Pelicans Face Hawks, Seeking First Preseason Win

New Orleans hopes to end their preseason woes in Atlanta.

New Orleans, LA - New Orleans will travel to Atlanta on Saturday afternoon to play the Hawks at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park. The Pelicans are seeking their first preseason win after a disappointing 120-87 loss to the Rockets on Thursday. Meanwhile, Atlanta comes into the matchup undefeated, having won both preseason contests by a point each.

New Orleans Coach Willie Green said the Pelicans must take better care of the basketball after committing 27 turnovers against the Rockets. "It's demoralizing when you turn the ball over as many times as we did," Green told reporters. "We were sloppy. We got to get better, and we got to clean it up."

Aside from turnovers, one area of improvement needs to be getting star forward Zion Williamson more touches. In the first half of Thursday's game, Williamson only attempted one shot in 17 minutes of play. The starters are expected to play the most minutes in their second-to-last preseason game, so now is the time to get Zion and the others going.

Williamson found success against the Hawks last season. In his lone game playing against Atlanta, Zion scored 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the November contest. The teams split the season series, each winning a game on their home floor. 

Nov 5, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts after hitting a jump shot against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports

The first two games were not kind to the Pelicans shooting the ball from the three-point line. New Orleans is ahead of its curve for three-point attempts from a season ago, but the team is shooting just 29% from beyond the arc. The Pelicans need to be more efficient shooting the ball Saturday to keep pace with the Hawks.

Hawks sharpshooter Trae Young leads Atlanta in scoring this preseason with 16 points a game and shooting 42% from three-point land. Their high draft pick, Kobe Bufkin, has been impressive for the team. The first-round pick from Michigan is third on the team in scoring through the first two games.

Atlanta currently has the NBA's longest streak of scoring 100+ points in the regular season at 57 straight games. The Hawks hit that 100-point mark in both preseason games, while the Pelicans have given up at least 120 points. With injuries holding out key players, the younger guys get a chance for meaningful minutes of playing time.

Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, and Larry Nance, Jr all remain out nursing injuries. Dyson Daniels was a bright spot in Thursday's game after scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds. Guys like himself, Jordan Hawkins, and Kira Lewis, Jr. will all be able to show and prove as they vie for court time. 

New Orleans plays four preseason games, with a trip to Orlando to play the Magic to conclude their preseason. The Pelicans open regular season play on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 25.