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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.
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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.
Small Forward - Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
Brandon Ingram has been a great player in his two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans.
In fact, he is the most established player in the team and might be considered the best on the New Orleans Pelicans roster right now.
Under Stan Van Gundy, Ingram is having the highest Usage Percentage of his career (28.8) and has controlled the New Orleans Pelicans' offense so far.
Ingram is averaging 23 points, six rebounds and five assists per game so far. Moreover, the NBA All-Star has made 46% of his field goals and 36% of his shots beyond the arc.
Power Forward - Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
Even though Brandon Ingram might be the best player in the New Orleans Pelicans' roster right now, it seems Zion Williamson could take over that spot very soon, as his progression has been tremendous.
Williamson continues to be a high-energy scorer, who is a ferocious finisher around the basket as well. He might not be a great all-around player right now, but his scoring continues to improve, and he is rebounding a lot better right now than he did last year.
In his last game, Zion Williamson put up 31 points and made 13 of his 15 shots against the Sacramento Kings.
In the ongoing season, he is averaging 23 points and eight rebounds per game. Moreover, his efficiency (58%) from the floor and a higher number of shots per game has impressed his coach Stan Van Gundy.
Center - Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz)
Rudy Gobert remains a defensive rock for the Utah Jazz in the paint and a tremendous rebounder. Gobert is the main defensive tool in Quin Snyder's squad, as he can protect the rim, rebound with efficiency and slide his feet well enough for a 7' center.
The Frenchman is having an 'usual' year for the New Orleans Pelicans. He is averaging 12 points and 13 rebounds per game, and his finishing around the basket has been solid (he has made 59% of his field goals), though it is quite low compared to his tally of 69% last year.
In this game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Utah Jazz center might have a tough task against Steven Adams, who is a solid defender and a big presence in the paint.
Also read: What channel is New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz on tonight? Time, TV schedule & Live stream l NBA Season 2020-21.
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