The (undefeated in the Tom Dundon Era™) Portland Trail Blazers host the twelfth-place New Orleans Pelicans in their propreantepenultimate game of the season tonight. This contest, like all remaining games, is a must-win for the Blazers, who find themselves vying for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Much has been made of the Pelicans’ terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad season in which they traded away their unprotected 2026 first round pick in exchange for the draft rights to Derick Queen. Queen is an exciting young player with immense promise, however in no way does his promise outweigh the opportunity at a lottery pick in the loaded 2026 draft class.
The on-the-court product further reflects the competencies, or lack thereof, of the front office. In 76 games played, the Pelicans have won 25 games and lost 51. This record comes in spite of Aerially-capable human box truck Zion Williamson suiting up for 59 matches, the third most in a single season in his career. Looking at the team’s statistics, they are just plain bad. The Pelicans sit below average in nearly every measurable offensive statistics. Their saving grace, good for 25 wins, is their interior presence. Donovan Clingan would like a word, I’m guessing.
As with any NBA team, the Pelicans are not guaranteed to lose. Heck – much to the delight of Adam Silver – they’re not even tanking. With Trey Murphy III questionable to return against the Blazers, the Pelicans may enter Thursday night with a litany of scoring threats capable of souring the Blazers’ upper-half-of-the-Play-In-Tournament-chances (doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as “playoff chances”).
The Blazers came into Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers with an attitude and focus. Unlike many games this season, the Blazers were able to contain numerous attempted runs by the Clippers. Perhaps it was new owner Tom Dundon’s encouragement-(or threat-)laden pregame speech. Perhaps it was the fact that half of the Intuit Dome was comprised of Blazers fans. Or maybe, the Blazers understood the urgency of their situation.
The Blazers’ remaining schedule features only two “gimmes”: this contest against the Pelicans, and the final game of the season against the Sacramento Kings. Otherwise, they are strapped with taking down Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs, and, once again, the Clippers. To secure the eighth seed, they must carry that same focus they had against the Clippers into each remaining contest. Of course, focus means little in the face of two of the league’s leading MVP candidates, but you can probably focus your way to victory against New Orleans and Sacramento.
Against the Pelicans, no two players will be as important as Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija. The Pelicans give up the 6th-most attempts at the rim out of any team. They also have the 13th-worst rim defense. Both of those traits are exploitable by the entire roster, and especially by the players with the highest rim frequency on the team.
Portland Trail Blazers (39-38) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (25-51) – Thurs. Apr 2nd – 7pm Pacific
How to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network.
How to watch via streaming: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass or NBA TV everywhere else.
Trail Blazers injuries: Jerami Grant, Vit Krejci, Damian Lillard, Shaedon Sharpe (Out).
Pelicans Injuries: Karlo Matkovic, Trey Murphy III (Questionable). Bryce McGowens (Out).
Kris Murray. Kris Murray earned the honors of the post-game broadcast after the Blazers’ victory against the Clippers after posting an impressive 7 points, 7 rebounds – four of which were offensive (and absolutely crucial), – and 6 assists. Moreover, Murray was second only to Robert Williams III in plus-minus, posting a plus-19 in 31 minutes of action. While his shooting stroke leaves much to be desired, the more attractive of the Murray twins is always ripe for a heady baseline cut or lock down perimeter defense. It will be interesting to watch how his role expands over the last few games, and if the coaching staff trusts his non-shooting-related skills enough to give him minutes in the postseason. The Pelicans, with their length and size, are the perfect team to deploy Kris Murray against.
Turnovers. One of the few metrics in which the Pelicans sit above league average is their turnover rate. The Blazers, conversely, lather their hands in peanut oil before every game, and remain dead last in the league in turnover rate. One thread through which the Blazers could lose this game is, like any night, through turnovers. Winning in this facet, though, shuts down the Pelicans’ most important statistical advantage, clearing the lane for a Blazers victory.
