CJ McCollum Podcast - Brandon Ingram

Bi working on "different dynamics behind the (3 point) line" over the summer. And other stuff.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HePG...nnel=NBAonESPN

Hopefully that means he's getting back to his pullup game. His 3pt shooting a few seasons ago started to feature the pullup more and it really added another tool to the belt, and then he just stopped doing them for reasons I can't really identify - and it's not just that he stopped doing them last season when his percentages dropped a bit, he had already stopped before.

If he brings his percentages back up to that 37-38% area and brings his pullup back, then watch out. Gonna be a fantastic BI season.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Hopefully that means he's getting back to his pullup game. His 3pt shooting a few seasons ago started to feature the pullup more and it really added another tool to the belt, and then he just stopped doing them for reasons I can't really identify - and it's not just that he stopped doing them last season when his percentages dropped a bit, he had already stopped before.

If he brings his percentages back up to that 37-38% area and brings his pullup back, then watch out. Gonna be a fantastic BI season.

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I think his percentages were injury related last season, as well as conditioning related from taking on an expanded role as a creator and defender. 3 out of the 4 seasons prior to last, he was above 41% as a spot up shooter, with the lone season under being his blood clot season.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

His 3pt shooting a few seasons ago started to feature the pullup more and it really added another tool to the belt, and then he just stopped doing them for reasons I can't really identify - and it's not just that he stopped doing them last season when his percentages dropped a bit, he had already stopped before.

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In a season where the starting lineup at the beginning of the season featured NAW, Graham, JHart (all out of the starting lineup by mid-year), you wonder why BI three point % suffered?

In a season where the bench at the beginning of the season featured Naji, GT, Sato, Kira, and JAX, you wonder why BI's three point % suffered?

In a season where a second round pick who WAS NOT an offensive threat eventually became a starter, you wonder why BI's three point % suffered?

In a season where a key player was in rehab all season, you wonder why BI's three point % suffered?

In a season where he was the focal point all year with little other shooting on the court for most of the season, you wonder why BI's three point % suffered?

I wonder how he shot the three ball in the Phoenix playoff series playing against one of the best defenders in the league while being the focal point of his team.

Yeah, like you, I have no idea why BI's three point % dipped. SMH

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Originally Posted by pelafanatic

I think his percentages were injury related last season, as well as conditioning related from taking on an expanded role as a creator and defender. 3 out of the 4 seasons prior to last, he was above 41% as a spot up shooter, with the lone season under being his blood clot season.

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It's possible, though again, spot up shooting isn't really the area I'm focusing on. It could be injury, but then, it's also slightly unusual for an injury to result in worse three point shooting but better defense and career high efficiency at the rim at the same time. Not really impossible, because you could easily argue that while his rim percentage was high, his volume was low - and that is a very good point, so it's also something we could possibly see bounce back this season.

The hope is, of course, that with Zion back, everyone's jobs get easier and both shot quality and shooting efficiency go back up. If that plays out for Ingram, given what he did last year even with some evident difficulties, then it may be his best season yet as a pro. Which is saying something, given how good he was in the playoffs last season.

Last season was great for him in a bunch of ways: probably the best defensive season of his career, and his playmaking really shined especially towards the end of the year and in the postseason. The hope is that we get that combined with the kind of 3pt shooting we got in 2020-21, where he shot 38% from deep with 21% of those shots being pullups, on the highest 3pAr of his career. The fit with Zion, as well as the versatility it would provide BI led units, would be great.

It does seem weird that BI was elite from deep mid range but not good from 3pt. Seem like maybe a mental thing? Anyway would be good to see him step up his 3pt game the Pelicans have been poor from behind the arc for years now. Not a good thing to be below average at in todays NBA.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

It does seem weird that BI was elite from deep mid range but not good from 3pt. Seem like maybe a mental thing? Anyway would be good to see him step up his 3pt game the Pelicans have been poor from behind the arc for years now. Not a good thing to be below average at in todays NBA.

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Again, I think it can likely be explained by not fully having his legs under him, whether that be the leg injury that he struggled through, conditioning, whatever.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

It does seem weird that BI was elite from deep mid range but not good from 3pt. Seem like maybe a mental thing? Anyway would be good to see him step up his 3pt game the Pelicans have been poor from behind the arc for years now. Not a good thing to be below average at in todays NBA.

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I've got confidence that this season we won't be terrible. We probably won't be elite either, but I think we'll be solid.

I expect a bounce back from BI - 38% ish.
I expect Trey to shoot 38%+
Herb, JV, and Jose should all be able to hit around 35-36%
Nance should be able to hit somewhere between 30 and 36%, his variance is a little wider but I could see it being the higher end
CJ has shot at least 37.5% from 3 every single year of his career, so I have confidence in that

Overall, there should be shooting - we won't be top 5, but we won't be bottom 5 either imo

Toward the end CJ revealed a GM survey on which current NBA player is most likely to be a head coach. According to CJ:

1. Chris Paul (by a large margin)
2. Garrett Temple
3. CJ McCollum

Seems like fans get it right sometimes. Garrett should look into that career....now. He's had a good college and pro run as a player.

