NBA Picks 4/1 – Phoenix Suns @ New Orleans Pelicans

NBA Picks 4/1 – Phoenix Suns @ New Orleans Pelicans

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The Phoenix Suns (43-31, 7th in Western Conference) visit the New Orleans Pelicans (45-29, 5th in Western Conference) tonight on NBA TV, both teams are battling to avoid the play-in round which preceeds the actual playoffs. New Orleans is a 1-point favorite and the total is 225.5. This is the second of three meetings between these teams. Phoenix won the first matchup 123-109 in New Orleans as Devin Booker finished with 52 points. It was his second straight 50-point game verses New Orleans, he had 58 in a 118-114 win against visiting New Orleans on Dec. 17, 2022. 

Phoenix is coming off a 128-103 blowout loss at Oklahoma City on Friday night, OKC was without All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in that contest. Tonight is the finale of a five-game road trip for Phoenix, they’ve split the first four games. New Orleans dropped a 104-92 decision to the Boston Celtics at home on Saturday afternoon. Zion Williamson scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down 9 rebounds in the loss. New Orleans is currently on a six-game homestand, they’ve lost two of the first three games. 

GAME STORYLINES: PHOENIX

After making a surprising run to the 2021 NBA Finals with a relatively young team, the Phoenix Suns have spent almost three seasons somewhat unraveling. They’ve been unable to get past the second round of the playoffs for the past two seasons which led to the firing of head coach Monty Williams last May and trading away disgruntled center DeAndre Ayton – who the Suns selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft – to Portland last September. Phoenix also acquired 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant in February 2023 and then traded for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal prior to this season in an effort to form a Big Three of Beal, Booker and Durant.  

Phoenix’s big moves have not necessarily moved the needle as Durant was unable to lead the team past Denver last season, and the Big Three of Beal, Booker and Durant have been injured and inconsistent this entire season as Phoenix currently sits in seventh place in the tough Western Conference. Beal and Booker began the year with injuries which caused Phoenix to get off to a 4-6 start, and its been an uphill climb for the entire season. Outside of a five-week stretch in January and February where Phoenix went 14-4, they’ve been somewhat underwhelming. They are now 2 games behind New Orleans and Dallas for the last playoff spot and have 8 games left to surpass them and avoid the play-in round.

Despite Phoenix’s uneven season, superstars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have put together outstanding seasons. The 35-year-old Durant is averaging 27.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 53 percent from the floor and 42.5 percent from long distance through 67 games. Durant started in February’s All-Star game, it was his 14th appearance in the game. The 27-year-old Booker is averaging 27 points, 6.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 threes on 49.2 percent shooting from the floor across 60 games. Booker was named an All-Star for the fifth time in his career this season.   

Offseason acquisitions Grayson Allen (13.5 pts, 3.8 rebs, 2.8 threes, 50.5% from 2, 47% from 3) and Jusuf Nurkic (11.2 pts, 10.9 rebs, 1 stl, 1 blk, 51.5% from 2) along with veteran sharpshooter Eric Gordon (11.6 pts, 2.1 asts, 2.3 threes, 45.1% from 2) have all been reliable and consistent performers for Phoenix this season. Allen is averaging career highs in every statistical category and has played very well in games that Beal and Booker missed with injuries. Phoenix added swingman Royce O’Neale (8.5 pts, 5.4 rebs, 2 threes) at the February trade deadline, he’s been a good shooter and wing defender in his 22 games with the team.

GAME STORYLINES: NEW ORLEANS

In the summer of 2016 at just 16-years-old, Zion Williamson became the number one player in all of high school basketball due to his massive size, wide frame and highlight-reel dunks that allowed him to dominate high school games and AAU events. His social media highlights garnered millions of views. He was considered the best high school prospect since LeBron James in 2003. Zion went on to dominate college basketball during his one year at Duke where he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks while shooting 68 percent from the floor.  His spectacular freshman season at Duke prompted several NBA teams to tank the 2018-19 season to increase their chances of selecting him with the No. 1 pick.

The New Orleans Pelicans finished the 2018-19 season with a 33-49 record and seemed like a longshot to win the lottery as they had just a 6 percent chance to win. But they defied the odds by winning the draft lottery in May 2019, and went on to select Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick a month later. The future seemed bright for the Pelicans as they added a once-in-a-generation talent to a pretty formidable team. 

Unfortunately for New Orleans, the first four years of Zion Williamson’s NBA career had been marred by injuries, weight issues and a relationship entanglement. A torn meniscus in his right knee limited him to just 24 games as a rookie, and the next three seasons provided more of the same. He played in 61 games in 2020-21, missed the entire 2021-22 due to a fractured foot and suited up in only 29 games last season due to a right hamstring injury. Zion played in just 114 games over his first 4 seasons, and he was being viewed as a huge disappointment.

This 2023-24 season has been a breakout season for Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans as he’s stayed relatively healthy while the Pelicans are winning. Zion has played in a career-best 63 games and is averaging 22.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal on 58.5 percent shooting from the floor. An even more encouraging sign for Zion is his elevated level of play as the season has gone on, he’s averaged 24.1 points and 7.1 rebounds on 62.8 percent shooting from the field in the month of March. That’s his best statistical month of the season.  Not coincidently, Zion being healthy for a full season for the first time in his career has resulted in New Orleans having their best season in years. They have a shot at winning 50 games for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

New Orleans was dealt a tough blow when former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram (20.9 pts, 5.8 asts, 5.1 rebs) suffered a bone contusion in his left knee during a loss to Orlando on March 21. He’s expected to be out for at least another week. Veteran guard CJ McCollum (18.9 pts, 4.5 asts, 4.2 rebs, 3.4 threes, 41.4% from 3), center Jonas Valanciunas (12.4 pts, 9.1 rebs, 55.9% from 2) and swingman Trey Murphy III (14 pts, 4.7 rebs, 2.8 threes) have all been outstanding this year. The 23-year-old Murphy has stepped up his game with Ingram being out.  

THE PICK: SUNS (+1)

The Suns are fighting to stay out of the play-in tournament, I think they’ll play with more urgency in this spot, Take the point and the Suns