The New Orleans Pelicans they had everything to be considered last season as the top favorite to climb the ladder in relation to 2021-2022. In a team that had already given pleasant surprises in the last competition, a player like Zion Williamson yes, fine physically, calm you can see his name in the conversation of an All-NBA Quintet (if not more).
But beyond guesses and predictions, he had to prove it on the pitch, and the diary gave him a beautiful test to do so: Willie Green’s opened the season in Brooklynvisiting some Nets with doubts, but for the mere fact that he has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irvingshould be seen as a dangerous opponent.
Well, New Orleans not only passed this first test of the year, but. sending a message to the rest of the league: they crushed the Nets end-to-end and won 130-108. At times, literally, with Sion and Valanciunas doing collapsed in a Brooklyn painting that is completely missing pounds.
The Pelicans went down 21 offensive rebounds and won the battle on the boards 61-39. Zion did his jobwith his much improved physique already on display in the preseason: 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists. Valanciunas, for his part, finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes.
“Just bigger and stronger!”💪
1st quarter Zion vs. Nets: 8 PTS, 4 REB, 3 STL pic.twitter.com/VGtrrslh6O— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 20, 2022
In any case, the virtues of this New Orleans are not only found in its two inner reservoirs, but also have enough octopuses on the perimeter, that what they don’t add up in kilograms, they do in height and arms length. led by a Brandon Ingram (28 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists) was asked to have a sanctification campaignbut also with an expert like Herb Jones (is he already the best perimeter defender in the league?) and a Trey Murphy (16 points, 9 rebounds, 5-7 from the field) Super performer from the second unit.
And in all this outpouring of praise, there is not even a mention of a Surgical commentator as CJ McCollum (21 points and 6 assists).
His performance in Brooklyn is no fluke, nor will it just be in a loose game. The Pelicans are going to make a lot of noise this season and they deserve to be in the conversation early. Which one exactly? It’s still early to tell, but the potential is very high, even in a West with several other contenders.
Zion fights in the paint for his first basket in his return! #KiaTipOff22 pic.twitter.com/ZSriqWrxaW
— NBA (@NBA) October 20, 2022
The Nets? If the summer had left any doubts, they only grew after that first impression. Durant finished with 32 pointsbut not only that the rest of the information was missing (6-19 from the field for Kyrie, 4-5-5 for Simmons), but also a lot limited second unit resources and their limits in defensive terms.
