The New Orleans Pelicans’ string of great luck continues. First, they fleeced the Portland Trail Blazers, giving up Josh Hart and a heavily protected first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr.
Then, with CJ leading the charge, the Pelicans turned their dismal start to the season around and won enough games to make the NBA Play-In Tournament. They continued their improved play, winning the two necessary games to claw into the playoffs and keep their own pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft.
They’ve split their first two games on the road against the Phoenix Suns and received some uplifting injury news.
It seems that Phoenix’s All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker will miss at least the next two games in the series, and the Pelicans now have the opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 lead at home against a shorthanded Suns team.
Even with Booker out, this won’t be an easy task. After all, the Suns dealt with injuries and absences all season and still dominated their way to the top record in the league. Phoenix played 14 games without Booker in the regular season and came away with eight wins. With CP3 playing in those games, they went 5-3.
LATEST NBA NEWS: 3 Stars The Phoenix Suns Should Look To Pair With Devin Booker In Future
The Pelicans have a chance to etch their names into NBA history. Only five times prior has an eight-seed upset a one-seed. The last instance came in 2012 when the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Chicago Bulls sans former MVP Derrick Rose. The eight seeds involved were much better than their record implied in every other upset. New Orleans has both ingredients necessary in the recipe for this upset.
The New Orleans Pelicans put together a top-10 defense in efficiency following the All-Star break. While that’s a small sample size, Brandon Ingram, Jose Alvarado, and Herb Jones have all established themselves as impactful defenders capable of locking down at an elite level.
Without Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns are missing their greatest offensive threat and their go-to scorer. While Chris Paul’s brilliance shouldn’t be understated, he hasn’t been the featured offensive engine since his days with the Los Angeles Clippers.
LATEST NBA NEWS: 3 Stars The Phoenix Suns Should Look To Pair With Devin Booker In Future
CP3 is at his best when he can orchestrate an offense to perfection, picking a defense apart with precision pocket passes, leading shooters to open looks, and running opponents into the ground with pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll. With Booker out, a 36-year-old Chris Paul may have to shoulder more of the offensive load than he’s capable of at this point in his career.
Even without Book, Phoenix has plenty of talent between CP3, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges. But without the Suns’ top scoring threat and his offensive gravity, the Pelicans can now assign their stoppers and focus their defensive attention with much greater ease.
LATEST NBA NEWS: 3 Stars The Phoenix Suns Should Look To Pair With Devin Booker In Future
Book has turned himself into one of the better wing defenders in the league. While his defense is replaceable, the Suns will find it challenging to match buckets with CJ and BI without Booker. On the offensive end of the court, New Orleans put up a whopping 120 points per 100 possessions when CJ McCollum and Ingram shared the court.
Upending a balanced and deep Phoenix Suns squad with CP3 leading charge still won’t be an easy task, but it’s a much more manageable reality with Book out. The Pelicans have to take full advantage of his absence and take control of this series with the next two games at home. New Orleans will be in trouble when Devin Booker returns if they afford Chris Paul a split on the road without his right-hand man.
LATEST NBA NEWS: 3 Stars The Phoenix Suns Should Look To Pair With Devin Booker In Future
All of the dominoes have fallen in the New Orleans Pelicans’ favor. They have all of the goods to become just the sixth eight-seed to advance past the first round, but they’ll have to prove it at the Smoothie Center in the next two games.
