1st August - New Orleans Pelicans vs LA Clippers - 0-1 (28-37) - Bubble Game 2

Well we lost to the Jazz. It was a close loss, but the way we played in the second half was pretty disgraceful on both ends of the ball. Lonzo, Favors, and Ingram all shot worse than 35% from the floor, Ingram and Lonzo (who are both at least decent shooters now) shot a combined 2/12 from 3, and nobody outside of Lonzo and Jrue played any consistent defense. Zion was an effective scorer and had a few nice passes but was a none-factor on the glass and despite a handful of decent defensive possessions here and there, was largely a defensive liability. We should have won, we lost. MOVING ON.

Back in action with another #PelicansGameday!

🏀: vs LA
⌚️: 5:00 pm CT
📺: @FOXSportsNOLA & @espn
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA
📱: Pelicans App#WontBowDown | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/neJGzmp13k

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 1, 2020

Today we play the Clippers. The Clippers are missing Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, which should be a big deal: those two combine to make probably the most effective offensive bench duo of the last decade and the fact that neither of them are there should be an opportunity for us to take advantage of a team that will have an inconsistent offensive flow.

Whatever each of us thinks of it, and this is not the place for debate anymore, we now know that Zion will not play heavy minutes. It seems reasonable to assume that he will play slightly more than he did last game, but not much more: I'm expecting a rise from 15 to 20 minutes, something like that. So while we may not like it, at least this time we are going into the game knowing that this is the case, and we should temper our expectations thusly.

Hopefully we can pick up a win tonight. We don't need to catch up to Memphis but we do need to out-win Portland, and they won their first game; we can't fall to 0-2 when they're 1-0. That's a recipe for real disaster and time is running out for us to pick up wins. It has to be now. If we lose tonight we would basically need to go 6-0 to even have a chance, barring a weird Portland disaster.

Let's go and get it done. Make up for the Jazz game.

Do us a big Favors and give us less with more Melli

A dose of Kenny Hustle...Inactive Coaches Decision for Moore (highly unlikely) (Think Paul George matchup)

Impose a shot restriction on Ball until further notice.

If a 27 man rotaion is a must...include NAW

Send Gentry home.

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Originally Posted by As I See It

Do us a big Favors and give us less with more Melli

A dose of Kenny Hustle...Inactive Coaches Decision for Moore (highly unlikely) (Think Paul George matchup)

Impose a shot restriction on Ball until further notice.

If a 27 man rotaion is a must...include NAW

Send Gentry home.

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He can’t adjust one bit to the other teams adjustments. He doesn’t make subs based off of who is on the floor for the other team either. Pels are constantly outmatched on defense and the way they counter Alvin playing Moore at PF is a bunch of early in the shot clock threes. When games are meaningful, teams play their starters, but not Alvin. He barely ever has the same five on the court at once. It’s really hard for a team to get into a rhythm. It’s really hard to be as bad at rotations as him. The moment he said basketball is positionless, the Pels were doomed. He was letting us know that he has no problem playing JJ at center.

Play inside out with the first option INSIDE please. You have a long point guard, super long SF, with dual tanks at PF and SG.

Use that you moron. Another wide scattered shot chart full of red Xs will make me throw up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by luckyman

Play inside out with the first option INSIDE please. You have a long point guard, super long SF, with dual tanks at PF and SG.

Use that you moron. Another wide scattered shot chart full of red Xs will make me throw up.

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I've said it before, but I feel like the perfect balance of a shot chart or shot profile is roughly 50% in the paint, 30% from 3, and 20% from the midrange. Depending on your team's personnel, you might switch that up a little; maybe 55/35/10, or 45/30/25 if you have a particularly incredible set of midrange guys, etc etc.

The Pelicans overall this year have taken 41% of their shots in the paint, 25% midrange, and 35% from 3 (numbers rounded, this technically adds up to 101% ignore that). So our overall shot profile is a touch light on the paint, it's not too dreadful. 40/35/25, ish, paint/3/mid.

The problem is that if you look at our shots in fourth quarters only you see a drastic shift.

In 4th quarters, the Pelicans take only 31% of their shots at the rim, and the 3pt frequency moves up to 42%. That's completely the inverse of what you ''should'' be looking for in regards to those particular numbers. And it's not like we suddenly shoot better percentages from 3 in the 4th quarter which might explain this tendency: in 4th quarters this year, 3pt shots for us have generated a respectably 1.08 points per shot, but paint attempts still reign supreme at 1.25 points per shot. We should definitely be taking more shots at the rim still, and we just don't. It's infuriating.

I do understand that defenses tend to tighten up in the 4th quarter and getting clean looks at the rim generally tends to be more difficult in those situations than earlier in the game. But I don't think it should be so significant as to absolutely flip the focus onto the perimeter so dramatically.

