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Josh Hart:"This city is amazing and they're behind us 100%."#Pelicans
— Scott Prather (@Scott_1420) September 30, 2019
Hart also warns that nobody should expect the team to be perfect from day one. Says we're not going to score 150 points in a blowout win in game one, because it takes time, but also says that this is a team filled with guys who want success for the team more than themselves and as a result, things like that are going to happen.
Basketball.
''As long as you can look me in the eye after a game, whether we won or lost, and can tell me that you played your heart out then I don't care if you scored 40 points or 0 points.'' - Josh Hart.
Great quotes coming out from this media day from everyone.
Josh Hart, an Eagle Scout, on a teammate he wouldn't want to be stuck in the wildnerness with for a week, smiles and says, "Probably Zo (Lonzo Ball). He hasn't spent a day in the wilderness in his life."#Pelicans
— Scott Prather (@Scott_1420) September 30, 2019
Talking about guarding bigger guys:
''It's not a mouse in the house thing. You're gonna work for this one.''Hart, there.
Our team is so likeable.
JAHLIL OKAFOR is at the table!
''You go into every year hoping that this will be your best year yet, and that's true for me.''
''The biggest thing I learned this summer was probably proper sleep, that's something I never really focused on.''
On the vet/youth balance, and Favors: ''Realising that I do have some experience to help some of the younger guys, but at the same time I am a bit younger, like Jrue said I'm a tweener, so there's a lot I can learn from D Faves and the other guys on the team.''
''I'm looking to do whatever Coach Gentry wants me to do. I know that's a cliche, but if Gentry wants me, which I doubt, to shoot 20 threes a game then that's what I'm going to do.''
On Zion: ''He's a freak of nature. