What do we need to know about New Orleans?
The Pelicans are sitting at .500 on the season, and are coming off of a win against the Knicks on Tuesday night. Led by the high-flying, Wilt-compared unibrow of Anthony Davis, the Pelicans offer a matchup nightmare for whoever they face. Davis is averaging 25 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks a game so far this season, and is undoubtedly in the way-too-early conversation for league MVP.
Beyond Davis, the Pelicans boast a pretty solid top 6 that includes Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday and Omer Asik.
Of course, the Mavs have already beaten New Orleans once this season; a 109-104 victory on November 1. Anthony Davis recorded a 31 point, 15 rebound double-double in that game, keeping the Pelicans in it for the majority of the night. Holiday and Evans were also big contributors that night, combining for 46 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds.
What's the matchup to watch?
The big men matchup should be a blast, watching Tyson Chandler/Brandan Wright going up against Anthony Davis. However, beyond this we should keep an eye on the guard play. Seeing how guards/small forwards have consistently taken advantage of poor perimeter defense against Dallas this season, paired with the fact that Evans and Holiday have already had success against the Mavs this year, it should be interesting to see how the Mavs attack the perimeter.
What's the key to success for the Mavs?
One of the biggest questions coming into this game is the health of Monta Ellis. He had an abysmal shooting night against Memphis, going just 1-of-11 from the floor, after being questionable before the game with a sore elbow. If he's not healthy, the Mavs will have to find scoring elsewhere.
Shutting down a guy like Anthony Davis isn't a reasonable expectation, and it didn't work for the Mavs the first time these two teams played this season. So, focusing on playing solid perimeter defense and minimizing the impact of Pelicans not named Anthony will be key to delivering one to the win column.
Too many threes?
Dallas attempted 40 3-pointers against Memphis on Tuesday night and while they made 18, it's not a good habit to get into. The Mavs are one of the most efficient teams when they have guys driving to the rim (and yes, that opens up the perimeter), so getting away from that can only be detrimental to achieving the desired outcome.