Gameday: Pelicans @ Raptors, Dec. 23rd

Well, well, well. Basketball soon come.

I’m not sure how common it is to open the season against a team two times in a row, but the Raptors and Pelicans find themselves in this position and unfortunately for the Pelicans they’ll be taking the loss two years in a row.

So bold, do I mean it? I don’t know, the Pelicans have a lot of talent on the roster, but it seems to be molded in the form of ‘square peg, round hole’. Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams both represent high-level starters at their positions, Lonzo Ball is one of the better ‘feel’ players in the NBA, JJ Redick is a heat-pump, Brandon Ingram just got a max deal, and oh yes, Zion Williamson’s body-type isn’t emulated anywhere else in the world, and he is a bowling ball with Kevlar-lined appendages and a 78-inch vertical. All that, and the Raptors still haven’t completely solved how they’ll defend at the center position. Baynes will be good eventually, but he’s still getting used to the Raptors extremely motion-heavy defense. The trappings of an upset are in place.

The first question with the Pelicans for the conceivable future will be “how are you guarding Zion?” and the Raptors seem to have two straight-forward options. One of Siakam or Anunoby will be sticking him. Since Anunoby typically takes the higher usage players, I would lean towards him because Williamson has leap-frogged Ingram in the pecking order. This seems advantageous for the Raptors because Anunoby has a stronger base, is more affecting on-ball, and has shown serious rim-defending chops. The other option would be Siakam sinking low and pressuring Williamson to shoot, with a lot of help ready if he drives. Either should be okay, because they’re both All-NBA level defenders, but don’t be surprised if Williamson gets his. He’s as strong as an ox, and as explosive as a firecracker.

If the Pelicans preseason games were any indication, they’re going to bludgeon you on the inside and eat in the paint or at the free throw line. If they get a chance to run, they’ll take that too. The Raptors transition defense was really bad in the preseason, as was their interior defense. It all depends on how much stock you put in exhibition games. It’s also tough to see how a Raptors starting five that features two sure-fire All-NBA defenders and two fringe ones, would allow many easy points. Hopefully Nurse & co. can whip into shape quickly.

Offensively, the Raptors are going to take the bulk of their shots at the rim and from beyond the 3-point-line. That’s been their go-to for awhile now, and Lowry runs a tight, efficient ship. The good news is that Adams isn’t nearly the paint presence defensively that he used to be, and Williamson is in fact a very bad defender. The Raptors should be able to create going downhill. Bledsoe and Ball are both really impressive on the defensive end, and Ingram’s length is capable of disrupting plenty of actions or attempts near the bucket. If Siakam is done warming up his jumper from the preseason, this could be a prime opportunity for him to attack the bucket mercilessly.

If you’re a fantasy basketball fan, this game might provide opportunities for Chris Boucher and Jaxson Hayes to take turns dunking on each other.

We’ll have more answers after the game, no doubt. So, let’s just try to enjoy it.

Game Info

Tipoff: 730pm EST | TV: TSN | Radio: TSN1050. According to the opening NBA odds for the Raptors, they are -215 favorites to win their first game of the regular season against the Pelicans.