In a matchup that will be defined by the Anthony Davis trade and the subsequent arrival of Zion Williamson until the relevant parties are no longer involved, the Los Angeles Lakers head to the Bayou on Saturday night to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers, armed with relentless offseason excitement around JJ Redick’s hire as head coach, got off to a red-hot start before cooling off, settling in around .500, and began facing questions about D’Angelo Russell’s impact and Anthony Davis’s health. Last year’s Lakers — now with a former sharpshooter and podcast host on the sideline!
In New Orleans, the conversation — as always — centered around the health of Zion and the notion that the Pels will go as he goes. While there were added conversations around Brandon Ingram’s future, for the most part, the Pelicans’ core was in place, and the team entered the year primed to push for a top-six spot in the Western Conference.
Though health issues have already struck New Orleans, the team is all set for a highly competitive clash on Saturday against a foe of a similar level.
With Davis and the Lakers headed into the Smoothie King Center this weekend, check out our Lakers vs. Pelicans predictions, including our NBA expert picks, with tip set for November 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Matchup Lakers vs Pelicans Overview
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Smoothie King Center
Win Probabilities
The prediction tip for the winner in the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans is the New Orleans Pelicans.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
Before tip on the 2024-25 NBA season, the outlook for the Los Angeles Lakers was quite promising. With a lead duo of Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers possessed the spine of a title contender — it was simply everything else around them that did not reflect that potential.
While L.A. did little to move the needle regarding roster construction around Davis and James, the arrival of JJ Redick as head coach brought promise. Redick preached tangible areas for improvement and, crucially, emphasized his belief in Davis—an MVP-caliber player who, whether due to injury or offensive limitations, has never quite reached the heights he could (though is still comfortably a perennial top-10 player).
A 3-0 start cemented that promise. However, L.A. has since settled into where it likely will be this year—a team on the fringes of the top six of the Western Conference and, more likely, fighting for a play-in spot.
There have been positives, no doubt. Redick’s modern philosophies have already begun to appear, emphasizing an efficient offense. Despite middling talent around Davis and James, the Lakers have hung around the top 10 in both true shooting percentage and adjusted offensive rating.
It’s defensively, however, where the concerns are. Reminiscent of mediocre Laker teams of the recent past, it’s largely just… Anthony Davis and some guys. James can turn it on in spots but, barrelling toward 40, it’s too much to ask for high-level defensive intensity game-in, game-out. There’s almost no resistance from L.A.’s perimeter defenders, and with Jarred Vanderbilt still sidelined, there’s an absence of long, switchable wings too.
Los Angeles’ defense is woeful and absolutely there to be exploited. Luckily for the Lakers, however, the Pelicans are simply in no place to take advantage.
Injuries have basically derailed the Pelicans’ season before it’s been able to get going in the early parts. Six of their top nine rotation players are either out injured, in a return from injury, or managing an issue. That, in itself, makes it incredibly difficult to remain competitive, but it’s made worse by who has been out.
As always, Zion Williamson’s health will be the first to be discussed. Yet, the rest of New Orleans’ injury report explains its struggles. The Pelicans’ identity has been ripped away.
Under head coach Willie Green, NOLA has defended with tremendous intensity and finished sixth in adjusted defensive rating in each of the previous two seasons. That was made possible, in large part, due to a litany of elite wings who can switch one through four. The two most prominent pieces in that identity, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III have played a combined four games this year — with Jones out several more weeks and Murphy only just approaching his season debut.
With Dejounte Murray — an outstanding perimeter defender in his own right — sidelined as well, the Pels’ defensive identity boils down to the pesky but wildly undersized Jose Alvarado. It’s no surprise, then, that the Pelicans have had the worst defense by a wide margin and sit dead last in adjusted defensive rating.
Seldom an elite offense over the last few seasons, New Orleans doesn’t have the firepower to make up for its nonexistent defense at the moment. Not with Williamson slowed by a hamstring injury, CJ McCollum shelved with an abductor issue, and their only natural point guard, Murray, out. Even Brandon Ingram’s biggest proponents wouldn’t expect him to be able to drag an offense to even above average on his own. Instead, the Pels have been anchored to the bottom five of the league in offensive efficiency throughout the young season.
Redick doesn’t have the Lakers where he wants them to be, not yet. That’s apparent through his post-game comments and, hilariously, through a handful of in-game outbursts. What they do have, however, is two of the league’s 10 best players, James and Davis.
Competence is enough for the Lakers against a madly depleted Pelicans team, and with their superstar duo to turn to, competence is the minimum to be expected. Count on the Los Angeles Lakers to win with ease.
How to Make Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Picks
Ready to make picks on the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans matchup on Saturday, November 16? Make sure to head over to Sportzino, where you can find every NBA game on the slate this weekend and so much more!
