Is The Golden State Dynasty Finally Finished?
Our Pelicans vs Warriors Preview Looks At All Angles!
The Golden State Warriors will head into Wednesday’s showdown against the New Orleans Pelicans, sitting at 17-19 on the season.
The Warriors haven’t lived up to expectations this year. Instead, Golden State has watched the “Splash Brothers,” Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, decline from their previous seasons.
Meanwhile, the third-leading scorer on the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga, has only scored 12.8 points and had his issues leaked to the media, stating that he and his agency were unhappy with the Warriors and don’t believe he can excel under head coach Steve Kerr.
On top of that, the Warriors lost Draymond Green to an indefinite suspension for about a month. He was just reinstated but needs to ramp up his workload before he can get into a game.
Beyond that, Chris Paul fractured his hand. He’s out for at least another month and will have surgery next week.
Can the Warriors regroup against the Pelicans on national television?
Golden State is sitting at -1 (-105) against the spread, with the total currently at 233.5.
Oddsmakers aren’t so sure that the Warriors can get back on track this season.
Here’s our Pelicans vs Warriors preview for Wednesday’s primetime game on ABC.
Pelicans vs Warriors 
Day/Time:
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Pelicans vs Warriors Preview & Trends
The New Orleans Pelicans have won six of their last ten games. However, they’ve gone 5-5 against the spread and have hit the Under in six of their last ten NBA matchups.
Recently, the Pelicans have improved, winning four of their last five games against the spread, including two games outright as underdogs.
On the other hand, the Warriors have lost two straight games against the spread. Golden State is 5-5 in its last ten games and have gone 5-4-1 against the spread. Meanwhile, the Over has hit in six of their previous ten meetings.
The Warriors and Pelicans met once earlier this year on October 30. Golden State added a 130-102 win on the road. They’ll have two more games against the Pelicans, but both will be in Golden State, including Wednesday’s battle.
Zion Williamson Is Hurt Again
The Pelicans would love a bought-in, healthy Zion Williamson for an entire season. But it’s just not meant to be with all of his NBA injuries throughout his career.
Zion Williamson left New Orleans’ game against the Clippers on January 5 with a leg injury.
Williamson left the floor early in the third quarter and sat out most of the second half due to a right leg contusion. He had sustained the injury before halftime and tried to play through it.
He didn’t play on the road in the Pelicans’ most recent game against the Kings. However, the Pelicans still won that game, 133-100.
Williamson is listed as a game-time decision for this matchup.
Draymond Green Was About To Retire
On December 12, Draymond Green hit Jusuf Nurkić in the face during a battle for the basketball. He was later ejected from the game and suspended indefinitely after having multiple poor-judgment plays this NBA season.
Green’s known for his kind of activity on the court. But he had never been suspended to this degree for his play.
Green acknowledged to the Golden State media that he was considering retiring. However, Adam Silver, the NBA’s commissioner, told him he was making a rash decision. Silver wouldn’t let him do that.
Green admitted that he and Silver had a long conversation that was helpful to him. Now he’s been reinstated after Chris Paul broke his hand.
The Warriors could use all the help that they can get. However, it’s still unclear when Green will make his 2024 debut.
Golden State’s Weak Homestand Will Continue
The Golden State Warriors haven’t played a road game since December 25. We’re not entirely sure who comes up with these schedules, but this seems unfair.
However, despite the Warriors having all these home games in a row, Golden State has only gone 2-4 during this homestand.
It’s unusual for the Warriors. However, Steph Curry’s got no help. Klay Thompson is in a severe decline, and no player other than Curry or Thompson has averaged more than 13 points per game.
Andrew Wiggins has even played himself to the bench this season.
Golden State is still slightly above average offensively. The Warriors have scored 117.4 points per 100 possessions and have shot an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. That’s still above average as a whole. They’re also earning 31.2% of offensive rebounds, which is third in the NBA.
The Warriors have still turned the ball over 14.9% of the time. Without Chris Paul, that rate figures to get even higher against a Pelicans defense that is above average in all major NBA stats and categories, including points per 100 possessions, effective field goal percentage, and turnover percentage. New Orleans will even do an excellent job on the Warriors on the defensive glass.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans have a free throw rate of 21.8. That’s in the top ten in the NBA, and they’re taking on a Warriors defense with a 21.9 free throw rate. The Pelicans should get more freebies and also shoot at a higher percentage from the field, hitting an effective field goal percentage of 55.6%.
We don’t know Zion Williamson’s status. But even without him, the Pelicans looked unstoppable against the Kings last time out.
Today’s NBA games are great, but only this game will be televised on ABC. That said, after reviewing the Pelicans vs Warriors preview, we’re backing the Pelicans at +1 (-115).
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