Part of this won't even be Gentry's fault, we've all seen players settle for bad shots from 3 particularly late in games when they're tired, when there's a perfectly good opportunity for a drive or a pass into the paint there. But that doesn't explain why it's such a consistent issue. It's hard to avoid thinking that the ''we want to take 40 threes a game'' mentality must play a part in this.

Gentry's one size fits all offense is the undoing of this team.

Snyder definitely 'punked' him Thursday night mano e' mano.

I'm not a fan of this farm team mentality mindset of protecting assets like they are 200 year old paintings. Zion gonna have a lot thread on his tire when he ask for a trade, because this franchise don't see the purpose of moderate success by being a playoff team can change the cultural problems in NOLA

I've been very vocal about not wanting to be in playoffs, but if you're knocking on the door. You have try and open it. It's just better for the culture, fanbase, and getting over the AD trade regardless if we get sweept by the Lakers.

Gentry is still the GOAT Stealth tanker. Because if you're trying to really win. You wouldn't burn up all his minutes like he did.

I hope we come out wanting to win and not this... Well, we tried mentality. We know how this team plays when it's fired up with its back against the wall.

I do appreciate Griffin being transparent on the minutes for Zion tonight and help set expectations for fans.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by As I See It

Gentry's one size fits all offense is the undoing of this team.

Snyder definitely 'punked' him Thursday night mano e' mano.

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You mean positionless offense. Which is the most delusional thing I've heard about basketball.

A big part of the issue is the talent. Most of the reserves don’t have the ability to break down defenses and dribble penetrate with any consistency. While they are opportunistic, they aren’t going to break down any doors to get the ball in the paint especially against good defensive teams that can clamp down the paint in the 4th.

Watching the Utah game, even when Holiday and Ingram find their way in the paint, it was with a great degree of difficulty.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snarly

A big part of the issue is the talent. Most of the reserves don’t have the ability to break down defenses and dribble penetrate with any consistency. While they are opportunistic, they aren’t going to break down any doors to get the ball in the paint especially against good defensive teams that can clamp down the paint in the 4th.

Watching the Utah game, even when Holiday and Ingram find their way in the paint, it was with a great degree of difficulty.

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With Favors on the court (non-factor offensively), there was no one to occupy Gobert , so he played 'goalie'. Four on five basketball won't win at any level, especially when the fifth is a two time, reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Like I said, Snyder 'punked' Gentry (and didn't take much effort on his part to do it).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snarly

A big part of the issue is the talent. Most of the reserves don’t have the ability to break down defenses and dribble penetrate with any consistency. While they are opportunistic, they aren’t going to break down any doors to get the ball in the paint especially against good defensive teams that can clamp down the paint in the 4th.

Watching the Utah game, even when Holiday and Ingram find their way in the paint, it was with a great degree of difficulty.

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I saw different. Ingram could get in the paint at will and score or get fouled if he wanted to. There aren't many guards big enough to handle Holiday.

Lonzo actually got to the rim, but he has the most awkward, flimsy wrists I've ever seen. The man bricks layups.

Even Redick and Hart were getting there in the 1st half.

Getting inside is not a problem for this team. It's just something they have to commit to and they dont.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by luckyman

I saw different. Ingram could get in the paint at will and score or get fouled if he wanted to. There aren't many guards big enough to handle Holiday.

Lonzo actually got to the rim, but he has the most awkward, flimsy wrists I've ever seen. The man bricks layups.

Even Redick and Hart were getting there in the 1st half.

Getting inside is not a problem for this team. It's just something they have to commit to and they dont.

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Tired legs settle for jumpshots.

It was bad Thursday, but I like seeing Lonzo push it to the rim. Like.. it's gonna have to happen one way or another. So if you have to embarras yourself 50 times until you get it right (like he did with 3 pointers) then so be it. I refuse to belive that finger rolling the bottom of the backboard is his ceiling.

So if we are giving Zion restricted minutes then technically we are tanking.

If there is going to be a minute limitation, start the quarters with Reddick, Hart or Jax instead of ZW and move BI to 4 if necessary.

Then finish the quarters with ZW and Melli. You have to open the driving lanes for ZW to operate. I definitely want my alpha in the game when the stakes are on the line.

Our second game in a row where we expected a loss before the easier part of the schedule kicks in and we cement our spot in the play-in. Maybe we can sneak out a victory and the fans can relax for a few nights.....we'll see.....but even if we lose, we'll be right where we thought we'd be.

Get it. Get it.

