Why The LA Clippers Struggle Against The New Orleans Pelicans

Why The LA Clippers Struggle Against The New Orleans Pelicans

The LA Clippers are one and 10 in their last 11 games against the New Orleans Pelicans and going into the big Friday game with both teams on a four game winning streak of their own why is it that the Clippers struggles so much against the pels and how can they win

Going to be talking about it all on today’s lock down Clippers are locked on Clippers your daily Los Angeles Clippers podcast part of the locked on podcast cast network your team every Day yes sir you are locking in with the clips thank you for making locked on Clippers the first listen of your day your team every day I’m your host Daren vizeri born and raised in LA and in my 19th season as a Clipper fan you can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram

At dim dropper pod And subscribe to my own YouTube channel dim dropper for even more LA Clipper and LA Sports content and locked on Clippers free and available wherever you get your podcast including YouTube I want you to give me a score prediction for this Pelicans

Game let me know what you think of the points I’m going to make about why we struggle against them and give me some of your own of why you think we struggle against them and this episode is brought to you by LinkedIn LinkedIn is the best place to

Find jobs and to find people to hire as well all you got to do is post your job for free at linkedin.com lockon MBA terms and conditions apply so this one let’s talk about why we struggle against a New Orleans Pelicans let me give some background first it started onch March 14th

2021 it was right before we put Marcus Morris and nit zubats permanently in the starting lineup because at that point Nicholas patum and Serge Ibaka were the preferred starters it was funny that it was a blowout against the pels 135 to 115 on March 14th that allowed or that triggered that change

That led to Marcus Morris and if it’s a zubot starting for the rest of the year and I got to tell you this I don’t think that change necessarily changed everything about our season like it was the turning point or anything but it didn’t hurt Marcus Morris was good as a

Starter at the time if it’s zubats obviously ended up being our starting center and still has that spot to this day sadly Ser Ibaka he just didn’t look you know he just could never get right as a Clipper but ever since that day the Clippers have struggled massively against the

Pels we’ve won just one game in the last 11 since then one in 10 that’s crazy Kawai has played in four of those games Zion Williamson has only played in five Brandon Ingram has played in 10 so you can see obviously the star power I didn’t even mention Paul George so I’m

Not going to make any excuses point is they’ve had our number they’ve had our number now granted there were some outlier shooting games like the first one in the 2021 22 season where we didn’t have Ka and Jonas valent chunis turned into Dirk nitzki that was ridiculous I was at that

Game and then we we lost them both times in New Orleans that year but we got a probably our most commanding win against them in recent memory in that one of the last regular season games of that 2021 season we destroyed them that was when Paul George had come back from the elbow

Injury and then of course the playing game that was really tough and then last year we got swept three nothing nothing against them we had the early game without Kawai uh at the Staple Center on a Sunday afternoon where Paul George was just atrocious and we lost and then we

Had the game where Kawai randomly left the game with what was listed as a facial contusion but he was fine the next game we got absolutely blown out I was at that game it was terrible Trey Murphy hit like nine threes and then there was that game the day after the

Mysterious Memphis game where kawhai didn’t play the second half and kawhai played that back toback and he went off but we still lost because he and Brandon Ingram were exchanging blows so then there was this season’s match up the inseason tournament game the Pelicans came to the Staple Center and beat us

116 to 106 Zion and Brandon Ingram each had over 30 that was still kind of early in the James Harden uh era as a Clipper and he did not have a good game and now did Westbrook in that one both guards were really bad shooting the ball they

Were a combined three for 16 from the field and one for eight from three Harden turned the ball over three times Westbrook actually did not turn the ball over that game but kawh Leonard only had 20 points Paul George that was when he was still playing like the best player

On the team where are the Clippers at now well totally different kawh Leonard has emerged as the man playing like one of the best players in the league and then James Harden is playing such Stellar basketball and Russell Westbrook has become comfortable in his role now

