We are live pic.twitter.com/KhpuBdRLWP
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) October 1, 2019
Training Camp Begins
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10-01-2019, 02:10 PMPelicanidaeTraining Camp Begins
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10-01-2019, 02:12 PMPelicanidae
Jrue and Nickeil are working with Jamelle on what looks like off the dribble shooting
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) October 1, 2019 -
10-01-2019, 02:13 PMPelicanidae
Zion said last night was like a Christmas Eve, knowing practice was happening today.
— Scott Kushner (@ScottDKushner) October 1, 2019
Not a small crowd for Zion. pic.twitter.com/fKx5SBFatG
— Scott Kushner (@ScottDKushner) October 1, 2019 -
10-01-2019, 02:14 PMPelicanidae
Zion on his first official practice �� #WBD pic.twitter.com/Sl2u2JY8F2
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 1, 2019 -
10-01-2019, 02:18 PMPelicanidae
Jrue: Zion is the strongest little kid I've met
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) October 1, 2019
Jrue said Zion asked a lot of questions today. Felt like he was eager to learn.
— Scott Kushner (@ScottDKushner) October 1, 2019 -
10-01-2019, 02:20 PMbahmamamba
wish we could get videos like they do for the saints
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10-01-2019, 02:21 PMPelicanidaeThere probably have been/will be some. I'll do a proper trawl through Twitter, Instagram, and the official Pels YouTube in a bit to see.Quote:
Originally Posted by bahmamamba
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10-01-2019, 02:23 PMbahmamambaappreciate that man. still doesn't seem like we have enough local reporters for the teamQuote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
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10-01-2019, 02:24 PMPelicanidae
Lonzo's form looks much better pic.twitter.com/PFgjnbFPeK
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) October 1, 2019
Here's a first clip! Lonzos shot does look better. It's far from picture perfect but it's come a long way from its old, mangled state. -
10-01-2019, 02:25 PMPelicanidae
�� @ZO2_
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 1, 2019
Cookin �� #WBD pic.twitter.com/mcyG8N1vYo
Another!
Wow his jumper looks so much better. Extremely glad he's fixed this so much. If his shot can be even league average, around 36%, that would improve all aspects of his offensive game so much, and make so much easier for other players. -
10-01-2019, 02:32 PMbahmamamba
that whole side shot hitch thing seems to be gone wow hope it actually stays that way in games
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10-01-2019, 02:33 PMPelicanidae
Lonzo Ball last man standing today, working hard on his shooting well after practice. Shot form has improved. Results were not as consistent as he would have hoped today, but he did get hot several times during the time I watched closely. pic.twitter.com/pf9qZbjQPn
— Oleh Kosel (@OlehKosel) October 1, 2019
I don't even mind too much about him not shooting lights out in practice. The fixes in his form and release will pay dividends in the long run, even if the adjustment period is a little rough. -
10-01-2019, 02:37 PMPelicanidae
There was a really cool moment where she was working with Kenrich on shooting and there was a lot of back and forth trash talk. Kenrich was fired up and nailing shots. https://t.co/fwgXVbBWQd
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) October 1, 2019
Kenny Hustle keeping the hustle on 11 in training camp -
10-01-2019, 02:39 PMPelicanidae
New @PelicansNBA guard Lonzo Ball at day 1 of training camp 2019.@wdsu pic.twitter.com/ZkQyktlaCU
— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) October 1, 2019
3 of 6 on shots in this little clip, but the form seemed consistent even through motion off the screen, which is nice to see. Obviously we'll need to see it in game before we really invest belief in it, but it's encouraging for sure. -
10-01-2019, 02:54 PMPelicanidae
Media didn’t get to see players scrimmaging so nothing to gleam from 1st Pelicans practice. However, Teresa Weatherspoon, the freshest coaching hire, is amazing bundle of energy. She did fanatastic job of pushing Kenrich Williams when he was clearly tired in 3pt shooting drills.
— Oleh Kosel (@OlehKosel) October 1, 2019
Can't wait for open practice -
10-01-2019, 03:09 PMPelicanidae
Lonzo’s draining 3s in preseason practice and will throw 39 alley oops to Zion every game and I whole heartedly stand by this sentiment.
— Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13) October 1, 2019
Give me all of the Pelicans stock. I want it all. https://t.co/H57xo2raXU -
10-01-2019, 03:13 PMbahmamambayeah when you've been doing something one way your whole life it will Def take some time to break the habitQuote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
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10-01-2019, 03:16 PM13 - 3
She means business. I like it
New @PelicansNBA assistant coach Terese Weatherspoon working with guard Frank Jackson at day 1 of Pels training camp.@wdsu pic.twitter.com/2jBvBAfc5s
— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) October 1, 2019 -
10-01-2019, 03:19 PMPelicanidaeYep. I read an article a while back, can't remember who by, but they worked as an NBA trainer and they were talking about the difficulties of really changing a shot. They were talking about how even small adjustments like the distance between the thumb and the index finger can take a few hundred practice shots to really settle into, so a BIG change like Lonzo is undergoing will never be an over-night process. Nobody is expecting him to shoot lights out this year, all year long. We just want his shot to look better in March than it does in October, and to show some improvement overall.Quote:
Originally Posted by bahmamamba
Of course, if he does shoot 40% on 6 threes a game, I won't complain :hihi: -
10-01-2019, 03:25 PMbahmamambayeah that's why I find it crazy when fans are all like it's not that hard just fix the shot uhh yeah it's not that easy and yeah I don't think any of us would be lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
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10-01-2019, 03:34 PMPelicanidaeYeah, it's why I've said ever since the trade that I'm trying to have realistic expectations of expectation for Lonzo and Ingram. There have been people who told me that Ingram is going to shoot 39% (his career high in percentage) on like, 3 times as many threes as he's ever taken before. And maybe he does, but that's a BIG expectation to ask from someone who doesn't really take threes that often, and hasn't been that good at it overall in his career.Quote:
Originally Posted by bahmamamba
I will be very, very happy if Lonzo and Ingram are both dead average shooters this year, showing that progress. 35, or 36% is all I ask, because changing their shot, or changing their shooting profiles, is a big step to make in one summer: especially one summer that you spent most of it unable to practice due to injury. -
10-01-2019, 03:45 PMPelicanidae
.@PelicansNBA #1 Pick @Zionwilliamson tells @JoelMeyersNBA & @adaniels33 he wants to help the team win right away pic.twitter.com/CAbPKT2M3q
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 1, 2019
Zion talking to Joel Myers and Antonio Daniels on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
What are your goals for this upcoming season?
''Come in, and have an immediate impact. For winning. I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't wanna be a part it, I wanna have an impact on that winning. And I feel like if I do that, I could possibly get Rookie of the Year.''
Have you talked to Coach Gentry about your role and responsibilities? I know they don't wanna put too much pressure on you too early.
''Yeah, we talked about it a bit. You know, I think sometimes with players you mess up, and coach will tell you one thing, but I feel like he can't give you a final conclusion until he sees you out there with the rest of the team. Because you might see yourself in one position but that might not be the position for you. For me, right now, he's just telling me to be myself, and if I get the rebound, just push it and make a play. I like that, and hopefully it can stay the same, and if not, then I'm fine with that.'' -
10-01-2019, 05:34 PMPelicanidae
Great article on training camp day 1 from Scott Kushner here: https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans...ign=user-share
Quote:
And while there are ample areas for the 19-year old to eventually grow into his role, team captain Jrue Holiday mentioned there are plenty of attributes where it’s clear Williamson can help the Pelicans immediately.
His leaping ability and 285-pound frame make him an NBA-ready rebounder, and the quick first step makes him lethal when driving to the basket.
“Honestly man, he’s either going to go through you or you’re going to foul him and most of the time you’re going to foul him,” Holiday said. “Because he’s agile. He can really move for how big he is. So, again, he brings that to the table which is huge.
“And his IQ, which for someone who is so young and playing against vets at a position where there are pretty good players at that spot, I think he’s really ahead of his time.”
Love all of this. Great signs from Jrue as a leader, and great signs for Zion doing all of the right things and showing the abilities you would hope him to show early on. Things like his three point shot can be worked out, but if he's an NBA ready rebounder and can really drive early in his career, then he'll always have the ability to impact things on court. That goes double for being a smart, dedicated defender. Those are all things we knew he could do at college, and was actually historically great at, but it's always good to see it clicking among actual NBA players in practice, at least.Quote:
“Today I think (Williamson) did well,” Holiday said. “I don’t he overthought anything. He asked questions. That’s not overthinking. Always ask questions. He doesn’t want to be wrong. That’s a great thing.
“Especially defensively, by asking questions and trying to know where you’re supposed to be and where you’re supposed to go. I think he did a great job today.”
