Among New Orleans’ remaining 22 games, roughly one-third of them are part of a back-to-back, as the Pelicans will still play four more, beginning with a Tuesday/Wednesday set vs. Minnesota and at Dallas. Things could change dramatically in the standings by then, but one of the back-to-backs is shaping up to be particularly significant, a weekend March 21-22 set of games for New Orleans (26-34) at Memphis (30-31), followed by home vs. Sacramento (26-34). The Pelicans have not officially announced whether rookie Zion Williamson will play in both halves of upcoming back-to-backs, but the forward participated in Tuesday’s shootaround at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center.
Other notes from this morning’s shootaround:
Dec. 18 was the last meeting of the season between New Orleans and Minnesota. Things couldn’t have changed more drastically for both teams since then. The Pelicans snapped a 13-game losing streak that night at Target Center and have gone 20-12 since, while the Timberwolves dramatically reshaped their roster at the February trade deadline. For example, among the five Minnesota players who started on Dec. 18, four of them have been dealt to other teams, with the only holdover being second-year wing Josh Okogie. None of the Timberwolves’ five reserves from that contest remain, either.
Asked how much New Orleans can take away from the Dec. 18 game in its preparations Tuesday for Minnesota, guard Jrue Holiday responded, “We don’t even look at it like that. No matter what the team is like, we know that D’Angelo (Russell) can score. We know that they’ve been scoring well. We also know that we can too. So we know what it’s going to come down to is defense.”
Since the Feb. 6 trade deadline, New Orleans and Minnesota are second and third, respectively, in points per game, with the Pelicans averaging 120.8 and the Timberwolves putting up 119.7. …
Brandon Ingram is coming off one of his roughest nights of the season, shooting 5/23 from the field against the Lakers. Asked what his process his like mentally after a game like that, Ingram said, “Just let it hurt. I’m a believer everything happens for a reason. Go back and watch the film, see how I can be more patient and be better. Think about how I can respond the next time we get on the floor.” …
Holiday on how the Pelicans turned their season around after the 13-game losing streak: “We all kind of had faith in what we were doing. A lot of us had been in that situation before, so just having a positive mindset. Pull together, from (Alvin) Gentry all the way down. We knew what kind of talent we had, so from there it’s been pretty good.” …
New Orleans has been putting considerable pressure on opponents to make sure they are getting back in transition defense, particularly with Lonzo Ball’s knack for throwing accurate passes or 40-plus feet.
“He sees the game so well, before the defense sees it,” Ingram said of Ball. “It’s hard on them and makes them react a bit different. It causes (Ball) to have more open layups when he’s driving the lane, when they’re so worried about him throwing lobs. He has a chance to be even more aggressive.”
“It helps a lot,” Holiday said of Ball’s aggressive passing mindset. “I think it kind of takes away from the (other team’s emphasis on offensive rebounding). If we grab the rebound, then they’re pretty much in trouble (if they’re not back on defense).”
