Brooklyn vs New Orleans Prediction: Whose Lineup's More Powerful

The Nets have not lost to New Orleans in the past two seasons, so at the start of the regular season they have what looks like a very comfortable opponent. Is Brooklyn's win that obvious?

It was a hot summer for the Nets and the club struggled to retain their leaders Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Luckily, along with the celebrity scandals, Brooklyn's management was not confused and got some good role players. Royce O'Neale, for example, should help on defense as the Nets had trouble playing in their own half. Ben Simmons has not been very impressive in preseason games yet and his scoring issues may prevent him from being viewed as a star player. Just before the start of the regular season there are roster issues. Seth Curry and Joe Harris are out due to injuries, and T.J. Warren will also be sidelined.

Steve Nash's team is coming off two wins in four preseason games. Last time Brooklyn defeated Minnesota 112-102 on the road. One of the key factors in the Nets success was 40% of their three-point percentage. Irving and Durant were the best teammates when shooting from beyond the arc, combined for 46 points and 10 assists. Notable among the role players was young forward Day'Ron Sharpe with 15 points. Simmons played only 12 minutes on the floor, making just 1 of 3 shots from the floor.

The Pelicans, after making the playoffs last season, do not intend to rest on their laurels. Zion Williamson who missed last season due to injury should become a key reinforcement. Now CJ McCollum should move up to point guard in New Orleans' starting five, while Brandon Ingram will serve as the offensive guard. On defense, Herb Jones will clean up, although his efforts may not be enough. Larry Nance Jr. and Jose Alvarado will be key players on the bench, both of whom will be useful in their own half. Devonte Graham didn't fit in well with the team, and it's not certain he'll get many playing minutes.

Willie Green's charges have won 4 of 5 games in the preseason, with Detroit, San Antonio, Chicago and Atlanta being defeated. In a recent game against the Hawks, the Pelicans won 120-111. Eight New Orleans players scored 10+ points, not including CJ McCollum. Brandon Ingram was the Pelicans' most productive player with 19 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 7 assists to his 16 points and 11 rebounds. As for the team statistics, New Orleans shot well from beyond the arc, rarely lost the ball and often won the game in the backboard.

The Nets had a bad start to the preseason, but they slowly recovered and beat their serious opponents - Minnesota and Milwaukee - for a reason. Durant and Irving are in good shape and were the best players on the team against the Timberwolves, but Simmons is still missing. Without Seth Curry, it will be tough for the home team. New Orleans looks strong offensively and will be unable to dry up, particularly with Zion Williamson on the floor. McCollum should be a step up from his last game, Valanciunas was very solid against Atlanta, and Ingram should also demonstrate his high level. 

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