Playing GM... Keep Zion out and Tank

Let’s face it. Our team isn’t going to win many games. So what should we do? What is the best plan long term? We need to make trades and blow this thing up if we don’t get close to .500

I find it very tempting to do what Dell did... he tried to do a relatively fast rebuild. It didn’t workout. Injuries didn’t help though.

What if we did a very patient rebuild? Similar to Atlanta and Memphis. What would that look like?

The team shouldn’t be this bad. 1-7!!!! I hope we can turn it around but I’m not optimistic. If Zion had been playing what do y’all think our record would be??? I would say maybe 3-5. Maybe.... we have to adjust to having so many new players. We need chemistry and consistency....

A lot of our losses seem to be on Gentry. IDK any other way to look at it. Jrue and Favors have been disappointing. Lonzo, my favorite player in the trade, is disappointing to me. Ingram is ballin. I’m happy about that. I think he’s a good teammate and has a lot of potential.

But Seriously.... how do we build this team? Here’s my take. (IF we look like we are seriously tanking)

We trade Moore at deadline. We gotta move him if we can. Send him to Philly if possible. They need shooting. Trade Favors if he isn’t performing well enough to justify resigning him. Package them together if possible. Try to get a 2020 or 2021 1st
round pick... maybe trade Jrue.... that’s a big maybe. We have too many guards.

Wait for draft night.

Draft night: get the best PG and/or Center possible. Period. IF we have the CAVS pick package it to move up to get the best player possible. Cole Anthony, MAYBE Lamelo Ball or Wiseman should be targets if they are available.

We need to figure out PG, SG, and C.

Lonzo has fallen short and I think we need a backup plan. I’m not sold on NAW yet for a starting PG.... Fill the PG position with the best PG possible and if Lonzo can’t prove he is the best PG our team has then we move him....


We should only commit to Zion and Ingram. That’s it.



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Ohhhh.... and I hate to say it but fire Gentry...... after season is over.


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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

Ohhhh.... and I hate to say it but fire Gentry...... after season is over.


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Can you imagine watching this for 74 more games? Sheesh

There so much in your post that just strikes me as really wild takes.

Sit Zion all season? Why?

If we're tanking, we're already likely to have a top 5 pick, why would you trade the Cavs pick UP to get someone like Lamelo when you're already in that position with your own pick?

Why would anyone consider Wiseman the top C prospect in this class and worthy of a top 5-8 pick?

Why is Cole Anthony being considered anything less than a top 3 pick candidate?

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

There so much in your post that just strikes me as really wild takes.

Sit Zion all season? Why?

If we're tanking, we're already likely to have a top 5 pick, why would you trade the Cavs pick UP to get someone like Lamelo when you're already in that position with your own pick?

Why would anyone consider Wiseman the top C prospect in this class and worthy of a top 5-8 pick?

Why is Cole Anthony being considered anything less than a top 3 pick candidate?

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Bench him for season? See Ben Simmons?

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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

We should only commit to Zion and Ingram. That’s it.



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We need to hold on to Hayes and (I know I am going to take grief) Williams. "Kenny Hustle" is innately the best player on the team; he sees the play two seconds before it happens. It would take a lot for me to let him go.

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Originally Posted by 13 - 3

Bench him for season? See Ben Simmons?

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Simmons wasn't benched, he was medically unable to play :hihi:

Don’t worry! Josh Gray is here to help the defense. Maybe a lineup of Him, Frank, NAW, Moore, and Kenny should do the trick.

I think you bring Zion back but are very conservative. Let’s say Christmas or January.

Gentry gotta go after the year yes.

I wanted to trade Jrue before the season, I definitely want to trade him before the deadline now.

All vets on trade block when eligible to be moved.

PG should be a priority draft pick if there’s reasonable value where we pick- agree not sold on Lonzo but we still have this year and next to evaluate him if we don’t trade him.

Isn’t JaxH the C of the future? Not sure why Center would be a priority, but I guess general big options and depth...maybe ok.

