Have you seen the power rankings on USA today posted yesterday. They have us at #21. WTH?
Thoughts anyone?
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Have you seen the power rankings on USA today posted yesterday. They have us at #21. WTH?
Thoughts anyone?
Contributor
Don't know when that was last updated, but that is what we finished last season record wise. No way with all the additions we made and a healthy roster that we finish in the same spot.
Just wait shock and awe! Asik and AD!!
healthy jrue, ryno and gordon plus asik. Ya...
We haven't proven anything yet and constantly in the lotto over the last few years, why do you guys get hurt over a fair ranking by someone who doesn't follow this team?
Pretty much every powerranking I've read has us at #21 with a little * that says "the Pelicans have a lot of potential and if they stay healthy, watch out!"
It's true. We're a sensitive bunch. I think it's better this way. SHOCK THE WORLD BABY.Originally Posted by NOLa.
#theysleep
This. We all think that JH and RA will come back as the guys they were before, and we think that OA will help take pressure off of AD to help him continue to develop, and we think that TE will be the player he was at the end of the year and that AR will continue to improve, and that EG will , well, EG will be EG. We think all of that. None of it is proven.
We are and should be ranked below the NBA Mendoza line untill we show that all of this that we think actually is.
Man you should know enough of new orleans teams' fans to know better
Man you should know enough of new orleans teams' fans to know better
Troof. Especially with the Saints "SAINTS/BREES NOT #1 ACCORDING TO THIS HACK (inserts link)"
It would be cool if people judged our roster as a healthy team. But this will change very soon
NO RESPECK!1!11!!!
Troof. Especially with the Saints "SAINTS/BREES NOT #1 ACCORDING TO THIS HACK (inserts link)"
http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings/_/year/2008/week/0
This is the preseason rankings before the 07-08 season, when we won 56 games. People won't believe until they see it. This is understandable. Let it happen.
I like it. There is no pressure on the players to prove what will eventually happen.
Guys, our team goes 6 players deep, and only one of them has a good chance at being an all-star.
AD
Ryan
Asik
Gordon
Tyreke
Jrue
Our bench sucked last season, and we have 0 small forwards. Team's off-season isn't done yet so I'll give it time, but to think we'll all of a sudden be a 5 seed in the West is wishful thinking.
Bottom line is we need to get Gordon off the books, and that money needs to NOT go to a max guy, but to building out a bench. Though I'd be happy with a max guy not named Eric Gordon too.
I feel like you only wrote this so you could use all of their initials in one post lol
Honestly tho haha. I'm crazy tired and was having trouble keeping up with whose who
Probably taking a trip to Nevada to bet the over on how many games they have us winning. I hope the oddsmakers set it at 41.5 or less wins. Would be a long wait but worth it if they set a low enough number.
Last edited by ItIsRynosTime; 07-18-2014 at 08:38 PM.
Last year Vegas odds were 39.5 wins. The good news is how bad of a year the Pelicans had last year. I expect 41.5 wins to be the over/under.
Last edited by ItIsRynosTime; 07-18-2014 at 08:40 PM.
I don't think that is our problem. How many teams have a 7th man that is clearly better than Withey? An 8th man better than Ajinca? I'm sure the Spurs have a few, and maybe Indiana, OKC, Clippers, and Chicago. Too lazy to go rank every team, but that's what my gut tells me. In my mind, our real issue is that we have two efficient starters (AD/Asik), one efficient backup (Withey), and everyone else (including our top 3-6) is inefficient. Too many turnovers, fouls, missed layups, and dumb zone shots. The trade of Aminu for Salmons hurt us in that regard. It is possible that adding Asik and subtracting Aminu will make others more efficient, but that is usually not how players evolve....
I'm still optimistic we will exceed 42 wins, and have an entertaining team. I'm looking for a couple more additions of the quality of Asik next offseason (or maybe at the trade deadline this year) to turn some depth into more excellence at the top of the roster.
Contributor 
That's about as good of a 6 as you'll get honestly. It's gotta be up there... And we'll only play 8 or 9 guys real minutes and I'm fine with Rivers, Ajinca, or Salmons getting those.
I'm gonna be optimistic, but the realistic side of me thinks the following:
I trust AD and Ryan. That's really it. For the most part I trust Jrue, but he went through spurts last year where we all thought "really? this is what we traded for?" Tyreke went off when the games didn't matter anymore. I don't know how you can trust a player until he's actually performed when it mattered; there are countless examples of guys in the NBA, who when their team was eliminated from the post-season, performed great. Asik is a defensive center who can board. I like the guy, won't mind the trade if it falls above 13 (I don't care for picks under the 8th spot given we get a solid player) and he re-signs. I don't like the trade because of the risk of giving up a nice draft pick, but the deal is done and I want him to succeed. That said, with Ryan and AD, he probably won't be on the floor in the closing minutes and I think he's one of our 5 best players.
As for our bench, I hate them. A 7th man better than Withey? Every playoff team has one. An 8th man better than Ajinca? Every playoff team has one. I'm way in the other corner when it comes to our bench. I don't think these guys are good, I think they're no different than any of the other bench guys we've had with Monty in the past -- they play hard, but ultimately do nothing in their careers. Personally, I think a bench should be composed of young guys who may one day develop and start in the NBA. I don't see a starter talent anywhere once you get past our 6th man. Maybe with Brian Roberts gone, they'll be better. That's my hope anyway.
Our bench includes a really good player that would start for just about every other team in Ryan Anderson. If Tyreke Evans comes off the bench again that will give us 2 of the best players in the whole league coming off the bench IMO. John Salmons, started some of last year and has played decent ball over the years. He is just a stop gap small forward that can also play the 2. He will not be on this team when we are ready to contend. Austin Rivers was the #10 pick in the draft a few years ago and is starting to turn the corner to become a legitimate player off the bench. Jimmer Fredette was another lottery pick that hasn't got all that many minutes in the league to show why he was taken that early. Alexis Ajinca showed last year to be another decent big man Dell has found overseas for real cheap. Jeff Withey is a 7 footer that was taken in the 2nd round a year ago, so it will be really hard for him to make it in this league. But since he's 7 foot he will be given a really good chance to make it. Luke Babbitt is just Ryan Anderson insurance cause he has shown to be able to play the stretch 4 pretty damn good. He will not see the court if everyone currently makes this team and stays healthy. Same thing with Darius Miller. He is basically a cheap roster filler that already knows the system and has shown glimpses of decent play. Russ Smith would of been a lottery pick if he were taller. I still believe he should of been taken in the 1st round tho and will show that he will be an extremely important contributor to this team. Patric Young is another player that should of been drafted and we got lucky that all the other teams or that dumb.
So looking at this bench, you may say that it isn't all that good. I think it is one of the better benches in the league. Now the only players that will see minutes will be Ryan Anderson, John Salmons, and Austin Rivers. One big man to rotate with AD and Asik. One wing player to rotate with Reke, and Gordon. One combo guard that can rotate in with Reke, Gordon, and Jrue. He will be asked to play the point when Reke and Jrue are on the bench, which will not be all that much time.
With what we have to spend this offseason cap wise, we came away with more than likely the best bench we could afford. I think Russ and Jimmer may surprise and get more minutes than anyone expected cause we will be kicking A!!!
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