Both teams are going into this on a four-game winning streak so they’re both feeling really good why do the Pelicans do so well against us well let’s start with one guy that continuously gives us a hard time Brandon Ingram now the thing about Brandon Ingram is you cannot guard

Some of the shots that he makes he’s a very tall guy he’s got turnarounds over both shoulders he’s got the mid-range down to a science just like Kawai does but he’s got a higher release point and he’s taller is he better than Kawai obviously not but we have trouble

Guarding him even Kawai was trying to guard him last year in that game and he was giving him buckets and then Terrence man is just not tall enough to guard Brandon Ingram and he is the guy we put on him more often than not if I were the

Clippers I would give Amir coffee a lot of time guarding Brandon Ingram and in this case now that we have James Harden Paul George to guard Brandon Ingram a lot as well want kawhai guarding Zion which is going to be tough as well but I think Paul George his length his size

Might be the best on Ingram and if he continues to play defense like we saw in the last game then I think we’ll be in for a solid defensive showing from Paul George Brandon Ingram in the 10 games that he’s played against the Clippers in that 10- one stretch he’s averaging 256

And6 on 54 50 81 and a half splits so 54% from the field 50 from three he’s been amazing so Brandon Ingram Cooks us that’s one thing and we just don’t have that many bodies we actually did have more bodies to throw on him with Nico roko of course we didn’t really play

Roko but yeah he gives us a hard time then you have by the way if I sound a little weird it’s because I’m a little under the weather then we have Zion who’s only played five times against us and he’s in his last four games 26 points

Five and a half assists five rebounds on 62% shooting now why is that well we’ve always been a little bit thin at that power forward position now we’re even thinner and we saw he abused Us in that last game and the thing about the pels so the obvious answers Ingram and Zion

Give us a hard time very clearly Ingram with his length Zion with his strength but they have a lot of athleticism in guys to throw at Kawaii and Paul herb Jones Naji Marshall Trey Murphy and they also like to run and we are a slower team older their athleticism always

Shows against us their Pace will show against us and Ingram and Zion give us a hard time so I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibilities for the Clippers to beat them at all especially now that we have a different team you know James Harden’s playing at a high

Level kawhai is playing at a really high level Paul George didn’t play against them in that game that in those two games that we lost last year like I didn’t actually do my I should have done this but I didn’t do my full research I didn’t I did because I didn’t do it

Because I didn’t want to make excuses but how many of these 11 games were Paul George and Kawhi Leonard not a part of a lot of them I know this year we lost with them fair and square I know last year I don’t think we played them

With both at in any game and then 2022 we didn’t either so maybe this whole Pelicans thing is just a bit overblown and we just don’t have kawhai and Paul Georgia a lot I don’t know but that’s one of the big reasons why ultimately athleticism and limiting those two guys

Is huge cuz hey man when they’re playing like that it’s tough and they play well against us but coming up how do we beat the Pelicans what is the formula on Friday night going to be talking about that coming up I got to tell you a little something

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All right so the Clippers face the Pelicans at 5:00 Pacific time on Friday night it should be a good one one of the bigger games of the Season thus far for the clips really testing how far we’ve come during this 18 wins out of 23 games stretch New Orleans has been our

Achilles heel as I’ve said for the last couple of seasons 1 and 10 in our last 11 against them and something I found interesting is that we have lost seven of those first quarters I think one of the ways we can win is a good start a

Good start is imperative the game we played against them in the inseason tournament we lost the first quarter 3623 it wasn’t pretty in the playing game Brandon Ingram giving us the business to start the game in the game at Staple Center that Kawai had the facial cont or rumored facial

Contusion that game we didn’t start out well either and I hope the Pelicans just don’t rain threes that’s the one thing I’m hoping for they don’t just reain threes but Kawai needs to be on his p’s and q’s guarding Zion honestly I wouldn’t concede the Harden switch I

Know he’s good in the in the post defensively but I didn’t like what I saw from Harden defensively against Zion last time so I would probably go against switching that I’m honestly okay with Harden guarding Brandon Ingram but not Zion so I would say with Zion I would

