Pelicans Opponent Preview: The San Antonio Spurs
Welcome to the “Pelicans Opponent Preview” series. Before the season starts, I’m going to take every team in the NBA and preview and predict just how the Pelicans will handle them. Here’s all you need to know about how the Pelicans will matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in 2016.
How the Pelicans handled them last season:
The Pelicans dominated the Spurs last season, plain and simple. I went back and tried to see if it was a schematic or philosophical thing that helped the Pelicans to victory, but in the end I realized our guys just ran really fast and their guys just ran really slow.
More specifically, Anthony Davis ran really fast and no one on the Spurs could handle him. AD averaged 25.3 Points, 12.0 Rebounds, and 3.8 Blocks in the four games he played against them, and dropped a 31-13 stat-line in the Pelicans final regular season game against SA to secure a playoff seed, and bounce them down from seed two.
Since AD is too athletic for Duncan, and too long for Leonard, he led the Pelicans to two easy victories against the Spurs early in the year. It could have been three early victories, but Omer Asik infamously tipped his own ball into the Spurs basket with a faction of a second left to cost the Pelicans the win and send the game to overtime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ACRx_Exvvw
In the moment I was furious, and admittedly throw a few remote controls at the wall, but looking back I’m happy to say we were one Benedict Arnold tip away from being 4-0 against the former NBA champs.
Key Offseason Changes:
Spurs lost: Tiago Splitter, Cory Joseph, Marco Belinelli, Aron Baynes (continuity)
Spurs gained: LaMarcus Aldridge, David West, Ray McCallum, Jimmer Fredette, Jonathon Simmons (star power)
How the Pelicans will match-up in 2016:
The Spurs biggest offseason addition was All-Star big man LaMarcus Aldridge, and the Pelicans biggest addition was Alonzo Gee. Still, I don’t see this team as a legitimate threat to the Pelicans. LaMarcus is still not capable of defending AD well, and the biggest reason the Pelicans killed them last season was transition play which he won’t help them with.
This advantage in transition will only be increased under Alvin Gentry, and Tyreke Evans just might bulldoze an aging Tony Parker if the Spurs don’t hide him somewhere safe. The Pelicans first game against the Spurs is also in mid-November, when they will still be gelling and adjusting to having LA in the lineup.
Apr 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) looks to pass the ball as San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) defends during the first quarter at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
One issue though is that the Pelicans don’t have an answer for Kawhi Leonard. This Spurs team is somewhat lacking in dribble drive creation, meaning this might be the year coach Popovich finally takes the reigns off Leonard and let’s him be a first or second option on offense. The issue then would be that the Pelicans have no one to guard him on the wing.
Predictions for the 2016 season:
AD will still be un-guardable, and the Spurs are one year older (bad thing for them) while the Pelicans are one year older (good thing for them) as well.
If not for Omer Asik, we would have been 4-0 against them last season, so I would have predicted that same result this year if not for the signing of LaMarcus Aldridge who will most likely win them one of those games.
Feb 3, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis (23) and San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) battle for a rebound during the first quarter of a game at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Still, I like our odds. The Pelicans just match up well with the Spurs and much like the Thunder, we’re too young and have too much star power for them to handle.
Of the Western Conference contenders set to chase a title this season, I would want the Spurs as the Pelicans first round match-up over anyone else.
Predictions:
– AD drops 30 in at least two games against SA this season.
– The Pelicans easily handle the Nov. 20th game while the Spurs are still figuring things out.
– Popovich sarcastically makes an obvious statement about AD after a loss.
Final record: 3-1
Hopefully this time Asik keeps his hands to himself…..
Next: 2015-16 Pelicans Opponent Preview: The Milwaukee Bucks