Couldn’t be happier with Ingram compared to my expectations coming into the year.

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Originally Posted by donato

Isn’t JaxH the C of the future? Not sure why Center would be a priority, but I guess general big options and depth...maybe ok.

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I assume it's cause in OP's eyes, Favors probably isn't likely to play well enough to be retained. That would leave our C rotation at Hayes and Okafor, and Okafor isn't fantastic, so getting a second C who is likely to be good enough for big minutes is something we should look into.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Simmons wasn't benched, he was medically unable to play :hihi:

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Isn’t that the same situation we are in now?

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Originally Posted by 13 - 3

Isn’t that the same situation we are in now?

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No, because Zion will be perfectly ready and capable of playing by January at the latest, whereas Simmons was medically unable to play for a whole year.

Sitting Zion out the entire season when he's completely ready to go is a pointless absurdity that does nothing but delay his development, will tick off more of the fans that have paid season ticket money to see him play and are already wavering in interest, and doesn't even guarantee us a higher pick in the draft because
1) We suck so bad that even adding Zion is unlikely to make us a playoff calibre team unless he's a top 15 player immediately
and
2) Draft pick odds are flattened out so being the number 1 worst team in the NBA doesn't actually give you that much of an advantage in the draft anyway; see the Knicks picking 3rd this year for example and the Cavs picking 5th.

Griffin was wrong to assume Jrue would be the leader of this team. He just doesnt have it. He could be a very solid player on a contending team but he would have to be the third or fourth option. Lonzo Ball is just bad at basketball and it's not because of his shooting. He is not a point guard to me. When he has the ball he immediately passes it to someone else which is fine when it leads to a fast break but he does it always regardless if there is an opportunity for a fast break or not. He also cant drive to the rim. Pelicanidae - it's time to admit you were wrong about Ingram. He has been great but it seems you are trying to find any reason to downplay what he is doing. Gentry seems to be clueless and is playing 13 guys because Miller is hurt. Otherwise he would be playing 14 and still would have no idea. Hart looks like a solid high character player. I hope the Pels keep him. Even though this season looks really bad I am very optimistic about the future. Zion and Ingram are very nice players to build the team around.

He needs NBA experience. This team needs him. Play the boy

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Originally Posted by PolishFan

Pelicanidae - it's time to admit you were wrong about Ingram.

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I've literally said about 20 times now in the last few days that Ive been generally impressed by Ingram's play so far this season, that he's taken several large steps in key areas, that he's been playing good enough that even if he regresses he'll still be good, and that he's been far better than Ball who I originally had been more optimistic about.

I've made absolutely no bones about that. It's not my fault if you haven't seen it.

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Originally Posted by PolishFan

Pelicanidae - it's time to admit you were wrong about Ingram

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While you are at it (but to a lesser extent), a kind word or two might from you might be in order about your assessment of Jackson. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by As I See It

While you are at it (but to a lesser extent), a kind word or two might from you might be in order about your assessment of Jackson. :rolleyes:

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Mine?

My assessment of Jackson remains true. Valuable spark plug bench scorer, provides relatively little else, and doesn't put a huge amount on the court when his shot isn't falling. Can't run an offense. I do like him, but when you have depth sometimes people get squeezed out and it doesn't necessarily mean that they're not NBA players, it just means that you can't have 10 guards on one team.

Keep Zion off the floor until he is 270.


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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

Keep Zion off the floor until he is 270.


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Seems a bit old imo, not really willing to wait 251 years to see him play.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Mine?

My assessment of Jackson remains true. Valuable spark plug bench scorer, provides relatively little else, and doesn't put a huge amount on the court when his shot isn't falling. Can't run an offense. I do like him, but when you have depth sometimes people get squeezed out and it doesn't necessarily mean that they're not NBA players, it just means that you can't have 10 guards on one team.

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Statistically Jackson is ahead of JJ Redick's first THREE years in the league (and never mind that JJ played four years at Duke and Frank played just one). Frank's $1.6MM dwarfs JJ's $13.5MM in terms of production and value. And at least Frank doesn't play 'Matador Defense'.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Seems a bit old imo, not really willing to wait 251 years to see him play.

