SportSpyder - The Latest New Orleans Pelicans News

19 April 2024

• [USA Today: For The Win] - How to Watch April 19 NBA Games Online and on TV
  The Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans take the court in one of many compelling matchups on the NBA Playoff schedule today. (...)
• [Yardbarker] - Four-time NBA champion backs Kings to make playoffs
  The Pelicans' Zion Williamson will be missing from action in Friday's play-in game following an injury suffered when facing the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
• [Last Word on Sports] - 3 Burning Questions for Hawks After Playoff Elimination
  This week, the Atlanta Hawks were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in four years. A season fraught with challenges and controversy, the Hawks navigated their obstacles better than many teams have. Nonetheless, Atlanta enters the offseason with several questions in their effort to build a championship contender. 3 Burning Questions for Hawks After Playoff Elimination Trae or Dejounte? The biggest question for the Hawks this season by far is what they’re going to do about . To be clear, on a sentimental level, nobody wants either or to be traded. While he hasn’t always been successful, Young has routinely put the Hawks on his back. In many ways, Young has exceed expectations, both from an individual and team standpoint. Furthermore, his ‘coach-killer’ label —earned or not —doesn’t erase the fondness that his teammates have for him. One of those players is Murray himself, who has been maligned for not being a player that he never was. With the San Antonio Spurs, Murray was a two-way playmaker who used his length and athleticism to excel at both ends. At no point was he considered an off-guard, let alone a key catch-and-shoot threat. Defensively, Murray was always seen as a player that caused chaos in passing lanes rather than a guard that constantly prevented perimeter penetration. However, for whatever reason, the Hawks expected him to master a 3-and-D-like role beside Young. This offseason, Atlanta has the ability to rectify their problem. Trading one of Young or Murray will bring the Hawks the 3-and-D wing that they need beside the star guard they keep. With that said, while Young seems like the player Atlanta should hold onto, there’s a legitimate question of whether that’s truly the case. The Case for Trading Trae Young Aside from the questions about his coachability, Young has flaws at both ends of the court. On offense, his shot-selection and willingness to let his teammates make a scoring impact are concerning, especially for a point guard. At the defensive end, Young is more determined to stop the ball at the point-of-attack than years past. However, he’s still unreliable as an on-ball defender and at a position where players have become excellent scorers. When guarding other positions, his size (6-foot-1, 164 pounds) will always put him at a disadvantage. On top of all of that, Young is likely to fetch more in a trade than Murray. He has more All-Star selections, is younger, the better passer, and the better shot-creator. Though he’s streakier and doesn’t intimidate anyone defensively, he’s proven more as a go-to player. Fixing the Defense The Hawks’ defensive issues extend beyond their backcourt. Wing Defenders, Anyone? Throughout the Trae Young Era, Atlanta has lacked enough wing defenders. While has often performed admirably in this area, gone are the days when top-tier teams relied on one or volume-scoring wing. That said, Hunter found comfort with a sixth man role in the back half of the season. If the Hawks retain him, and they may not given their determination to trade him last season, they could still need a primary wing defender in the first unit. A trade of one of Young or Murray should only take place if it improves their backcourt defense. However, when looking at their team needs, rather than looking for another combo guard they should acquire a backcourt player with more size. Considering the teams linked to the Hawks ahead of the 2023-24 trade deadline, San Antonio Spurs wing and New Orleans Pelicans wing fit that requirement. To that point, while Young is the player that’s been tied to the Spurs, there have been rumors that San Antonio is with Murray. A Faulty Frontline This season, it also became apparent they need to improve their frontcourt defense. With impending free agent starting at power forward, the Hawks lacked enough size. They ran into the same issue when started at center. Yet, when veteran took his customary spot in the starting lineup, his limited mobility often stood out. Nonetheless, rookie big man could figure into the Hawks’ plans moving forward. Throughout the 2023-24 season, Gueye flashed his potential at all levels. 6-foot-11 and over 220 pounds, he averaged 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 21.6 minutes per game in the final three games of the season. A three-level scorer, he shot a stellar 50.0 percent from 3 in that stretch. Among the teams tied to the Hawks in the trade market, Spurs forward , Utah Jazz forwards and , Jazz center , Los Angeles Lakers forward , and New York Knicks center could all enhance the Hawks’ frontcourt defense. The Best Trade? A trade sending Young to San Antonio for Vassell and Johnson makes some sense on paper. A trade sending Murray to Utah for a package centered around Hendricks or Kessler is still feasible but less likely. As is a trade sending Murray or Young to L.A. for a package centered around Hachimura and . The the Hawks should see them sending Young (or Murray) to the Los Angele...
• [New Orleans Pelicans Videos] - Pelicans-Kings Play-In, Radio Roundtable | Pelicans Podcast 4/19/24
  On the latest New Orleans Pelicans Podcast from Friday, April 19, 2024, Jim Eichenhofer and Gus Kattengell are joined by John DeShazer and Erin Summers for a...
• [New Orleans Pelicans Videos] - Pelicans vs. Kings NBA Play-In Pregame Report 4/19/2024
  New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings Play-In game breakdown with team reporter Erin Summers for their NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament game on...
• [ClutchPoints] - Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado expects ‘dogfight’ versus Kings
  The New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings could not have asked for a better NBA Play-In Tournament finale. The Pelicans have beaten the Kings five times this season but the sixth meeting is all that matters now. New Orleans and Sacramento know each other well too. This should make for a low-scoring, defensive-minded title fight […] The post appeared first on .
• [ClutchPoints] - Pelicans ‘confident’ not ‘cocky’ going into Play-In game vs. Kings
  The Willie Green era has definitely kept fans on edge and engaged, that’s one fact fans cannot deny. The New Orleans Pelicans just finished one of the franchise’s best regular seasons ever (49 wins) but are once again stuck in an elimination game. They are still playing to keep their postseason hopes alive knowing full […] The post appeared first on .
• [Sportskeeda] - Sacramento Kings vs New Orleans Pelicans NBA play-in game: Top 10 player prop markets available
  The Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans are set to compete in the final leg of the Western Conference play-in tournament tonight.
• [The Pelican Post Game Report] - PPR Flash: #Pelicans change it up before the game
  #neworleanspelicans #pelicans #pelicansnba #pelicansnew #pelicansbasketball Welcome to another episode of the Pelican Postgame Report (PPR) Flash! In this ep...
• [New Orleans Pelicans Videos] - Jonas Valanciunas | Pelicans vs. Kings NBA Play-In Shootaround 4/19/2024
  New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament shootaround interview with Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas ahead of the...