Only let Paul or kawhai guard him I wouldn’t guard terets with him either I legit would only have Kawai and Paul switched on to Zion or guarding Zion as primary Defender now how do we expose them put Zion and yonas valent chunis in pick and roll especially valent chunis

He’s poor defensively his drop coverage is weak I expect Harden to have a field day with it now herb Jones is going to be guarding Kawai you’ll probably see Brandon or I’m sorry Paul George Ingram guarding kawhai or vice versa kawhai has been the one that’s hot so expect to see

Maybe herb Jones guard him let’s see if herb Jones can guard kawhai in the post is he strong enough to guard kawhai in the post I’d be very curious of that and in terms of how can we win kawh Leonard being the best part on the floor

Would be nice it’s been a long time since I’ve thought that Kawhi Leonard was the best part on the floor against the Pelicans now granted the year we played them five times he didn’t play once and then last year he missed one of the games so Kawai hasn’t actually

Played against the Pelicans that much but the last time we saw them he only had 20 points I would like to see him be more aggressive he was one for seven from three in that game and that’s kind of an outlier for this season and just

The way Kawai has shot the last couple of years so kawhai being the best part on the court is one way we can win attacking yonis Valen chunis and uh Zion in the pick and roll is great and then defensively being cautious about who we switch on to certain

Guys Zion should only be guarded and the starting lineup by Kawaii and Paul off and with Brandon Ingram I think we could switch teren Amir you know the whole nine yards on Ingram maybe not Norman pal but Russell Westbrook all those guys I’m fine with it I’m honestly fine with

Westbrook’s getting switched on his Zion as crazy as that sounds try it because he’s so he takes that kind of stuff personally so I wouldn’t mind doing that now the biggest statistic of all that I found not just the first quarter the the fourth quarter of the 11 games since

March 14th the Clippers broke even in two of the fourth quarters but they’ve only won one they were one and eight in the other nine games in the fourth quarter that’s a big deal because a lot of the games including the play in game including the last game they were in the

Balance going into the fourth pel’s outs is 3123 in the fourth in that last game in November we’ve got to be better down the stretch and you know what’s helped us be better down the stretch James Harden taking the ball out of Paul George and kawi’s hands and Russell Westbrook as

Well when he’s in and making them more fresh offensively now the big fear I had when we got Harden is we lost front Court depth which makes kawhai and Paul George guard better players but so far they have for the most part there have been some shaky games but for the most

Part they have taken the challenge played even better defense than they were before the trade and ran with it Zion is a whole different threat though because there’s not that many power forwards like him that are going to really you know bang bang get down

Low try to get into the paint and really go through your chest every time Zion Williamson is absolutely one of those guys so it’s going to be tough can the Clippers get another double digit game from Terence man he’s at three in a row that would be absolutely massive cuz if Terrence man

Just starts finding a shot we were the number one offense in the league in December we were but if Terence man just starts finding his shot last couple of games he’s shot in the month of January in the new year he shot three for six from three if he can keep that

Up that’s all that matters so that’s how we can win let’s get off to a good start let’s be cautious about who we switch on it guys let’s attack yonis Val Tunis in the pick and roll and Zion as well and and yeah Kawhi Leonard be the best part

On the court that would be nice coming up an injury to a Clipper player just when we thought we were getting healthy going to be talking about the injury report for the game overall for both teams in a bit I got to tell you a little something

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And doesn’t have a timetable for his return according to our good friend Joey Lynn over at SI now beat riter for the Clippers that is tough now Musa hasn’t really been playing for the Clippers this season it’s more about his you know he’s on a two-way contract he’s playing

For for the AUA Cente Clippers in the G league but that just sucks you know we wish Musa a speedy recovery and hope he gets back on the court soon now speaking of speedy recoveries Mason plumbley a lot of people have been asking me about

