Mavs Game Preview: Game 15 vs Pelicans

Don't forget about Utah

Photo by Sean Gardner / Getty Images

The Mavericks have a golden opportunity to climb back above .500 tonight as they face the patchwork New Orleans Pelicans. If facing the OKC Thunder without their entire frontline and Alex Caruso on Sunday felt like a lucky break for Dallas, what the Pelicans are dealing with is practically a gift-wrapped win.

But my loyal readers—those of you who stick with my previews even for matchups against the NBA’s bottom-feeders (you guys rock!)—might recall I brought up the idea of a "schedule win" before the game in Utah. And, well, we all remember how that turned out. If that isn't a painful enough reminder for the Mavericks, the fact that the Pelicans recently managed to beat the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets should be. The Mavericks might be shorthanded as well—after sitting out his first game of the season in OKC, Luka Dončić is listed as questionable and could get a few more days of rest.

The Pelicans began the season with two wins but have since lost 10 of their last 12 games as injuries have mounted. Over the past two weeks, they have the second-worst net rating in the NBA and rank third-worst for the season. Given these struggles, anything less than a Mavericks victory tonight would be a significant upset. I'll admit—I had to look up several names in the Pelicans' current rotation.

Therefore, I'll keep this preview brief, focusing mainly on statistics and rankings, and use the upcoming days off to analyze the Mavericks' performance at the 15-game mark.

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Mavs (7-7) vs Pelicans (4-10)

Rest: DAL on 1 day of rest, NOP on 2 days of rest

Mavs 2023-24 record vs. NOP: 2-2

DAL injuries: Dante Exum (OUT), Luka Dončić (questionable)

NOP injuries: Zion Williamson (OUT), Dejounte Murray (OUT), CJ McCollum (OUT), Herb Jones (OUT), Jordan Hawkins (OUT), Jose Alvarado (OUT)

NOP projected starting 5: Javonte Green (G), Brandon Boston Jr (G), Trey Murphy III (F), Brandon Ingram (F), Yves Missi (C)

NOP key reserves: Jaylen Nowell, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jamail Cain, Trey Jemison III

NOP Rotation:

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Three key questions heading into the game

1. Can the Mavericks dominate another undersized opponent at the rim and on the offensive glass?

2. Will Dallas secure their own defensive rebounds to prevent second-chance points?

3. How effectively can the Mavericks contain Brandon Ingram’s mid-range game?

Mavs on offense | Pelicans on defense

The Mavericks' offense continues to trend upward, and facing a Pelicans defense that ranks in the bottom five presents another prime opportunity to boost their overall offensive rating.

Like the Thunder, the Pelicans lack bulk and size in the interior. The logical approach for the Mavericks would be to replicate the game plan that worked so well in OKC: relentlessly attack the rim and dominate on the offensive glass.

The Pelicans allow the most shots at the rim and the second-most points in the paint in the NBA. And we've already seen the Mavericks' big men dominate teams with a similar undersized profile, such as OKC, San Antonio (without Wembanyama), and Chicago.