April 11th - New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers - 23-29

Jax low key Pels second best player

HALF: Cavs 68, Pels 62

- Zion: 25p, 4r, 3a, 10/14 FG, 5/6 FT
- Ingram: 11p, 3/7 FG, 3/5 3P
- Jaxson: 8p, buzzer-beater 3p at end of 1H
- Naji: 4p, 6r, 3a, 1b

Pels: 11 turnovers
Cavs: 4 turnovers

Pels: 59.0 FG%, 5/12 3P, 11/14 FT
Cavs: 55.3 FG%, 9/21 3P, 7/9 FT

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) April 12, 2021

Halftime info

Jax is 3/5 this season from 3 and shoots 78% from the line. The dream of a jumper remains

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Jax is 3/5 this season from 3 and shoots 78% from the line. The dream of a jumper remains

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That would be nice. He got the upside and mechanics to do it.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Lmao at Ingram looking to pass to Bledsoe and Bledsoe literally just pointing at a Zion posted up with Dean Wade on him in single coverage like ''dude... that one''

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Glad someone pointed that out. Saw that and immediately thought, "wtf?"

Great assist from Zion into the space for the cutter

I like the vision on that pass from Ingram, to Johnson

What on earth was that offensive possession lmao

Who knew James Johnson would be our potential zone buster. Put him right in the middle at the FT line when they try and 2-3 against Zion and let him playmake a bit.

Ingram turns it over yet again

Absolute spud

Stop getting baked before every game and realise you're actually getting paid more a season than most country's GDP

Zion catches the stupidest lobs lol

I’m not digging Ingram’s body language at the moment and how hard is it to ask some of these veteran players to actually give a crap on defense?

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Originally Posted by DaFranchise80

I’m not digging Ingram’s body language at the moment and how hard is it to ask some of these veteran players to actually give a crap on defense?

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Can only hope he's in pain

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Can only hope he's in pain

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Don't wish injury on people

Taurean Prince is one of those players I just sometimes kinda forget exists. I see him and I'm like ''oh wow, that's Taurean Prince, I totally forgot about that guy''

I love Kira’s basketball IQ

I feel like Ingram's in this weird offensive zone where the more ''stuff'' I see him do, the less faith I have in him hitting the shot.

If he takes a hard dribble and then rises up, I'm pretty sure it's going in. If he catches and shoots, I'm sure it's going in. If he drives hard and goes up for it, I have faith.

But when hes taking like, three or four dribble moves to set up a shot, trying to shake his defender, it just never seems to go. Whenever he tries to get fancy it just doesn't happen; whenever he's being decisive it works.

I've NEVER seen a fast break run so well by anyone on this team since the days of CP3. And I'm not even joking. I guess that's James Johnson's experience coming through.

Wow. I never expected this trade to work out so well.

I gotta give the Cavs some credit, they are closing out on our shooters pretty well.

Down 4 going into the 4th.

This is the problem with lazy starts: we've won Q2 and Q3 but we lost Q1 by so much that we're still down. That's pathetic.

Kira taking a charge

Great hands from Kira for the steal and good awareness to keep it alive. Billy mistimes the pass though and it comes off Zion's feet to ruin the fastbreak

Kira with the great pass to Bledsoe in the corner who misses it but gets the rebound, Kira comes in to hit the floater after

Great stretch for him

And we're up 2

Just a sidebar: Naji Marshall is a RFA this summer too.

Naji has been great tonight

Game's under 5 points with under 5 minutes remaining

You know what that means

A really fun game.

Yeah Naji needs a real contract

Bledsoe should not be on the floor. Put Naji on.

I am so over Bledsoe. Just get rid of him for god sakes.

Outside of Ingram return game. His assist game has been great.

End of the game.

Zion: 38/8/4 on 73% from the floor
Ingram: 27/4/8 on 44% from the floor

A win in the books

Naji was the story. Looking like a real NBA guy.

BDJ 2.0

It’s about time we beat a bad team.

I tooted Naji's horn not long after they signed him. That was a party of 1.

Glad to see he's proving everything I saw in him. Exactly what this team needs.

Didi would be next of those 6'5"+ type guys this team really really needs.

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Naji was the story. Looking like a real NBA guy.

BDJ 2.0

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Hope the team's open to bringing him back. Can't imagine it would cost much

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Originally Posted by luckyman

I tooted Naji's horn not long after they signed him. That was a party of 1.

