Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans Preview and Predictions

Match details

Fixture: Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans

Date and time: Saturday, October 28th, 2019 (8:00 PM ET)

Venue: Smoothie King Center - New Orleans, LA

Last game result

Golden State Warriors (0-2): 92-120 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder (October 27th)

New Orleans Pelicans (0-3): 123-126 loss to the Houston Rockets (October 26th)

Match overview

In what would be the second night of a back-to-back for the Golden State Warriors, they will find themselves facing against a young and dynamic New Orleans Pelicans' side. After the humiliating 28-point loss to an ordinary OKC lineup, the Dubs need to regroup and figure out their schemes on both ends of the floor, more so than ever. With no Klay Thompson, no Kevin Durant, and no Andre Iguodala, Coach Steve Kerr finds himself in a rather tough spot in terms of offensive production.

The Pelicans have lost all three games so far, but their latest clash with the Houston Rockets could have been an overtime affair, had Josh Hart not missed the clutch three-pointer. Nevertheless, the NOLA squad were missing Jrue Holiday who was out due to a left knee injury and is expected to be day-to-day after a clean MRI.

Key players

Curry's lone shoulders might fold under the immense pressure

Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry

Considering the lack of quality scorers on the Warriors roster, Stephen Curry would have seen this adversity coming even before the season tipped off. In the two games played thus far, the 2-time MVP is averaging 23 points per game, on a miserable 20% shooting average from downtown.

Adding 6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, Curry hasn't had much of an impact in both the losses his team has endured. And the task only gets taller fro this point going forward. Steph needs to produce more than 30 points in every game at the very least to give his side a chance at competing in the stacked Western Conference.

Ingram's renewed setting is proving fruitful for the ailing Pelicans franchise

New Orleans Pelicans - Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram seems to have found his groove in a Pelicans uniform. He looks sharper, is getting to his spots comfortably and is scoring at regular intervals. The former Laker is averaging over 27 points on 52% shooting from the floor.

His 3-point shooting conversion has seen a meteoric rise to 52% as well. Given the set of young talent that surrounds him (with no apparent veteran pressure), Ingram is playing at his finest. Despite the Pelicans being 0-3, his skill level shows immense promise for when Jrue Holiday and Zion Williamson return.

Predicted starting lineups

Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, D'Angelo Russell, Glenn Robinson III, Marquese Chriss

New Orleans Pelicans - Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Derrick Favors, J.J. Redick, Lonzo Ball

Pelicans vs Rockets Match Prediction

The Pelicans are likely to miss a key veteran presence in Jrue, which might result in a dicey encounter against GSW. The Warriors have exhibited extreme resilience in the past when the odds were stacked against them and their will can never be counted out. Golden State are expected to register their first win of the 2019-20 regular season against New Orleans.

Where to watch Pelicans vs Rockets?

This Western Conference match-up can be seen on TV at FOX Sports New Orleans and NBC Sports Bay Area. The game will be nationally televised on NBA TV. You can stream the game live with the NBA League Pass.