With Friday night’s Play-In finale pitting the New Orleans Pelicans against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Suns opponent in the first round of the 2022 Playoffs will be intimately familiar with the top-seeded Phoenix Suns and will know how to defend their favorite shots.
The Pelicans are coached by Willie Green, who was the Suns lead assistant the prior two seasons, including through the Finals run. Suns head coach Monty Williams admits they are extremely close friends, and often credits Green for helping architect the Suns offensive and defensive schemes. That kind of familiarity gives the Pelicans an edge over most other teams because not only does Green see the film, he also knows what all went into each play and what other options the Suns had before and after the shot they actually took.