This is really the only thing that worries me a little. I know they keep saying they don't want Zion to do too much, and I understand that completely: nobody wants to bury him under pressure. But I just worry a little (and it's probably a useless worry) that by being so eager to keep him comfortable and inside a slow-growth curve, they might slow his progress. For example, he has extremely promising talents as a ball handler and initiator: I'm somewhat worried that by emphasising rebounding, putbacks, and defense, they might slow his progression as a ball handler when he could actually grow in that roll very quickly.Quote:
The larger theme, however, is the Pelicans don’t want Williamson to feel pressure to do too much on the court. Instead, they’re leaning on veterans like Holiday and JJ Redick to set an early tone, respectively opening their 11th and 14th training camps of their careers Tuesday.
I'm probably just worrying for nothing, but I'd just hate to see a rookie season for Zion where he gets very little time to work on his on-ball game. He did enough of that at Duke :hihi: -
10-02-2019, 12:03 AMRhythmNathan
It’s week one. When do we get those official heights?
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10-02-2019, 12:06 AMPelicanidaehttps://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/n...mp-per-report/Quote:
Originally Posted by RhythmNathan
Sounds like by the end of the week.Quote:
For years, NBA players have been notoriously picky about how certain details of their physiques have been listed. Specifically, they all have preferences when it comes to their height. Players like Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett have preferred to be listed below 7'0'', while shorter players like Allen Iverson have earned dubious 6'0'' height listings that don't hold up to much scrutiny. Teams and players have controlled such listings throughout NBA history, so they have been free to handle them as they've seen fit.
That's about to change. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the NBA has told teams that they must submit exact player heights and ages within the first week of training camp
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10-02-2019, 04:59 AMTaker597
It's nice to see all those Laker fans that was gassing Lonzo up trade value turn on him and start calling him trash.
I don't understand why they try pretend like Ball and BI straight up for AD was a fair trade. Trash fan base. I hope AD leaves next year. -
10-02-2019, 07:23 AMNichols
If you were to check out Lakersground.net you'll see that 90% of the posters are high on Ball, and Ingram.. Ball even more so.
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10-02-2019, 08:37 AMPelicanidaeHave you considered that when people talk about Laker fans doing X, that's not because they're trying to set up some horrible strawman and more likely just because they've seen Lakers fans doing X?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nichols
Like Taker, I've also seen a huge number of Laker fans on twitter, Instagram, YouTube comments, talking about how "lol Lonzos shot is so broken he's worthless" and "who cares if we lost those guys they're always injured" Yadda Yadda.
It's possible that the fans on Lakers ground don't do that, but I don't see why we're supposed to use them as the standard instead of the vastly more common other types of Lakers fan.
As a side note, I'm not going to check our Lakers ground because I'm not a Lakers fan, and spending a bunch of time on a forum for a team I don't like or support sounds like a huge waste of time. -
10-02-2019, 01:07 PMbahmamambaahahahahahaQuote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
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10-02-2019, 01:21 PMPelicanidae
Monty used to tell stories of how rookie Tim Duncan would absolutely work the Admiral in practice, so much so that they would close the blinds so no one could see.
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) October 2, 2019
I'm not saying that's happening with Zion, I'm just saying they haven't let us see him scrim yet ������
In secret, Zion is is Tim Duncanning Favors. -
10-02-2019, 01:25 PMPelicanidae
Media is in and the Pelicans are in the middle of scrimmaging. ���� pic.twitter.com/QEK2DRqrAh
— Oleh Kosel (@OlehKosel) October 2, 2019
And so the scrimmaging begins!! -
10-02-2019, 01:29 PMPelicanidae
Teams are split into blue and white squads. Blue squad had Lonzo, BI, Jrue, Zion, JJ Redick, Jaxson Hayes and Favors
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) October 2, 2019
So this means white squad is what, Frank Jackson, NAW, Melli, Moore, Okafor, Kenrich, and co?
White teams getting slaughtered -
10-02-2019, 01:30 PMPelicanidae
Zion just threw down a monster alley oop from the inbound pass!
— Andrew Smith写真家 (@DruProductions) October 2, 2019 -
10-02-2019, 01:31 PMPelicanidae
And this scrimmage session just ended with Zion Williamson making a tough lob catch from the sidelines and finishing it all in one motion with a dunk! #Impressive
— Oleh Kosel (@OlehKosel) October 2, 2019
This sounds incredible. Wish we had video -
10-02-2019, 01:41 PMPelicanidae
Zion dunk at practice @PelicansNBA #wgnosports pic.twitter.com/ApTGVGitsd
— Ed Daniels (@WGNOsports) October 2, 2019
We have VIDEO!!!!!
