Pelicans Need Bounce Back Victory Over Bottom Tier Trail Blazers

The New Orleans Pelicans (30-22) continue their 'Mardi Gras' road trip with a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers (15-36) Saturday night. New Orleans came off a disappointing loss on Friday to the Lakers after their defense was atrocious. The Pels gave up a season-high 139 points to Los Angeles in their worst defensive output of the year. Now, they face the young, energetic Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back. New Orleans is 3-4 this season on the second game of a back-to-back.

Portland is one of only three teams in the Western Conference with single-digit wins at home this year. Despite that, they've beaten some elite teams in the league, such as Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Indiana at home. New Orleans has won three straight games in Portland and needs a win to bounce back after Friday night. Their defense needs to be markedly better, and the Blazers are a team the Pels should look to dominate defensively.

Portland is near the bottom of the league in many offensive statistical categories. They are second-to-last in the league in points scored (108.4) and field goal percentage (44%) and dead last in assists per game (22.6). After trading star guard Damian Lillard in October, the Blazers signaled a full-blown rebuilding mode, and they are going through growing pains. Portland is the fourth-youngest team in the NBA, with an average age of 24 years old. They are led in scoring by shooting guard Anfernee Simons, who averages 23.4 points per game. 

New Orleans point guard and former Blazer CJ McCollum returns to play the team that drafted him in 2013. Since joining the Pels, McCollum is averaging 20.7 points and 7.3 assists versus his former team. His strong scoring has been a catalyst for the Pelicans in winning four of their last five games. For New Orleans to get back in the win column, McCollum will need a strong performance in Portland.

The Pelicans need to get more production from its bench players. New Orleans is No. 16 in the NBA in bench scoring, but No. 25 in the league in field goal percentage. In Friday night's loss to the Lakers, the Pelicans bench scored just 11 points, including just two shot attempts from Trey Murphy III. While Murphy III had been in a shooting slump, he scored double-figures in four of his last five games. 

New Orleans must find a way to get him more shots to stretch the defense out and allow the Pelicans to operate freely in the paint. Portland is one of the worst teams in the league defending the restricted area. They rank No. 26 in opponent points in the paint. Big men Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson should have plenty of opportunities to do damage in the interior. 

The Pelicans need a victory to keep pace in the crowded Western Conference. New Orleans is currently in seventh place, but only three games seperate them from the No. 9 spot. The Pels have three games remaining until the All-Star break, including a road game in Memphis and then a home game against the Washington Wizards.