Glad to see he's proving everything I saw in him. Exactly what this team needs.

Didi would be next of those 6'5"+ type guys this team really really needs.

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Didi has looked bad at Sydney

But I think he's one of those guys who would do better with NBA coaching

Having an energy guy that isn’t afraid to take his opportunities offensively is invaluable against teams like this. Good game for Naji. Stoked for him

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Originally Posted by AusPel

Didi has looked bad at Sydney

But I think he's one of those guys who would do better with NBA coaching

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I seem to remember that he was being coached by (among other guys) Will Weaver, a finalist for the a couple of NBA head coaching jobs this past summer (including the Pelicans).

SVG going in on BI and Zion about their defense.


https://twitter.com/ballysportsno/st...113198597?s=21

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Originally Posted by akhan786

SVG going in on BI and Zion about their defense.


https://twitter.com/ballysportsno/st...113198597?s=21

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I heard it. Good on him.

Was waiting to see who was going to post it. Not surprising who didn't. :hihi:

They should honestly win their next 3 games. That noon game against the Knicks I'm calling an L right now.

The following game against the Nets at home. Who the hell knows.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Bledsoe should not be on the floor. Put Naji on.

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Agreed....He has not earned the right to be out there during crunch time.... tonight, Marshall did earn that right and deserved the opportunity to close....

Zion with another monster game. He scores 38 and it's not even news. The most amazing player in the NBA.

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Originally Posted by luckyman

I tooted Naji's horn not long after they signed him. That was a party of 1.

Glad to see he's proving everything I saw in him. Exactly what this team needs.

Didi would be next of those 6'5"+ type guys this team really really needs.

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He came into the game shooting 25% from the field and 15% from three. One solid game against the Cavs minus their backcourt and a few other players and you are taking a victory lap.

Bold.

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Originally Posted by MichaelMcNamara

He came into the game shooting 25% from the field and 15% from three. One solid game against the Cavs minus their backcourt and a few other players and you are taking a victory lap.

Bold.

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If only the NBA game was completely measured by field and 3 pt Fg %. This was not his only solid game.

Stupid.

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Originally Posted by luckyman

If only the NBA game was completely measured by field and 3 pt Fg %

Stupid.

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And yet here we are every day Zion is the greatest player ever because of points and FG%. Which is it?

I am just asking if we can wait a few games before we declare him a future quality piece. Remember, we arent supposed to judge or predict players futures until a certain threshhold of games. Thats the rule right?

I am just trying to keep up here, because the rules all seem to change based on what people want the conclusion to be :)

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Originally Posted by MichaelMcNamara

And yet here we are every day Zion is the greatest player ever because of points and FG%. Which is it?

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Did you notice that I am NOT one of the people here doing this? Yes Zion is a top 10 NBA player imo, but I'm also one of the few calling out his massive deficiencies without trying to sugar coat.

As far as Naji, we're also talking about a player that has played in...5 NBA games? Who's declaring him to be a quality future piece?

I simply said he's showing all of the things I saw in him. And he's showed it over multiple games not just this one. He's only gotten better in those games not worse.

The only one projecting here is you. Put down the keyboard.

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Originally Posted by luckyman

Did you notice that I am NOT one of the people here doing this? Yes Zion is a top 10 NBA player imo, but I'm also one of the few calling out his massive deficiencies without trying to sugar coat.

As far as Naji, we're also talking about a player that has played in...5 NBA games? Who's declaring him to be a quality future piece?

I simply said he's showing all of the things I saw in him. And he's showed it over multiple games not just this one. He's only gotten better in those games not worse.

The only one projecting here is you. Put down the keyboard.

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Do you realize that every fan base gets excited about a few players on their team who has barely played? Who has had "glimpses" of not being horrible, surrounded by horrible play. And all fans of all 30 teams give that guy the benefit of the doubt and only see the good and write off the bad as inexperience. Do you realize some Cavs fan today is on a message board today saying he knew Dean Wade could be great and Kabengele was an awesome pick up who will be a future piece?

30 teams, 2-3 guys per team who are these diamonds in the rough that their team plucked from obscurity. And of those 60-90 players, maybe 4 or 5 will be right. For you it is Naji, and Didi apparently. And the overwhelming likelihood is neither will amount to anything and you will be on here in 3 years touting two other diamonds in the rough. The curse of fandom.