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Man, Zion is possibly the best player in the league in 3-4 years IF healthy. It’s true that he needs to lose weight. 270-275 is really important. 265 is ideal.


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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

There so much in your post that just strikes me as really wild takes.

Sit Zion all season? Why?

If we're tanking, we're already likely to have a top 5 pick, why would you trade the Cavs pick UP to get someone like Lamelo when you're already in that position with your own pick?

Why would anyone consider Wiseman the top C prospect in this class and worthy of a top 5-8 pick?

Why is Cole Anthony being considered anything less than a top 3 pick candidate?

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I wasn’t clear. Keep Zion out as long as we need to is what I really meant. And when he comes back be careful with him. I want more weight loss and I don’t know if that’s possible. Like I said 270 is probably a lot safer than 285. We can bring Zion back with CAUTION and Tank.


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Here's my take. We should shift the focus to the young players(where the focus should have been on to begin with). If we are still awful by the time FA signed this year are eligible for trade we should sell Favors, Holiday, Redick, Moore or what ever vet for the best assets we can get. Also if we're still awful fire Gentry. Zion should not play this year. Let him focus on getting his weight down to 260ish. 275+ is far too much weight when you consider his height and the torque his body can generate.

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Originally Posted by As I See It

Statistically Jackson is ahead of JJ Redick's first THREE years in the league (and never mind that JJ played four years at Duke and Frank played just one). Frank's $1.6MM dwarfs JJ's $13.5MM in terms of production and value. And at least Frank doesn't play 'Matador Defense'.

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That's kind of irrelevant. My criticisms of Frank are completely independent of what JJ is doing. Whether JJ is stinking it up, or shooting lights out, my criticism of Frank is the same because they apply to Frank, not anyone else.

Yes, JJ has been bad. But that has nothing to do with whether Frank can run an offense, or provide surplus value beyond scoring.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

I've literally said about 20 times now in the last few days that Ive been generally impressed by Ingram's play so far this season, that he's taken several large steps in key areas, that he's been playing good enough that even if he regresses he'll still be good, and that he's been far better than Ball who I originally had been more optimistic about.

I've made absolutely no bones about that. It's not my fault if you haven't seen it.

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Ingram will be an all star if he starts getting more FTA. I predict he will be an all star soon. Also, Lonzo would lead the league in assists if Zion were playing. I really believe that.


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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

That's kind of irrelevant. My criticisms of Frank are completely independent of what JJ is doing. Whether JJ is stinking it up, or shooting lights out, my criticism of Frank is the same because they apply to Frank, not anyone else.

Yes, JJ has been bad. But that has nothing to do with whether Frank can run an offense, or provide surplus value beyond scoring.

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JJ has had s nice career and has been quite reliable. My point is Frank is ahead of JJ's curve.

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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

I wasn’t clear. Keep Zion out as long as we need to is what I really meant. And when he comes back be careful with him.

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That makes more sense. I feel like they're already doing that though: standard recovery time for his injury is 4-6 weeks, and they've put him on 6-8 as a timetable. That already sounds to me like they're being a little more cautious than strictly necessary. Which is good, obviously. There's being too cautious, to the point where you're actually hampering his progress (that would be holding him out all year, for example) but there's a middle ground where you're being sensible.

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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

I want more weight loss and I don’t know if that’s possible. Like I said 270 is probably a lot safer than 285.

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I honestly feel like this is the kind of thing that you and me cannot really say. The fact is, I'm not a doctor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you very possibly aren't either. The Pelicans staff has doctors, trainers, etc, who are on the scene, who have direct access to Zion's measurements, direct access to his testing and test results, get to see him move/train every day, get to monitor his recovery and his diet directly, etc. They will make the judgement as to what weight Zion needs to maintain, based on actual evidence and experience and knowledge.

