Play-In Game #2: Kings @ Pelicans

[codydaze]

Took care of business at home and now we head back to New Orleans to play a Pelicans team who has had our number all year. It will be a tough ask but if we show the same fight we did tonight, we have a fighting chance.

Shams also reporting Zion may have a hamstring injury and is waiting on additional tests.

[BoogieTime]

Good momentum after this..

Pelicans really aren’t that good of a team, kind of perplexed me the season series. if we play like tonight we have a good chance.

[blind prophet]

Well first demon down. The team seems confident and the staff had them prepared very well vs the Warriors.

We just looked awful vs the Pelicans this season.

[codydaze]

Zion officially out on Friday. Huge blow for New Orleans but definitely fortunate for us.

[LightTheBeam]

So no Zion huh... Team cannot take this team lightly even with the news. Last time Zion sat we lost by 33 to them.

Alvarado, Dyson, CJ, Herb, Murphy, Ingram, Nance, JV... This team is still loaded with bad matchups for us.

I went from feeling 90/10 Pelicans, to feeling 50/50. Lets get it boys!

[blind prophet]

During the Laker game Alvarado hurt both ankles. He can't be 100 percent.

[BoogieTime]

In one night we went from having like a 12% chance of making the playoffs to about 65%

No Zion and momentum from last game and I feel good

[KF10]

It's going to be a tough game but if the Kings play the same kind of urgency and level they did against the Warriors, I'm feeling optimistic.

I don't want to get ahead of myself but if the Kings manages to make the playoffs, they are going to face OKC. Honestly, I feel ok against that matchup. I like our chances. But need to get over the hump against NO.

[Lost in LA]

It's going to be a tough game but if the Kings play the same kind of urgency and level they did against the Warriors, I'm feeling optimistic.

I don't want to get ahead of myself but if the Kings manages to make the playoffs, they are going to face OKC. Honestly, I feel ok against that matchup. I like our chances. But need to get over the hump against NO.

Funny old game....The Lakers outplayed the Pels in most of their games, and we were 4-0 against the Lakers, but 0-5 versus the Pels.

We need the same energy and offensive efficiency to beat them, and avoid the chucking up of bad 3's that we did even last night but the Warriors had nothing in the tank, so we got away with it. Brown needs to use more set plays for this.

[OxAndFox]

Confident if the team comes out with energy and plays them physically because you know it's coming the other way.

What I'm going to be interested in is what the coaching staff has come up with defensively. Against the Warriors I thought the defensive scheme change was very good and integral in getting the W.
I know it's not defense, but I would like to see Keon back his fitness and run McCollum around constantly up the other end.
For me, this is a don't reinvent the wheel type of defensive game, but does Barnes really have a match up? This is crucial.
Sabonis v JV (He will do the same thing he tried against AD early on)
Barnes v Murphy (don't like this for the Kings)
Keegan v Ingram (Just needs to make it tough for him and shoot over pressure)
Fox v Herb
Keon v CJ

What are some defensive changes/schemes you would like to see?

[TyFrekey]

I think the two swing factors in the game are
1. Can the Kings offense figure out the long, physical NO defense?

If we let their defense bother us to the point where we are playing hero ball and chucking up ill-advised threes, it'll be a tough game for us. If we can run our system and have good ball/player movement, that would be huge offensively.

2. Can we avoid helping off of 3 point shooters too much?

This comes down to being able to individually guard players. In the game a couple weeks ago, Zion and CJ were getting anything they wanted with virtually no resistance, which necessitated helping off of shooters and those shooters made their shots. Will Zion's absence, Ingram's not being 100%, and Keon on CJ be enough to allow us to stay at home more defensively?

To me, these are the two big keys to the game. I'm thinking with the two days off, the momentum from Tuesday, and NO being a bit battered, we have a good shot to light that beam

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[codydaze]

If this is it, it's been real this season, fellas. Let's light the beam into the playoffs!!

[blind prophet]

Physical game early, refs letting them play.

Worried about Ingram

[codydaze]

Fox looking like he wants this one. Aggressive and love to see him attacking the rim.

[blind prophet]

Davion was awful. We look cooked at halftime.

[Lost in LA]

Fox looking like he wants this one. Aggressive and love to see him attacking the rim.

Unfortunately, he isn't getting much help...

[Lost in LA]

Chucking up threes again, a bad sign...

[LightTheBeam]

This team just has our number. Role players fall apart against them.

[blind prophet]

Their length is just too much. Fox & Sabonis are our only scoring threats vs them.

[LightTheBeam]

Mike brown continues to double every play. Like dude you haven't learned after 5 games?