Him is he going to get back in the rotation all this listen Daniel Ty despite his three-point percentage he has not shown offensively that he can truly be trusted in my opinion out there as a four and the four in today’s NBA they want him to spread the floor and shoot Daniel

Ty I don’t think he convinces teams from Deep now if you’re wondering you know what about defensively well clippers like to switch one through four and they have been you know they’ve shown that they’re okay Switching Daniel Ty onto quicker guards and stuff like that but it’s not ideal it’s really not ideal

Especially when you have you know zubot or Mason in this hypothetical in there with them it’s just more guys you can attack and think about it this way if they’re closing out and scrambling Ty plumbley are these guys good enough closing out are they quick enough can

They hang on the perimeter in those kind of situations scramble situations away and air coffee or a Terren man or Westbrook could probably not so you’re not going to see I don’t think Tyson plumbley play together I think right now Ty is playing Super well he’s been

Amazing since he got to the Clippers and Mason plumbley is going to have to be the third string waiting for his time it’s unfortunate but it’s just how good Daniel Ty has been these are not horrible problems to have what’s amazing is that he’s okay with it and that’s

What you don’t always experience as we’ve experienced last year people were not happy with their roles Mason plumbley seems to be okay because he’s at towards the end of his career he would like to win a championship and this is his best chance no doubt about it so Clippers Pelicans

Friday night going to be a good one kawi Leonard playing as well as anyone in the league also want to give a shout out to the TNT crew Inside the NBA Charles Barkley saying the Clippers were the most scary team in the league now be or

In the west now before you get worried because of Charles Barkley’s history with predictions he didn’t actually make any bold statements all he said was he thinks we’re the scariest team in the West for the Nuggets to go against I think that’s a bad take I think that’s

Based on someone who’s watching the games Shaq of course being the Laker that he is pushed back and was like even saying the same thing for years but Chuck made a good point that kawh Leonard hasn’t been healthy and when he is he’s a top five player in the league

He’s right it’s just been unfortunate it really has been but shout out it’s always great to see the Clippers getting national attention because you know before Lob City we got nothing that’s why I I always don’t take it for granted so with the super team you’re definitely

Going to get a lot of attention it’s weird though the Clippers winning streak went under the radar but now people are starting to talk about us cuz we’re climbing up in the standings and we would have climbed we would had we would have had the same amount of losses as

Denver going into Friday but Nicola yic wanted to make a game-winning three against Golden State ridiculous but we’ve been uh in situations like that against the Joker all uh very frequently so not an exact game winner but you know what I mean but yeah besides the Denver

Nuggets the New Orleans Pelicans are the team that the Clippers struggle with massively so let’s see what we can do can we keep Brandon Ingram at Bay can we not allow Zion to pulverize Us in the paint can we get a huge zubot game protecting the rim can we abuse valent

Chunis in the pick and roll one thing to be worried about not even necessarily worried but wary of Larry Nance he’s come back recently they like to switch a lot more with him at the five as you remember that’s what changed the game in 2022 in the plan they switched

Everything and we didn’t really know know what to do because it was just Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris trying to create shots and Norman pal we didn’t have Paul George because he missed the game with Co so very unfortunate Clippers pels you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at dim dropper pod

Subscribe to my own YouTube channel dime dropper for even more LA Clipper and LA Sports content and locked on Clippers is free and available wherever you get your podcast let me know what you think of this game give give me your score prediction let me know what you thought

Of the things that I said and let me know what your keys are to getting this Victory is it that we need to limit Zion is it that we need to limit Brandon Ingram is it that Paul George needs to drop 30 points let me know what you

Think I’m really hoping we get a nice Norman pal and Russell Westbrook game Off the Bench even though guys like Jose Alvarado Trey Murphy like this is a deep New Orleans team but we’re also a deep Clipper team the age old proverb continues go Clippers

In this episode, die hard LA Clippers fan and Host Darian Vaziri talks about why the New Orleans Pelicans give them so many problems and gives some background on recent matchups. In the second segment, he talks about what they need to do to beat the Pels, and he ends by talking injury report.

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