Zion is a monster -
10-02-2019, 02:01 PMPelicanidae
Darius Miller just walked in on crutches. Nice to see he's still very active with his teammates.
— Andrew Smith写真家 (@DruProductions) October 2, 2019
Love that family atmosphere we seem to be building.
Brandon Ingram for 3️⃣
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2019
with the assist from new #Pelicans player development coach Teresa Weatherspoon (@Finisher_11) �� #WBD pic.twitter.com/PnrbIK6VAN
And this is the kind of practice play you wanna see run. Multiple players, in motion, replicating in-game scenarios. Great to see Ingram drive, kick, and then naturally relocate for the three in the corner instead of going anywhere else. That makes so much more sense than drifting back out to the key, and if he's going to get those shots he needs to take them, so that's a great focus to be working on.
Love seeing T-Spoon active in the practice and being super vocal. -
10-02-2019, 02:08 PMPelicanidae
Lonzo Ball has been a lot more automatic today. pic.twitter.com/Pho8mOWsLq
— Oleh Kosel (@OlehKosel) October 2, 2019
Some more tape of Lonzo shooting some threes. A few good signs:
1) He's apparently practising this a lot which is good to see
2) There seems to be a lot of ease in the stroke. Not much strain going on.
It's also good to see him shooting from the corners. Lonzo was an absolute trash-fire shooting from the corners last year, managing to scrape barely 23% from the corners. If he could pull that up to just 30%, that would be a huge leap forward for him. That's still sub-league average, but you can't expect everything to fall into place at once.
Lonzo Ball says he worked all summer in adjusting his shot and moving it over to the right. He says it's still a work in progress but he's come a long way.
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) October 2, 2019
I can tell he's been working on it for longer than the last two weeks or so, it looks fairly comfortable. Obviously there's no telling how it will hold up under in-game pressure, but the closer it can get to second nature, the better. -
10-02-2019, 02:10 PMPelicanidae
Kenrich Williams working on his 3. He mentioned that was his main focus on media day. pic.twitter.com/6bcMu7W16s
— Andrew Smith写真家 (@DruProductions) October 2, 2019
Kenrich's accent surprised me a lot on media day, but seeing him put in the hard work in practice doesn't. He's got such a good mentality, I really think he could be a big piece for us at the 3 and 4 spots this year. Not super heavy minutes or anything, but just a good reliable guy to go to in order to patch rotations and keep people's minutes low, while providing great hustle, defense, high IQ play, etc. If he can be a reliable shooter too in those minutes, then that would be awesome: he had some hot patches last season but was way too inconsistent. -
10-02-2019, 02:14 PMPelicanidae
The @PelicansNBA have been preaching “FAMILY” and here we can see that family feel in full effect. Players sing Happy Birthday to coach Joe Boylan pic.twitter.com/BIoEY1T8KF
— Caroline Gonzalez (@carolinegonzo34) October 2, 2019
Incredible scenes. You love to see it. -
10-02-2019, 02:18 PMDroopyDawg
From yesterday
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10-02-2019, 02:21 PMPelicanidae
Seen a couple of people on twitter saying ''Zion isn't even jumping that high anymore... this is the kind of stuff Lebron does every day... looks like Blake Griffin 2.0 to me...''
Like... first of all, taller and heavier guys generally jump less, so the fact that he's around 6'9, 280lbs, and getting head-above-the-rim height IS absolutely ridiculous.
Secondly, it's practice.
Thirdly, and maybe most obviously: what's wrong with only being as athletic as Lebron James and Blake Griffin?!?!?! :hihi: Those guys are probably the two most explosive big men in the last 20 years of NBA history. Saying that Zion is ''only'' as athletic as Lebron James and Blake Griffin is like saying someone's car is only as fast as a Bugatti and a Ferrari. Big insult. -
10-02-2019, 02:28 PMPelicanidae
Lonzo to Zion - off the backboard! ��#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/pheZfRJ1Vt
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2019
Here's another angle on that inbounds alley-oop from Lonzo to Zion. Such an impressive move.
