Officially official: The NBA is back baby!

The @memgrizz today provided the following medical update on forward @IAmJustise: pic.twitter.com/b53P0qhqGV

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) July 21, 2020

No Justice for Grizz

Clippers guard Patrick Beverley left Orlando on Tuesday night for an emergency personal matter, league sources told ESPN. He intends to rejoin the team in the future.

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 22, 2020

This is getting peculiar. I get the right to privacy they're all using, but does that mean not to tell anyone that a family member tested positive? It's so ambiguous. And i don't understand why. We can know when the players themselves have tested positive. Don't need to know precisely who. Just it would give everyone a place to put their mixed emotions.

All of them have the exact same reason for leaving. Take it for what it’s worth, but the bubble doesn’t have an MRI machine. Man, I’m nervous about Zion.

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

This is getting peculiar. I get the right to privacy they're all using, but does that mean not to tell anyone that a family member tested positive? It's so ambiguous. And i don't understand why. We can know when the players themselves have tested positive. Don't need to know precisely who. Just it would give everyone a place to put their mixed emotions.

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Even if a family member tested positive, what good would it be for the player to leave considering the need to stay away from the family member. Unless, the player is willing to take the risk of getting infected. Just odd all the way around. I mean FaceTime is all you can do anyways.

So it wasn't cramps at all?

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

So it wasn't cramps at all?

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We can only hope it’s just cramps. This young man has a bright future. I would hate for his career to be derailed this soon. No doubt that the way Nelson operates that if Zion had discomfort he got an MRI.

Asked Jrue Holiday who has impressed him in Orlando. He mentioned Lonzo and Nickeil.

Been hearing constant praise about Nickeil’s game since Pels have been in Orlando, wondering if we’ll get a chance to see it on the court when seeding games start.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) July 22, 2020

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Originally Posted by Fedupfan

All of them have the exact same reason for leaving. Take it for what it’s worth, but the bubble doesn’t have an MRI machine. Man, I’m nervous about Zion.

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Didn't the Kings get an MRI on Bagley before determining he was going to miss the season? I recall photos of him in a walking boot as they waited for results.

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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

Didn't the Kings get an MRI on Bagley before determining he was going to miss the season? I recall photos of him in a walking boot as they waited for results.

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He did. Another unsolved mystery. Lol. I’m assuming it was at the bubble since he took it Sunday and was at practice Tuesday.

The way I'm thinking of it is simple:

It would be incredibly poor taste to, during a pandemic where we can all think of a million horrible family related things that could have happened, use the excuse of family emergency to cover up an injury.

Does that mean that they wouldn't do it? No, they might do it, I can't pretend I have insight into the moral character of the people who decide these announcements.

But it does mean that when I've been told family emergency, I'm going to just accept that at face value until I have legitimate reason to believe otherwise. I don't see a few days of silence as legitimate reason to speculate; God knows that if something had happened in my family that would necessitate this kind of thing, I would appreciate people keeping quiet as well.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

The way I'm thinking of it is simple:

It would be incredibly poor taste to, during a pandemic where we can all think of a million horrible family related things that could have happened, use the excuse of family emergency to cover up an injury.

Does that mean that they wouldn't do it? No, they might do it, I can't pretend I have insight into the moral character of the people who decide these announcements.

But it does mean that when I've been told family emergency, I'm going to just accept that at face value until I have legitimate reason to believe otherwise. I don't see a few days of silence as legitimate reason to speculate; God knows that if something had happened in my family that would necessitate this kind of thing, I would appreciate people keeping quiet as well.

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Pels have done this before with injuries and things. It’s not new to them, so that’s why ppl speculate. Obviously everyone wants the best for him and his family. Which, is most important. Do I trust Pels to be honest. Nope! Some soreness equals 3 months out.

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Originally Posted by Fedupfan

Pels have done this before with injuries and things. It’s not new to them, so that’s why ppl speculate. Obviously everyone wants the best for him and his family. Which, is most important. Do I trust Pels to be honest. Nope! Some soreness equals 3 months out.

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I understand why people speculate, of course. I'm just saying why I, personally, am not going to be speculating at least for now.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

I understand why people speculate, of course. I'm just saying why I, personally, am not going to be speculating at least for now.

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Respectable. You are a very positive person and that’s good.

My question is... Does Al unleash NAW? I sure hope so.

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Originally Posted by Fedupfan

My question is... Does Al unleash NAW? I sure hope so.

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I hope so as well.

Alvin said in his last media availability that at least for the scrimmages, we'll see a lot of different lineups because nobody's going to be playing super high minutes. Hopefully that means that we get a good mixup, and NAW gets to see the floor for at least 10 or 15 minutes (cause obviously Alvin won't want to be playing Lonzo or Jrue for 30 minutes).

My biggest hope, aside from generally having advanced, is from what we've heard about NAW's training. He's said that because of the wrist injury and because of the extra training time in lockdown, he's been spending a lot of time working on his left hand and his finishing with his left hand, because he couldn't use his right that much and therefore couldn't work too much on his shooting.

Well, his shooting wasn't terrible this year: he was about a 35% 3pt shooter on pretty high volume, which is obviously not incredible but it's fine. What he sucked at was scoring inside the arc, and this was driven by his absolutely disgustingly bad 46% shooting at the rim. And he got blocked a lot as well, from my memory. If he's put a lot of time into developing his off hand and improving his finishing, and we can see that 46% at the rim rise by a good margin (maybe creeping up on 60%, which isn't crazy high) then that will improve everything for him. It will drive his scoring numbers up, it will make the offense with him on the floor better, and more pressure at the rim means easier passing opportunities as well.

NAW + a legitimate ability to finish could be very nice to see.

NAW's development is the most intriguing element of the Pels going forward. I mean, I already know what Zion can be as long as health is not a factor. Ingram and Lonzo are also known to me. But NAW could be a couple things and I'm not sure how good those things will be.

Beck Hammon HC for Spurs today

https://sports.yahoo.com/becky-hammo...200705912.html

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/n...-in-nba-debut/


:hihi:

Bol Bol gossip fan club

Lou Williams did not practice today with the Clippers. A source tells @latimessports that Williams has left the NBA bubble for excused personal reasons and is expected to return soon.

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) July 24, 2020

Montrezl, PatBev, and LouWill all now outside of the bubble for personal reasons.

We play the Clippers in 8 days.

Zion at practice. pic.twitter.com/jQgTkVvqzF

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 28, 2020

Zion going 6/11 from 3 in this video

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Zion at practice. pic.twitter.com/jQgTkVvqzF

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 28, 2020

Zion going 6/11 from 3 in this video

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I guess he'll always shoot flat footed. But that wrist action...:help:

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Originally Posted by luckyman

I guess he'll always shoot flat footed. But that wrist action...:help:

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He's never going to be Steph Curry; his form isn't the worst I've ever seen (actually far far far from the worst) but it's not picturesque and it probably never will be a stunning Ray Allen beauty shot.

But it's going in at a reasonable rate. He wasn't taking many during the season, but when he was, he was shooting well. Then, in his last 20 games at Duke, he was shooting well too.

He's going to shoot. Absolute belief in that. Not mindblowing, 8 3PA per game on 45% or anything, but I think he can be a real 3 or 4 3PA per game on a solid 36% ish.

Well. Today went exactly as planned. Memphis has only lost ground so far and hasnt gained any on the Pelicans.

Memphis and Portland both lost and Sacramento got work to do. At this point its very possible the Pelicans could pass Memphis.

If Gentry can't get this team into the 9 spot he gotta go. No excuses so far.