^can you shrink your SIG picture (DON'T PANIC)? It takes up 3/4 of your post. Sorry if it is rude but I've been feeling that way for awhile. lol

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Originally Posted by boot318

^can you shrink your SIG picture (DON'T PANIC)? It takes up 3/4 of your post. Sorry if it is rude but I've been feeling that way for awhile. lol

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Actually I think it should be bigger. Do it big!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

Our second game in a row where we expected a loss before the easier part of the schedule kicks in and we cement our spot in the play-in. Maybe we can sneak out a victory and the fans can relax for a few nights.....we'll see.....but even if we lose, we'll be right where we thought we'd be.

Get it. Get it.

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Where we thought we'd be and where we need to be are very different places, of course.

We can't afford to lose winnable games. The Jazz game was winnable, we lost it. Okay, fine that sucks. Tonight is the Clippers: Kawhi has been awful lately (worst FG% out of any player of his volume since the bubble began, including the scrimmages) and they're missing multiple key players. This should be winnable. We need to win it.

Why? Because Portland. We can't just go 5-3 and say ''oh yeah well y'know that's a solid record over 8 games, pleased with that''. At least, we can't if we want a real shot at the playoffs. 6-2 is probably the worst we can do if we want the playoff spot to be realistic.

Now of course if you don't actually care about the playoffs then it's a very different conversation.

Rough starts are the only games where I feel comfortable.

"Cut me, Mick"

Burst restriction... We are such a joke in the NBA.

I finally get to the game, 4 minutes in, we're down 20-6

Nice

Just the laziest transition D on the planet lol

These terrible TO's kill us every game!

Does Morant get any restrictions?

Just a total miscommunication. Jrue threw it out assuming Ingram would be on the wing, but Ingram was already diving towards the rim ready to either receive the pass as a cutter or to try and get the potential OBoard.

Neither person had any clue what the other was doing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Just the laziest transition D on the planet lol

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Wake me up when we get a new head coach

TO TO TO.

Man... Maybe we should like slow down and do some half court sets. All we doing is seeing how fast Clippers can race to the 3pt line.

Pelicans straight up suck. Sloppy, undisciplined, poorly coached, no defense + a lot of talent = .500 team every year

This looks exactly like a team whose players say..."We didnt practice much offense we know we can score"

They are just completely discombobulated on that end. Like they just make stuff up as they go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by da ThRONe

These terrible TO's kill us every game!

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Six turnovers in first 4:30 seconds

Redick comes off a screen at the top of the arc to nail a contested 3 pointer.

Intriguing.

Frank Jackson also sucks

Frank/Redick/Hart lineup

No Lead Ball Handlers United

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Frank/Redick/Hart lineup

No Lead Ball Handlers United

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Pre-season Gentry in all of his glory. Maybe it'll work

Down after 1 by 12: 37-25

On the plus side, the Clippers are 9/13 from 3.

One has to imagine they won't shoot 70% from the arc all game, right?

Please?

Here is the 5 backup lineup while the opposition still has Kawhi Leonard on the floor.

And yet another long stretch of nothing but 3 point attempts.

Gentry should not be back next year I swear.

One quarter and we already have 10 on the books.

Alvin Gentry = Perpetual Preseason Mode

To be fair to Gentry he’s not the one on the court turning it over but there is no accountability for the players

Quote:

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Originally Posted by luckyman

Here is the 5 backup lineup while the opposition still has Kawhi Leonard on the floor.

And yet another long stretch of nothing but 3 point attempts.

Gentry should not be back next year I swear.

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If we don't play at least 11 guys per game, Gentry will cry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

If we don't play at least 11 guys per game, Gentry will cry.

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E'Twaun still needs his minutes

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sguil1

To be fair to Gentry he’s not the one on the court turning it over but there is no accountability for the players

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You control what you can control. Gentry can't help if Kawhi Leonard gets a steal or if Ingram and Jrue have a miscommunication. And in many cases, neither can the players: if Kawhi wants it, he's taking it, and if Jrue makes a sensible kickout at the same time as Ingram is making a sensible cut, who is to blame? Nobody.

What Gentry can control is playing lineups with no lead ballhandlers for minutes on end, and benching all 5 starters at once. He absolutely can control that.

That's not to say that you can never criticise players, obviously you can and we do, but it's a different category of thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by As I See It

E'Twaun still needs his minutes

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Yeah and he'll get them.

One of these teams is playing like they need this game.

I'll give you a hint which: it's not the team that actually needs this game.

Dude, what is this lineup? This just looks lazy by everyone.

Well, this is embarrassing. Well, not really. We have been awful against playoff teams all year. Our only hope before the bubble was playing against eliminated teams.

Really solid fundamental contest there from Zion on Kawhi

I thought this game started at 5:30. What'd I miss?

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Originally Posted by WildlifeAirGrp

I thought this game started at 5:30. What'd I miss?

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The playoffs