You can see when the camera pans over that Zion wasn't jsut sat there in the dunker spot, he has to come over from near the FT line to catch that. It comes off the backboard at the top of the square, so that's pretty comfortably above the rim and he catches it with BOTH hands, and flushes it. That's awesome, especially when you consider that this is just practice. -
10-02-2019, 02:31 PMPelicanidae
9 in a row for @ZO2_. #WBD pic.twitter.com/tf3DakQ9B6
— Daniel Sallerson (@dsallerson) October 2, 2019
Lonzo with the quick draw -
10-02-2019, 02:48 PMAUSSIE_PELICANQuote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
Impressive, but that's the type of stuff that can cause injuries when you land awkwardly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
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10-02-2019, 02:54 PMPelicanidaeIt can, as can almost every jump, but one of the things that sets Zion apart from a lot of other explosive dunkers is how sound his landing mechanics are.Quote:
Originally Posted by AUSSIE_PELICAN
Obviously even with perfect landing mechanics, you still risk injury with essentially every movement, but if you watch Zion in that clip (and in fact, in the vast majority of clips of him dunking) he has a good knack for getting the knee in line with the ankle and bending it with his weight as he comes down, rather than getting awkward angles or landing stiff legged.
Compare the way Zion lands to old clips of D Rose landing, and you'll see what I mean: D Rose looked like his ankles and knees were all over with every landing. Zion looks much safer by comparison.
I worry about him, because I can't help but worry, but I don't think he does much in a way that actively threatens injury more than the bare minimum risk of playing the game. -
10-02-2019, 03:08 PMPelicanidae
Found that article about shooting mechanics and changes to form, by the way! It's by Mo Dakhil, former NBA Video Coordinator with the Clippers and Spurs.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-nba-jump-shot
Quote:
A player doesn't magically become a better shooter overnight. "You are developing new habits, and that takes time," says shooting coach Dave Love, who has worked with the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns and consults with players around the league. [...]
Changing the shot is changing muscle memory. "We have to teach that muscle to fire in the correct way and correct time and correct dosage compared to other muscles," Love said.
Richard Jefferson, a 17-year NBA veteran and league champion, shot below 30 percent from three during his first two seasons in the Association but ended as 37.6 percent three-point shooter. "You are fighting your body because your body has always done things a certain way, and so you're having to re-train your body," he said.
Some big, important statements in there. Luckily, I don't think Lonzo will struggle too much with the mental aspect. He's said all summer that he's been a good shooter all his life and knows he has that ability, and even when he was bricking everything he was shooting more than 5 threes a game, which means he's not going to be deterred by a miss here and there. The physical thing will be the biggest challenge, I think, but we have a very good shooting staff, and I'm sure he can do it if he puts in the work.Quote:
Changing shooting habits is not just a physical challenge. "Fighting your body," as Jefferson put it, provides a whole set of obstacles: getting your body to adjust to a new form, holding the ball a different way, changing the release point or understanding how to follow through all come with a mental aspect. [...]
In this process, a player will start by missing a ton of shots. Players have to battle the frustration that comes with seeing so many misses. It is human nature to feel as if no progress is being made. So much is asked of the player's body in adjusting to a new form that it will take time for it to feel right and become muscle memory.
"As much as it sucks and doesn't feel good, in the long run it is a good thing for us," Coach Love tells frustrated players. The road to becoming a good shooter is paved with these misses. Getting a player to understand that these types of days are still good is important to keep them engaged.
Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks looks at these tough shooting days as part of the psychological battle. "It's mental ... You know you got to stick with it because all of those shots, whether makes or misses, you know, I believe they just accumulate, and they'll make you become a better shooter regardless."
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10-02-2019, 03:18 PMbahmamambaIdk if zo put that off the back board on purpose but it was actually the best spot bc if doesn't get the oop he's still in good position for the reboundQuote:
Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
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10-02-2019, 03:19 PMPelicanidaeHe didn't.Quote:
Originally Posted by bahmamamba
Jim Eichenhofer quoted Lonzo on Twitter as saying "That wasn’t the best pass, but you saw what he did with it. It’s really hard to throw him a bad lob.” -
10-02-2019, 04:00 PMPelicanidae
Zion is so focused in practice. pic.twitter.com/CMmr6adjdR
— Andrew Smith写真家 (@DruProductions) October 2, 2019
All smiles from Frank pic.twitter.com/NWNfjcEjo4
— Andrew Smith写真家 (@DruProductions) October 2, 2019 -
10-02-2019, 04:04 PMDroopyDawg