‘this is going to be a fun year. It’s not going to be tough, it’s not going to be hard, it’s going to be fun. Let’s have fun with it.’ So I tell him all the time, ‘most importantly, no matter what we do, let’s have fun. Let’s enjoy this.’”

So far this season has been one long exercise in the Lakers rediscovering fun on the court and for their fans. After the last time things went when the Lakers were told “this is going to be fun,” Davis’ embrace of that mindset heading into the season and LeBron’s embrace of setting the table for him is a refreshing change for the Lakers after six dormant seasons for the NBA’s glamour franchise.

Lonzo Ball among nine Pelicans listed on injury report vs. Warriors

The Pelicans have half of their roster on their injury report.

The New Orleans Pelicans have ruled out Lonzo Ball for the fifth consecutive game as the 22-year-old point guard continues to deal with an adductor strain. Ball has been sidelined since Nov. 9.

The Pelicans also announced that Josh Hart, Jahlil Okafor, Zion Williamson and Darius Miller will sit out of Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram and Derrick Favors are listed as doubtful. In total, the Pelicans have nine players on their injury report, including Frank Jackson and JJ Redick, who are both listed as questionable.

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has rolled out nine different starting lineups this season as a result of the team’s injury struggles. On Saturday, Gentry started Jackson, Jrue Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, Kendrick Williams and Derrick Favors.

The Pelicans have a number of problems with their roster that have led to their disappointing 3-9 start, but injuries have kept them from making the adjustments they need to fix them. Let’s hope that the team can get healthy before playoffs are too far out of reach, assuming that’s already not the case.

Where does Lonzo Ball rank among the top 15 selections in the 2017 NBA Draft?

Lonzo Ball has gotten more headlines than any other player in the 2017 NBA Draft but where does he rank compared to the others in the class?

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Lonzo Ball has gotten more headlines than any other player in the 2017 NBA Draft but where does he rank compared to the others in the class?

15. Markelle Fultz

Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Philadelphia 76ers took Markelle Fultz first overall out of Washington and it did not pan out for them in any way, shape or form. He is averaging a career-best 9.8 points per game this season, which tells you a lot. Fultz played in a grand total of 33 games for the Sixers before winding up in Orlando.

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