(04-16-2024, 10:04 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Are the Pelicans cursed?

Zion getting hurt the last 3 mins. CJ laying the biggest egg of the week so far. Ingram doesn't get played in the 4th????

What the heck is going on there???

(04-16-2024, 10:35 PM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: I don't have the foggiest idea why BI wasn't out there unless he was hurt. Willie Green has some splaining to do.

(04-16-2024, 11:46 PM)The Jom Wrote: Keegan Murray is a star

(04-16-2024, 10:04 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: CJ laying the biggest egg of the week so far.

(04-16-2024, 10:38 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: I know he's still coming back from his knee injury, but to not have him out AT ALL??? Especially when Zion went down??? Crazy coaching choice and it might cost him his job.

(04-16-2024, 09:09 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: Summary of his career. Complete dominance when he is in shape but simply cannot stay healthy.

(04-16-2024, 09:54 PM)Jason Terry Wrote: New Orleans is interesting. They seem likely to go home if Zion is hurt for real. It’s hard to justify running that back. They have some decent players with length and skills needed to be good. They need a real PG. McCollum contract looks really bad now. Jonas is useless in real games. Zion needs to get on Jenny Craig

Mitchell would make a lot of sense for them, but i suspect many teams will also be in on him

(04-17-2024, 04:38 AM)surfpuckmd Wrote: Ingram played very poorly throughout the game and took a lot low-quality shots.  He had some nice passes but took too many contested, mid-range jumpers early in the clock.  The Pelicans made their runs mostly when he was on the bench.  Ingram and Zion just don't fit well together at all so I understand why Willie Green chose to sit Ingram while Zion was dominating.  

Once Zion exited the game though, it was idiocy to not have Ingram in the game.  That left only CJ McCollum to create offense.  I am sure Willie Green has his reasons for that decision.  My explanation though is that Willie Green is not a very good head coach.  He's a really likeable guy who the players love though.  David Griffin has emphasized a "family atmosphere" on the team.  That's been a priority.  Willie Green has made guys like Brandon Ingram and Zion like playing in New Orleans.  That does have a lot of value for a small market team.  

The Pelicans sans Zion are likely to be bounced out of the playoffs.  They'll have some serious decisions about Jonas Valanciunas, Brandon Ingram and Willie Green this off-season.  I believe they would be wise to shake up the roster to better fit Zion this off-season.  I think a solid, established head coach like Budenholzer would also make them more formidable.  

Their roster has several young guys who will be better next season-  Trey Murphy, Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins especially.  With a few wise moves and another healthy Zion season, that team can be as good as anybody in the West.

(04-17-2024, 04:46 AM)surfpuckmd Wrote: CJ fits better than Ingram because CJ is willing to take a lot of 3s and plays well off of Zion.  Ingram refuses to adapt his game to Zion's and prefers to dribble around and take contested 17-foot shots.  Ingram is very talented but is the guy that just doesn't fit there.  

Zion is actually in pretty good shape right now.  The problem is that he showed up overweight at the beginning of this season.  It took him 4 months to slim down.  His diet is clearly not a priority for him.  

They need a big man who is either more mobile defensively than Jonas or can space the floor.  Valanciunas is a good player but his scoring near the basket doesn't fit with Zion at all.  They both need that space to operate.  

David Griffin will need to modify the roster to make this work around Zion.  As it is, a lot of the talented pieces just don't fit.

(04-17-2024, 04:38 AM)surfpuckmd Wrote: Ingram played very poorly throughout the game and took a lot low-quality shots.  He had some nice passes but took too many contested, mid-range jumpers early in the clock.  The Pelicans made their runs mostly when he was on the bench.  Ingram and Zion just don't fit well together at all so I understand why Willie Green chose to sit Ingram while Zion was dominating.  

Once Zion exited the game though, it was idiocy to not have Ingram in the game.  That left only CJ McCollum to create offense.  I am sure Willie Green has his reasons for that decision.  My explanation though is that Willie Green is not a very good head coach.  He's a really likeable guy who the players love though.  David Griffin has emphasized a "family atmosphere" on the team.  That's been a priority.  Willie Green has made guys like Brandon Ingram and Zion like playing in New Orleans.  That does have a lot of value for a small market team.  

The Pelicans sans Zion are likely to be bounced out of the playoffs.  They'll have some serious decisions about Jonas Valanciunas, Brandon Ingram and Willie Green this off-season.  I believe they would be wise to shake up the roster to better fit Zion this off-season.  I think a solid, established head coach like Budenholzer would also make them more formidable.  

Their roster has several young guys who will be better next season-  Trey Murphy, Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins especially.  With a few wise moves and another healthy Zion season, that team can be as good as anybody in the West.