CJ said he has no desire whatsoever to be a head coach.

I mean, it just seemed like BI could just get to his spot in the mid range WAYYYY more frequently than ever before, and, as a result, the quantity of his 3s went down, while the quality also went down due to forcing last minute shots, being the only scorer pre-CJ, injuries, etc.

Why shoot more 3s when he get to his spot at the elbow 98/100 times and make it more often than not

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

It does seem weird that BI was elite from deep mid range but not good from 3pt. Seem like maybe a mental thing? Anyway would be good to see him step up his 3pt game the Pelicans have been poor from behind the arc for years now. Not a good thing to be below average at in todays NBA.

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He will be fine. I think it was more of his responsibility to run the offense that took away from his 3 pt game. Also, Derozan is someone who is elite mid-range but not a good 3 pt shooter. BI has been better.

Just some other stuff I caught while listening to the whole hour. Kind of a bulletpoint version of the show, I guess. Just the Pels stuff, so not counting the stuff where he talks about Sarver and stuff.

- Says Zion works hard, has done a good job taking care of himself mentally and physically. Says he expects Zion to 'dominate', to make the game easier for everyone else, and specifically highlights his ability to playmake and to get the team into the bonus as strengths, outside his pure paint scoring.
- Mentions the combination of upside and experience on the team and says the FO has done a good job building the team - highlights Nance as an example of that, particularly for his defensive versatility.

Ingram Interview:
- Ingram says that getting stronger is always his priority in the summer because of his weight. Adds shooting behind the line.
- They talk a bit about BI's playmaking improvements over the years and how that can surprise some people.
- Ingram says that when he first came into the league he wanted to be in the gym every day, all day, doing basically anything. Didn't understand things anymore as a rookie, felt overwhelmed by the step up in talent, felt both his 3pt shot and his weight were huge obstacles. Says now his mentality has been changed by experience, he's come to realise that he legitimately is better than so many others. Has found a stable routine rather than just doing different things every day. Avoids the yes men, wants other people to keep him accountable. People who will tell him ''you had 30 today, but it wasn't a good 30''.
- BI says he loves how family oriented the team is, how the team 'loves each other' and supports each other in everything. Says that in New Orleans, everyone is genuine - ''it's not fake love, it's really real, when you go outside, you can feel the fans, they touch on you, they tell you how much they love you, the fan support. My first years in New Orleans, being here and visiting from the Lakers, the stands were empty. You could see that too, playing in Portland, the stands was empty. This year, the fans having hope in us, going into the playoffs every seat was filled. There's real people down here that really love you and when you're doing something good, especially for the city, they're behind you.''
- CJ mentions that he remembers that - coming to play in New Orleans in the regular season it was quiet but when we swept them in the playoffs, the arena was packed. BI didn't know the Pels swept the Blazers and CJ says he isn't fond of remembering it.
- BI says that being through slow starts with LA helped him cope with the slow start last season. Says it felt different, that even when we were losing games, we were ''in'' them, and we just had to figure things out. Credits Willie Green for his positivity, his treatment of the team, and says he knew we had the chance for the playoffs even when the record was bad. Claims consistency defines Green, with his approach, his method, and his message. Always looking for ways to teach, and is reliable. CJ agrees that Green is a good guy
- BI mentions that our young guys are like vets; cites Herb's work ethic and discipline as being 'on point' - CJ agrees. Says he feels like a ''30 year old vet''.
- Ingram says that the play-ins were so exciting because he knew that nobody had been watching the Pels all season but that we were the better team and he knew it. Then playing in Phoenix and seeing things going their way, no foul calls etc, he settled into it and got even more comfortable knowing that we had to really push to get anywhere.
- Ingram says that he watches no TV other than film for 30 days leading into the season. Watches hour long MJ highlights as if it were a TV show. ''I always think about who is working harder than me. If I lack in my routine, someone else is doing better than me.'' Mentions that every time he lands in a new city, he gets some food, talks to the team's staff about how he's feeling to plan his workouts, sees if he can access a gym to get shots up.
- CJ mentions the value of paranoia; calls it the ''Herb routine'', where you can't let anyone outwork you.
- Ingram says his paranoia comes from inconsistency; ''there's always bumps in the road where you have those bad days [...] it just sticks with me until the next opportunity I get on the floor, everyday I just wanna be better than yesterday''. Cites Trey Murphy as a motivation because Trey just looks so good in pickup that he feels the need to step up. ''He looks too good right now, I just want a little edge [...]''
- BI: ''You won't know until it happens but I really want to be the best in this league, I'm willing to sacrifice whatever it is cause I've really got my eyes on this, on what I wanna do. I wanna be a winner, that's all I've done all my life and I know from winning it comes with a lot of things. Whole team gets paid, a lot of love, whatever it is, it shows how much work you've put in and it's motivation for the next generation that comes up and wants to be the best.''

