Brooklyn Nets vs. New Orleans Pelicans 01-12-17
Time: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Barclay’s Center | Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES Network, Fox Sports Go
Projected Starters:
Brooklyn: Isaiah Whitehead, Joe Harris, Bojan Bogdanovic, Trevor Booker, Brook Lopez
New Orleans: Jrue Holiday, Buddy Hield, Solomon Hill, Dante Cunningham, Omer Asik
Absences:
Brooklyn: Jeremy Lin
New Orleans: Anthony Davis (Left Hip), Quincy Pondexter (Left Knee)
The Brooklyn Nets are searching high and low for their first win of 2017. Even the Sixers have won multiple games this calendar year. This may be one of the better opportunities Brooklyn will get. The 15-24 New Orleans Pelicans come to town and they may be without big man Anthony Davis due to a hip injury.
Anthony Davis has been a monster this year averaging 29.1 points per game, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. The Pelicans without Davis are not the same Pelicans with Davis, obviously. Brooklyn will need to take advantage of his potential absence.
To take advantage of Davis’ potential absence, Brooklyn will need to feed Brook Lopez the ball and drive to the basket. Without Davis there to stuff shots, Lopez and the entire Nets team will have a much easier time scoring in the paint.While driving, draw fouls and get to the free-throw line. Brooklyn has had issues recently of fouling too much and allowing the opposition too many free-throws; they need to reverse that trend.
Another thing Brooklyn needs to do is to have Joe Harris come off of the bench. Harris has put up a combined two points in his last two starts. Starting Sean Kilpatrick almost guarantees you more production from the starting lineup and it puts Harris back where he is most comfortable and lethal; off of the bench.
Lastly, Brooklyn will need to keep calm and focus at the goal at hand if and when the other team goes on a run to build up their lead. Brooklyn has gotten into the habit of panicking and forcing shots when the other team is scoring a lot of points and they aren’t. Brooklyn will need to stay calm and work their offense to get the best shots possible to stop runs and go on runs themselves.
This one should be a win for the Nets especially considering Davis may not play and that Brooklyn has gotten the majority of their wins against Western Conference foes this season. They will need to fight and play great basketball, but it can be done. This streak can end, but will it be against the Pelicans?