Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers Preview: The Pelicans are missing both cores, and the Trail Blazers strive to end their losing streak.
6686 Sports November 12th The NBA regular season will continue tomorrow morning. The Pelicans will face the Trail Blazers at home.
The Pelicans are one of the teams with the worst start to the season, ranking last in the Western Conference with a record of 2 wins and 8 losses, after suffering two consecutive losses. The Pelicans' offense and defense are both terrible, averaging only 108 points per game, ranking second to last in the league; averaging 121.3 points per game, ranking second to last in the Western Conference; averaging a net loss of 13.3 points per game, ranking last in the Western Conference, and the overall performance is very poor.
The core Zion averaged 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2 interceptions per game. He led the team in all four statistics, but he had missed many consecutive games before. Murphy averaged 18.1 points, 7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Poole averaged 17.3 points and 3.4 assists per game. His attendance rate was also not high. New player Fels averaged 13.9 points per game and performed well, and Sadiq Bay and Herbert Jones also averaged double figures.
The Trail Blazers' overall performance this season has improved significantly compared with last season. With a record of 5 wins and 5 losses, they ranked 9th in the Western Conference. They have defeated many teams such as the Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Thunder, etc. The team is full of resilience. In the first 10 games of this season, the score difference in 8 of the Trail Blazers' games was in single digits, and 6 of them were no more than 5 points. The Trail Blazers averaged 120.6 points per game, ranking fifth in the Western Conference; they averaged 119.3 points per game, ranking 11th in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers are currently on a five-game away schedule. In the previous two away games, the Trail Blazers lost to the Heat and Magic respectively. Both games were lost at the last minute.
Afdija has performed at an All-Star level this season, averaging 25.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, and averaging 2.5 three-pointers per game. His performance is very stable and he has become the core of the team. Grant has been extremely efficient after switching to a reserve role, averaging 19.7 points per game, and is expected to become the best sixth man. Sharp also averaged 19.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Veteran player Holiday averaged 17 points, 8.1 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, and Kamara also averaged 12 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Chinese player Yang Hansen has been DNPed by the team for 5 consecutive games, and his inside playing time has been divided between Klingen, Lowe and Rees. Currently, he can only wait for opportunities.
In the last 10 matches between the two teams, the Pelicans have a slight advantage with 6 wins and 4 losses. However, the Trail Blazers have won the last 3 matches and have the advantage in psychology. In this game, both teams were troubled by injuries. The Trail Blazers' Lillard, Henderson, Thybulle, and Wesley were absent, and the Pelicans' Zion, Poole, and Dejounte Murray continued to be absent. For the Trail Blazers, facing the Pelicans who are missing both cores, this game is a good opportunity for them to end their losing streak.