New Orleans Pelicans vs Philadelphia 76ers prediction and combined starting 5 - May 7th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The New Orleans Pelicans will face off against the Philadelphia 76ers in a crucial NBA matchup on May 7th.
While the Pelicans are trying to get into the NBA Play-in places, the 76ers are looking to wrap up the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Both franchises have six games left in the 2020-21 NBA season. The New Orleans Pelicans have a 30-36 record and are 1.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the Play-In tournament. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers lead the Eastern Conference with a 45-21 record, two games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets (43-23) and three games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks (42-24).
This will be the second and final matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers this year.
The Pelicans won the first matchup on April 9th, with a score of 101-94. In that game, Zion Williamson put up 37 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists to guide his side to a win.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Philadelphia 76ers prediction
The New Orleans Pelicans dominated the Philadelphia 76ers in their previous matchup, and both teams were relatively at full strength.
Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart did not feature in that game, but the New Orleans Pelicans looked solid against the Philadelphia 76ers, with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris playing.
The two teams have a lot to play for in Friday's game. The New Orleans Pelicans have a slim chance of entering the postseason, while the Philadelphia 76ers are playing for home-court advantage against their rivals in the East.
There's no doubt that the Philadelphia 76ers are the most complete and balanced team between the two. They rank second in Defensive Rating and 13th in Offensive Rating in the entire NBA.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a better offense than the Philadelphia 76ers, as they rank 11th in the NBA. However, they rank 24th in Defensive Rating.
On any regular night, the Philadelphia 76ers would be heavy favorites for this game. However, a team like the New Orleans Pelicans, who are playing to stay alive, could have a different intensity altogether.
Having said that, the game will be difficult for the New Orleans Pelicans, as their injury report currently includes Steven Adams (toe, doubtful), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ankle, questionable), Josh Hart (thumb, out), and Brandon Ingram (ankle, out). As such, the Philadelphia 76ers are likely to come away with a win.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Philadelphia 76ers combined starting 5
Point Guard - Ben Simmons | Shooting Guard - Lonzo Ball | Small Forward - Tobias Harris | Power Forward - Zion Williamson | Center - Joel Embiid
Ben Simmons might be in the running for the 2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. The Philadelphia 76ers' guard has been great for the team on both ends of the floor. He is averaging his regular 14.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game this year while shooting 55.8% from the field.
The New Orleans Pelicans' Lonzo Ball might have some statistical similarities with Philly's Ben Simmons. However, the former has shot the ball tremendously in his fourth NBA campaign, which was not the case in his first couple of seasons.
Ball is averaging 14.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game this season. Moreover, he is shooting 41% from the field while making a career-high 37.8% of his three-pointers this year. Ball has also made 80% of his free throws, an unprecedented number in his NBA career.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers' Tobias Harris has enjoyed a spectacular season that deserved All-Star recognition. He is putting up 19.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while making 52% of his field goals, 40.2% of his threes and 89.4% of his free throws.
Zion Williamson is the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans team. The 20-year-old is leading the team in points per game. He is averaging 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while making 61.1% of his field goals. He also leads the NBA in two-point baskets.
To close our combined lineup, we have Philadelphia 76ers' center and MVP candidate Joel Embiid. Though his MVP campaign might be hindered by some injuries, Embiid has definitely been dominant this season.
The Cameroonian superstar is averaging 29.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, one steal and 1.4 blocks per game this season. He has appeared in 47 games and has made 51.1% of his field goals, 36.3% of his threes and 85.5% of his free throws.
Also read: Top 5 individual performances by rookies in the 2020-21 NBA season