270lbs probably is safer than 285lbs, but how do you know he's not actually 270lbs already? Weight measurements were not updated this year like height was, and he didn't participate in the combine. He was 285lbs at the beginning of his college year at Duke, and he was clearly, visibly lighter by the end of it. Then he gained weight back during the summer, and looked slimmer again by pre-season. What is his actual healthy weight right now? I don't know. You don't know. None of us know. Could be 268, could be 274, could be 281, we don't know. So let the people who actually do know make those calls.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

That makes more sense. I feel like they're already doing that though: standard recovery time for his injury is 4-6 weeks, and they've put him on 6-8 as a timetable. That already sounds to me like they're being a little more cautious than strictly necessary. Which is good, obviously. There's being too cautious, to the point where you're actually hampering his progress (that would be holding him out all year, for example) but there's a middle ground where you're being sensible.



I honestly feel like this is the kind of thing that you and me cannot really say. The fact is, I'm not a doctor. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you very possibly aren't either. The Pelicans staff has doctors, trainers, etc, who are on the scene, who have direct access to Zion's measurements, direct access to his testing and test results, get to see him move/train every day, get to monitor his recovery and his diet directly, etc. They will make the judgement as to what weight Zion needs to maintain, based on actual evidence and experience and knowledge.

270lbs probably is safer than 285lbs, but how do you know he's not actually 270lbs already? Weight measurements were not updated this year like height was, and he didn't participate in the combine. He was 285lbs at the beginning of his college year at Duke, and he was clearly, visibly lighter by the end of it. Then he gained weight back during the summer, and looked slimmer again by pre-season. What is his actual healthy weight right now? I don't know. You don't know. None of us know. Could be 268, could be 274, could be 281, we don't know. So let the people who actually do know make those calls.

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The idea is that his weight is a problem and everyone knows it. The lighter he is the better. I would prefer him at SG than PF. Of course we don’t know everything about this but you can make a reasonable inference about the situation. Zion is HUGE and if you think his speed and mass and power isn’t making him a higher risk for injury then you are ignoring reality. No one on the staff who understands physics would overlook this. He needs to lose weight. If I’m wrong that’s great. I wish he could be 300lbs and move like Jordan without getting injured.


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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

The idea is that his weight is a problem and everyone knows it. The lighter he is the better. I would prefer him at SG than PF. Of course we don’t know everything about this but you can make a reasonable inference about the situation. Zion is HUGE and if you think his speed and mass and power isn’t making him a higher risk for injury then you are ignoring reality. No one on the staff who understands physics would overlook this. He needs to lose weight. If I’m wrong that’s great. I wish he could be 300lbs and move like Jordan without getting injured.

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The problem here is that you think you know better than trained doctors and trainers do. You don't.

Obviously you want a player to be as light as they can be while maintaining as much strength and athleticism as possible. But the fact is, we do not KNOW what Zion's minimum weight is while maintaining strength and athleticism. Losing weight does have some benefits, sure, but it also has a cost. And that's a cost-benefit analysis that the staff will do, with Zion's input, before deciding what his goal weight should be. That's not an analysis you or I can do from the comfort of our own homes without ever even stepping foot into the same room as Zion.

Maybe he can get down to 260 and still maintain a lot of his strength. Sure, possible. And the staff who actually know what they're talking about will make that judgement. Maybe he can't, maybe for a guy of his build 270lbs works for him. Again, the staff, who actually know what they're talking about, will make that judgement.

The idea that Zion should be playing shooting guard was a stupid idea when Gilbert Arenas was pushing it back before the Summer, and it's still absurd now.

The stupid thing is there's no better way for Zion to lose weight than for him to freaking play a sport where he runs around.

Does he risk injury? Yeah. But so does everyone else. I don't really believe he's more likely to hurt himself to some massive extent than any Shaq in his prime.

Play Zion. Don't be absurd.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

The problem here is that you think you know better than trained doctors and trainers do. You don't.

