The New Orleans Pelicans are working with a skeleton crew as Thanksgiving Day plans are being squared away. Opponents have been feasting on Willie Green’s shorthanded squad which has lacked shooting around Brandon Ingram. The defense has suffered as well but getting buckets is the entire point of basketball. Thankfully, the Pelicans will get Ingram and Jordan Hawkins back for an NBA Cup class against Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
Per Pelicans in-house reporter Jim Eichenhofer, Hawkins was feeling “great for tonight” after the morning shootaround session. Ingram was announced as available during the lunch break. The Pelicans will need every bit of those good vibes to remain in contention for the NBA Cup trophy. Trey Murphy III gave Eichenhofer a sliver of the scouting report on Hawkins before the Warriors hit the Smoothie King Center.
“Spacing is the biggest thing,” Murphy III explained. “(Hawkins) spaces the floor at an elite level. He’s going to knock down shots and help us win games.”
The Pelicans need wins in a hurry but it’s tough to see them pulling one out against the Warriors on ESPN. Curry is perhaps the most lethal basketball weapon on the planet. The Hall of Famer’s court-bending ways can break an opponent’s spirit. Zion Williamson is working around the clock to get back but it’s a difficult situation in a locker room trying to not let the season slip away.
However, though Hawkins may lack the resume and respect of Curry, the UConn alum is a champion in his own right. Hawkins has range and has proven capable of posting 30 or 40-point games to keep up with NBA All-Stars. The Pelicans will have to hope for the best with Ingram and Hawkins while waiting on Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Dejonte Murray to heal up.
Pelicans peppering in some Herb Jones content
Herb Jones recently sat down with New Orleans legend CurrenSy, aka Spittah Andretti, for a quick chat before heading back to the JetLife Apparel headquarters. Jones kept the same laid-back approach as the rapper on a microphone when asked about a target coming with the NBA’s First Team All-Defense nod.
“It will probably be more so now just because of the award,” Jones said, “but I’m still taking the same approach.”
There was one very noticeable change this summer that had fans scrambling. Jones decided to give up a uniform number that had a special meaning. Dejounte Murray made a deal for the number five uniform. Thankfully, there was another option with the same grassroots links available.
“Somebody probably had it but my brother wore number five in high school,” Jones shared. “When I saw (number five) was available (I took it) just because big bro had it in high school.”
Those players wearing number two since Jones, an Alabama Crimson Tide alum, joined the team? Jared Harper (Auburn) and Josh Richardson (Tennessee). Donning the Duece should remain an SEC staple for years to come as Jones just inked a new three-year contract extension with the Pelicans.
Fans just hope to see Jones (shoulder) on the court sooner rather than later. Willie Green’s Pelicans need a point-of-attack defender to take the pressure off an injury-riddled squad. Jordan Hawkins can shoot with anyone but the undersized guard is not quite ready to slow down, much less stop, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
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