New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Combined starting-5 featuring Zion Williamson and Donovan Mitchell
The New Orleans Pelicans will visit the Vivint Arnea in the 2020-21 NBA to face the Utah Jazz in the first of two consecutive games between the two teams.
The New Orleans Pelicans have had an inconsistent start to their campaign, while the Utah Jazz has one of the best game-winning streaks (five wins) in the league at the moment.
On that note, let us take a look at a hypothetical combined starting-five of the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Combined starting 5
Though the New Orleans Pelicans have been fairly disappointing under new coach Stan Van Gundy, they are coming off a big win over the Sacramento Kings on the back of Zion Williamson's 31 points. On the other hand, the Utah Jazz have won five straight games, with four of them coming on the road.
The Utah Jazz defeated the Denver Nuggets away on January 17th in their most recent outing. Their ongoing five-game winning-streak started with a 13-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks behind Donovan Mitchell's 32 points.
Though Mitchell is the best player in the Utah Jazz roster, the team's offense has been well-balanced so far, and a few other players have been key contributors too.
The New Orleans Pelicans, on the other hand, have been inconsistent and have a 5-7 record on the season, while the Utah Jazz has the third-best win-loss record (9-4) in the Western Conference.
So, without further ado, let us have a look at a combined starting-five comprising of Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans players.
Point Guard - Mike Conley (Utah Jazz)
The Utah Jazz has had solid offensive performances from players not named Donovan Mitchell.
In their previous game against Denver, Jordan Clarkson led the team in scoring off the bench (23 points). Mike Conley has been another great piece in offense and has been the driving force for the Utah Jazz in a few games too.
Conley put up 33 points in the Utah Jazz's impressive win against the LA Clippers on January 1st.
For the season, Conley is averaging 16.8 points, six assists and four rebounds per game. Moreover, his shooting has been good; he has made 46% of his field goals and 42% of his three-pointers.
Shooting Guard - Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
Donovan Mitchell is the best player in the Utah Jazz roster.
Despite starting the season with shooting struggles, Mitchell has improved of late. Even though he missed his seven attempts from the three-point line against the Nuggets in his last game, he has made 46% of his three-pointers in the Utah Jazz's last five games.
For the season, Mitchell is averaging 23 points, four rebounds and five assists per game in 13 appearances. He has also made 42% of his field goals and a decent 37% of his three-pointers.
Last year, Mitchell tied his career-high with 46 points in the Utah Jazz's loss against the New Orleans Pelicans.