Obviously you want a player to be as light as they can be while maintaining as much strength and athleticism as possible. But the fact is, we do not KNOW what Zion's minimum weight is while maintaining strength and athleticism. Losing weight does have some benefits, sure, but it also has a cost. And that's a cost-benefit analysis that the staff will do, with Zion's input, before deciding what his goal weight should be. That's not an analysis you or I can do from the comfort of our own homes without ever even stepping foot into the same room as Zion.

Maybe he can get down to 260 and still maintain a lot of his strength. Sure, possible. And the staff who actually know what they're talking about will make that judgement. Maybe he can't, maybe for a guy of his build 270lbs works for him. Again, the staff, who actually know what they're talking about, will make that judgement.

The idea that Zion should be playing shooting guard was a stupid idea when Gilbert Arenas was pushing it back before the Summer, and it's still absurd now.

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The topic of Zion's weight has got to be one of the most ridiculous narratives in sports talk. Losing a few pounds isn't going to change the make-up of his body. He's got a huge frame that's packed with muscle. Trimming what little body fat he hasn't isn't going to make a huge difference in the stress that's put on his lower body. It's unavoidable for big guys.
Also, coming off a knee injury, the trainers are going to focus on stabilizing the muscles and tendons of that leg. That means plenty of strength training for his lower body, which could even mean a muscle gain down there, and a slight weight increase until his body gets back to baseline.

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Originally Posted by Teal Lantern

The topic of Zion's weight has got to be one of the most ridiculous narratives in sports talk. Losing a few pounds isn't going to change the make-up of his body. He's got a huge frame that's packed with muscle. Trimming what little body fat he hasn't isn't going to make a huge difference in the stress that's put on his lower body. It's unavoidable for big guys.
Also, coming off a knee injury, the trainers are going to focus on stabilizing the muscles and tendons of that leg. That means plenty of strength training for his lower body, which could even mean a muscle gain down there, and a slight weight increase until his body gets back to baseline.

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People need to be clear. Losing weight doesn't mean trimming fat. It means losing body mass that'll include muscle.

As a person who's still plays ball regularly I can tell you losing 10-12 lbs makes a huge difference in the way the body feels.

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Originally Posted by da ThRONe

People need to be clear. Losing weight doesn't mean trimming fat. It means losing body mass that'll include muscle.

As a person who's still plays ball regularly I can tell you losing 10-12 lbs makes a huge difference in the way the body feels.

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Yea I think the Pels know that as well. Whether its fat or muscle doesn't really matter. Either way, both are strains on his knees; and playing at that weight is not going to be sustainable over the course of his career.

That being said, I don't think it should be a major focus during the season. Unless there's real scientific support behind the notion that if he plays at this weight he will get hurt, then holding him out is just hurting his development. Zion's development is so much more important than whoever our draft pick is this season.

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Originally Posted by da ThRONe

People need to be clear. Losing weight doesn't mean trimming fat. It means losing body mass that'll include muscle.

As a person who's still plays ball regularly I can tell you losing 10-12 lbs makes a huge difference in the way the body feels.

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Then the best thing for him is to play. What better work out can he get than playing 30+ minutes every night? That's a helluva workout and it will burn some weight off. I remember repeated reading about how Anthony Davis would put on mass over the summer...and then he'd lose some of it when the season went in full swing.

It's a non-story to me. I don't see him any more liable to get hurt than Shaq when he played. So above average...but Zion is going to be in much better condition than Shaq ever was.

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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

The idea is that his weight is a problem and everyone knows it. The lighter he is the better. I would prefer him at SG than PF. Of course we don’t know everything about this but you can make a reasonable inference about the situation. Zion is HUGE and if you think his speed and mass and power isn’t making him a higher risk for injury then you are ignoring reality. No one on the staff who understands physics would overlook this. He needs to lose weight. If I’m wrong that’s great. I wish he could be 300lbs and move like Jordan without getting injured.


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Zion is a big man.

Come to grips with that.

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Originally Posted by da ThRONe

People need to be clear. Losing weight doesn't mean trimming fat. It means losing body mass that'll include muscle.

