Golden State Warriors: Comprehensive Game Preview with Pelicans Reporter Terry Kimble

The hot shooting Pelicans and an explosion from Brandon Ingram

New Orleans have reinvigorated their season with five-straight wins, providing them with an opportunity to move past Golden State if the result falls their way on Tuesday. The Pelicans rank third-last in three-point attempts, and 16th in three-point percentage this season, but Kimble sees an uptick in their perimeter shooting as the key factor behind their recent hot form.

"“Over the last few games, they’ve been shooting a Warriors-like 45% from deep. That’s third-best in the NBA over that stretch. Coach Willie Green has emphasized his “magic number” is about 35 attempts a game from beyond the arc. They’re not quite there yet, but there has been an uptick in attempts lately. The Pelicans are the number one defensive team in the NBA for opponent three-point percentage. You make your shots and your opponents miss is the math that adds up nicely for the Pelicans.”"

The Warriors are well aware of the talents of Brandon Ingram, but the seventh-year man has taken it to a new level over this current winning-streak. The smooth-moving forward has been an elite-level scorer for years, yet it’s his playmaking that’s seen a major leap according to Kimble.

"“He just posted back-to-back 10+ assists games for the first time in his career and since returning from an ankle injury on March 14th, he’s averaging 8.5 assists a game. He’s a career four assists per game guy, so he’s made a conscious effort to get his teammates involved lately.” It starts with his initiation of the offense. He’s been bringing the ball up the court more, and that has allowed CJ McCollum to play off the ball more which he is most accustomed to after all those years in Portland. Look for Ingram to find those three-point shooters early on Tuesday, especially with the Pelicans knowing they must shoot well to keep pace with Golden State on the road.”"