New Orleans:
Analysts expect the Pelicans to improve as they return home.
NEW ORLEANS — As the Warriors’ best- of- seven, firstround series with the Pelicans shifts to New Orleans, some observers expect a change on the court, too.
The Warriors won the first two games at Oracle, and only 16 of the 261 teams facing a 2- 0 deficit have come back to win a seven- game series. But after the league’s best home team beat the playoffs’ worst road team by only 7 and 10 points, respectively, there might be hope for the Pelicans.
“By my convoluted logic, I was encouraged by the way New Orleans played, to be honest with you,” said ESPN analyst P. J. Carlesimo, an NBA head coach for nine seasons, three of them with the War-
riors. “I wouldn't have been surprised if ( the Pelicans) got smoked both games in Oakland. … So I think going back to Smoothie ( King Center) will be enormous for New Orleans.
“They just beat Golden State ( two weeks ago) at home. Yes, the playoffs are a different animal, but I’ve been encouraged by a lot of the minutes that New Orleans played in Oakland.”
Jalen Rose, who spent 13 seasons in the NBA before joining ESPN, agreed that the Pelicans played well in Oakland and should be better at home. Rose thinks New Orleans has to start using a small- ball lineup, moving 6- foot- 10 Anthony Davis to center and playing either Ryan Anderson or Dante Cunningham in Davis’ spot at power forward.
“Normally, your role players play better at home,” Rose said. “Anthony Davis is going to slow down a little bit on his post moves, take advantage of his size a little bit better when he’s guarded by Draymond ( Green), and use his speed better when he’s being guarded by ( Andrew) Bogut.
“I do anticipate that New Orleans is going to win one game. That would be the only game in my opinion they win in this series, Game 3.”
The idea that they’ll face an even stiffer test in New Orleans isn’t lost on the Warriors.
Stephen Curry said exactly that after Monday’s 97- 87 Game 2 win, and Green on Wednesday reiterated the importance of Game 3.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s critical just to not let them sneak back into the series, but Game 3 is a very important game,” Green said. “We’ll get people talking about: Can the Warriors sweep and do this, that or the other? But none of that happens without a win in Game 3, so I think Game 3 is probably one of the most important games in the series.
“We’ve done our job, taking care of home court. Ideally, the mind- set is to go steal one of these two games on the road, but if we go get Game 3, we’ll have a complete mind- set change. It’s important for us to go get this game and not let them build more confidence.”
New Orleans head coach Monty Williams won’t have to come up with a confidence- building motivational speech before Game 3. Despite the loss, the Pelicans walked out of Oracle believing in themselves as much as ever.
Davis said as much at the postgame podium, and Rose says the Pelicans’ young forward is the reason for the confidence.
“When you’re a player in this situation, you don’t have to create fake hype, because we know we have Anthony Davis, and whatever list you’re making, he’s going to be one of your top players in the game,” Rose said. “We know we just beat Golden State ( on April 7), and, as a matter of fact, we beat the defending world champions on our floor and knocked them from second to sixth” in the Western Conference seedings, referring to defeating San Antonio on the last day of the season.