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Losing muscle is a dicey situation, especially for an athlete coming off of an injury. He's got to heal and get back to baseline. Fans shouldn't expect any kind of body transformation any time soon. Moreover, he's a big man and he always will be. That's just how his body has developed over time. I don't view his mass much differently than Tacko Fall playing at 300lbs. They're both huge men who will just have to hope for the best when it comes to career longevity.

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Originally Posted by Eman5805

Then the best thing for him is to play. What better work out can he get than playing 30+ minutes every night? That's a helluva workout and it will burn some weight off. I remember repeated reading about how Anthony Davis would put on mass over the summer...and then he'd lose some of it when the season went in full swing.

It's a non-story to me. I don't see him any more liable to get hurt than Shaq when he played. So above average...but Zion is going to be in much better condition than Shaq ever was.

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I disagree. Diet is the best way to control weight. He doesn't have to play to do that. Also there are several low impact exercises that can assist him in shedding the weight. And this is why I advocate him taking the entire year off to accomplish this goal. People talking about him missing a year of development but none of it matters if we are looking at a Greg Oden type situation. The biggest skill Zion needs to improve is his shooting he can focus on that while getting on a diet plan and low impact exercises routine.

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Originally Posted by Teal Lantern

Losing muscle is a dicey situation, especially for an athlete coming off of an injury. He's got to heal and get back to baseline. Fans shouldn't expect any kind of body transformation any time soon. Moreover, he's a big man and he always will be. That's just how his body has developed over time. I don't view his mass much differently than Tacko Fall playing at 300lbs. They're both huge men who will just have to hope for the best when it comes to career longevity.

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Comparing him to Tacko Fall is insane. The man is 7'7 plus you can't put a notebook under his feet when he jumps, and while he has great mobility for a person his size he's not incredibly agile. Zion is at best a foot shorter and only about 20lbs lighter. On top of being the most physical gifted athlete the game has ever seen. There's almost no comparison to Zion ever let alone a 7'7 center.

Best comparison is Shaq. Elite athlete and very heavy.

The concept is absurd to sit him. I'd lose a ton of respect for this org to do something like that. Way the universe works, he'd lose the weight then snap his ankle any damn way.

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Originally Posted by da ThRONe

Comparing him to Tacko Fall is insane. The man is 7'7 plus you can't put a notebook under his feet when he jumps, and while he has great mobility for a person his size he's not incredibly agile. Zion is at best a foot shorter and only about 20lbs lighter. On top of being the most physical gifted athlete the game has ever seen. There's almost no comparison to Zion ever let alone a 7'7 center.

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Comparing him to Oden is just as insane. Oden's issue was a physical deformity in that one leg was shorter than the other and put stress on his knees. As said above, Shaq is probably the best comparison. I do not remember him taking a year off to try and lose his muscle.

Professional NBA players have a consensus that it’s very important Zion loses weight. They know a lot more about the sport and what it’s like to play in the NBA. You can say whatever you want but you’re not more knowledgeable than HOF NBA professionals; even if they aren’t healthcare professionals they are much more qualified than any fan who wants to believe whatever David Griffin says. Remember, Griffin also put out the narrative that talks with AD possibly returning we’re going very well. Yeah right. Zion probably has to lose weight to decrease probability of injury. Sure, he could still get injured if he lost 20 lbs but this risk of injury will go down if he weighs less. This is a serious issue and most of the people on this forum are not taking it seriously.


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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

Professional NBA players have a consensus that it’s very important Zion loses weight. They know a lot more about the sport and what it’s like to play in the NBA. You can say whatever you want but you’re not more knowledgeable than HOF NBA professionals; even if they aren’t healthcare professionals they are much more qualified than any fan who wants to believe whatever David Griffin says. Remember, Griffin also put out the narrative that talks with AD possibly returning we’re going very well. Yeah right. Zion probably has to lose weight to decrease probability of injury. Sure, he could still get injured if he lost 20 lbs but this risk of injury will go down if he weighs less. This is a serious issue and most of the people on this forum are not taking it seriously.