Absolutely the most vocal and open I've heard BI in an interview. Opened up a lot, great interview. Really fantastic interview.

Was a great interview.

Now I'm gonna leave this here from what seems like an eternity ago. Because it's an all time classic. :hihi::hihi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCCfF3J_BkA&ab_channel=ESPN

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Just some other stuff I caught while listening to the whole hour. Kind of a bulletpoint version of the show, I guess. Just the Pels stuff, so not counting the stuff where he talks about Sarver and stuff.

- Says Zion works hard, has done a good job taking care of himself mentally and physically. Says he expects Zion to 'dominate', to make the game easier for everyone else, and specifically highlights his ability to playmake and to get the team into the bonus as strengths, outside his pure paint scoring.
- Mentions the combination of upside and experience on the team and says the FO has done a good job building the team - highlights Nance as an example of that, particularly for his defensive versatility.

Ingram Interview:
- Ingram says that getting stronger is always his priority in the summer because of his weight. Adds shooting behind the line.
- They talk a bit about BI's playmaking improvements over the years and how that can surprise some people.
- Ingram says that when he first came into the league he wanted to be in the gym every day, all day, doing basically anything. Didn't understand things anymore as a rookie, felt overwhelmed by the step up in talent, felt both his 3pt shot and his weight were huge obstacles. Says now his mentality has been changed by experience, he's come to realise that he legitimately is better than so many others. Has found a stable routine rather than just doing different things every day. Avoids the yes men, wants other people to keep him accountable. People who will tell him ''you had 30 today, but it wasn't a good 30''.
- BI says he loves how family oriented the team is, how the team 'loves each other' and supports each other in everything. Says that in New Orleans, everyone is genuine - ''it's not fake love, it's really real, when you go outside, you can feel the fans, they touch on you, they tell you how much they love you, the fan support. My first years in New Orleans, being here and visiting from the Lakers, the stands were empty. You could see that too, playing in Portland, the stands was empty. This year, the fans having hope in us, going into the playoffs every seat was filled. There's real people down here that really love you and when you're doing something good, especially for the city, they're behind you.''
- CJ mentions that he remembers that - coming to play in New Orleans in the regular season it was quiet but when we swept them in the playoffs, the arena was packed. BI didn't know the Pels swept the Blazers and CJ says he isn't fond of remembering it.
- BI says that being through slow starts with LA helped him cope with the slow start last season. Says it felt different, that even when we were losing games, we were ''in'' them, and we just had to figure things out. Credits Willie Green for his positivity, his treatment of the team, and says he knew we had the chance for the playoffs even when the record was bad. Claims consistency defines Green, with his approach, his method, and his message. Always looking for ways to teach, and is reliable. CJ agrees that Green is a good guy
- BI mentions that our young guys are like vets; cites Herb's work ethic and discipline as being 'on point' - CJ agrees. Says he feels like a ''30 year old vet''.
- Ingram says that the play-ins were so exciting because he knew that nobody had been watching the Pels all season but that we were the better team and he knew it. Then playing in Phoenix and seeing things going their way, no foul calls etc, he settled into it and got even more comfortable knowing that we had to really push to get anywhere.
- Ingram says that he watches no TV other than film for 30 days leading into the season. Watches hour long MJ highlights as if it were a TV show. ''I always think about who is working harder than me. If I lack in my routine, someone else is doing better than me.'' Mentions that every time he lands in a new city, he gets some food, talks to the team's staff about how he's feeling to plan his workouts, sees if he can access a gym to get shots up.
- CJ mentions the value of paranoia; calls it the ''Herb routine'', where you can't let anyone outwork you.
- Ingram says his paranoia comes from inconsistency; ''there's always bumps in the road where you have those bad days [...] it just sticks with me until the next opportunity I get on the floor, everyday I just wanna be better than yesterday''. Cites Trey Murphy as a motivation because Trey just looks so good in pickup that he feels the need to step up. ''He looks too good right now, I just want a little edge [...]''
- BI: ''You won't know until it happens but I really want to be the best in this league, I'm willing to sacrifice whatever it is cause I've really got my eyes on this, on what I wanna do. I wanna be a winner, that's all I've done all my life and I know from winning it comes with a lot of things. Whole team gets paid, a lot of love, whatever it is, it shows how much work you've put in and it's motivation for the next generation that comes up and wants to be the best.''

Absolutely the most vocal and open I've heard BI in an interview. Opened up a lot, great interview. Really fantastic interview.

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Cheers for the great transcript