1. New Orleans Pelicans, Aug 3
One game virtually every NBA fan is circling on the seeding schedule is this Grizzlies-Pelicans clash that has all the makings of a League Pass classic.
It’s Ja vs Zion. It’s a fight for the Playoffs. It’s two fast-paced highlight-factory teams doing business.
Memphis has every right to fear New Orleans, who went 11-5 from December 18-January 20. They then went 10-9 against a tough schedule with Zion Williamson in tow.
Even with Portland’s tiebreaker edge, the Pels are widely seen as Memphis’ biggest threat in the 8-seed chase. FiveThirtyEight goes as far as calling them 45-38% favorites. They’re a sneaky-deep team that can match up against a variety of foes. In Zion and Jrue Holiday they wield tailor-made foils for Memphis’ young stars.
The Zion-Ja narrative will carry extra weight. This game will surely – for better or worse – serve as an inflection point for the internet sub-section that still believes the ROY race is a thing.
In a more relevant sense, Ja and Zion are likely to be forever connected: drafted #1-2 and both seemingly on the fast track to Hall-of-Fame careers. Their first late-season showdown could be a landmark moment in a storied rivalry (even if it’s a forced one).
In terms of hype, this game will be a borderline Hollywood event. Memphis will have to bring their A-games to write a happy ending.