Warriors Aim to Avoid Playoff Upset By Pelicans

Apr 7, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots past New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Starters

GOLDEN STATE:

• Stephen Curry (PG)
• Klay Thompson (SG)
• Harrison Barnes (SF)
• Draymond Green (PF)
• Andrew Bogut (C)

NEW ORLEANS:

• Jrue Holiday (PG)
• Eric Gordon (SG)
• Tyreke Evans (SF)
• Anthony Davis (PF)
• Omer Asik (C)

The Golden State Warriors have had the luxury of resting their key players down the stretch, as they had already cemented their status as the first-seed in the Western Conference with nearly two weeks of the regular season left. They enter the playoffs with a clean bill of health, and their starters have played most of the regular season together (58 games in total).

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The Warriors’ starting five has a plus/minus differential of +5.7 points for their time on the court, and has an offensive rating of 114.4 and a defensive rating of 94.8 – both are better than their regular season ratings.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans have rarely had their starting five together this season. Their possible starting lineup has only played 13 games this season, with Jrue Holiday missing a big chunk of the season with an injury. He has been in and out of the lineup as the season neared an end, but you can be sure that he will be playing as much as he can with the Pelicans in the playoffs.

In contrast, the Pelicans’ starting unit is +2.7 when they are on the court, and have an offensive rating of 109.8 and a defensive rating of 98.5. Both are significantly better than their regular season averages, but a degree of mathematical error can be attributed due to a relatively small sample size.

In the end, the Pelicans’ starters’ lack of playing time could prove to be fatal against the Warriors’ starters’ familiarity with each other.

Next: Benches