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Believe it or not, the trainers and experts who are paid to work with him and examine him on a daily basis know much more about what is needed than any former NBA player or fan on a message board. And I have heard no one say that the Pelicans should shut him down until he loses weight. I am sure they are working with him to get him where ever they think he needs to be.

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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

Believe it or not, the trainers and experts who are paid to work with him and examine him on a daily basis know much more about what is needed than any former NBA player.

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Of course. I don’t disagree with that fact.

The PELICANS organization isn’t going to come out and publicly share information that most fans don’t want to hear. It won’t help Zion either...

It’s reasonable to believe what Hall of Fame NBA players are saying about this issue. It’s foolish to act like they don’t know what they’re talking about.


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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

Comparing him to Oden is just as insane. Oden's issue was a physical deformity in that one leg was shorter than the other and put stress on his knees. As said above, Shaq is probably the best comparison. I do not remember him taking a year off to try and lose his muscle.

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I only used Greg Oden because injuries derailed his career not because I think he and Zion share a lot of physical similarities.

Shaq again was 7'1. His size to weight ratio was still more proportionate than Zion's. Plus Shaq was a center and wasn't putting the same stress on his body as Zion. There's no telling how much more dominate Shaq could have been had he stayed at his Orlando weight. And even if Shaq is the best comp for Zion Shaq didn't have knee issues this early in his career.

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Originally Posted by da ThRONe

I only used Greg Oden because injuries derailed his career not because I think he and Zion share a lot of physical similarities.

Shaq again was 7'1. His size to weight ratio was still more proportionate than Zion's. Plus Shaq was a center and wasn't putting the same stress on his body as Zion. There's no telling how much more dominate Shaq could have been had he stayed at his Orlando weight. And even if Shaq is the best comp for Zion Shaq didn't have knee issues this early in his career.

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But Oden's injury and Zion's are not even comparable. Didn't Oden require microfracture surgery (several years ago when it was probably less effective than it even is now).

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Originally Posted by pelicanchamp

Of course. I don’t disagree with that fact.

The PELICANS organization isn’t going to come out and publicly share information that most fans don’t want to hear. It won’t help Zion either...

It’s reasonable to believe what Hall of Fame NBA players are saying about this issue. It’s foolish to act like they don’t know what they’re talking about.


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I agree they will not share the info, nor should they. However, I trust that they know the best course of action with Zion. Much more than any former player or us posters on a message board.

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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

I agree they will not share the info, nor should they. However, I trust that they know the best course of action with Zion. Much more than any former player or us posters on a message board.

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Yeah, this is basically my take as well.

Of course they're not going to personally e-mail me to let me know why they're playing Zion or not. But they're going to make the call from a position of more information and more knowledge and more training than any of us have, and therefore I'm perfectly willing to trust them with that call. If they say he's ready after 6 weeks, I'm not going to get mad at them. If they say he needs 9, then fine. Whatever it is.

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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

Believe it or not, the trainers and experts who are paid to work with him and examine him on a daily basis know much more about what is needed than any former NBA player or fan on a message board. And I have heard no one say that the Pelicans should shut him down until he loses weight. I am sure they are working with him to get him where ever they think he needs to be.

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I know a little something about the recovery process that Zion is going through. I had that same surgery at a similar age, and I'm certain that weight loss isn't the focus of his trainers right now. They're telling him to eat plenty of protein, dairy, and fruit to aid healing. They're taking him through sessions that are heavy on regaining ROM, flexibility, and strength. They're concern right now is stabilizing the joint and his leg as a whole. They're suggesting that he restrict bad calories like sugar, but they're not telling him to eat like a bird. Fans need to understand the priority of his recovery right now.

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Originally Posted by PELICANSFAN

But Oden's injury and Zion's are not even comparable. Didn't Oden require microfracture surgery (several years ago when it was probably less effective than it even is now).

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Again I never said the two were comparable. I said it's best to avoid a situation like Oden. Meaning a situation where consecutive injuries derailed his career. Obviously Oden body issues were more difficult to manage.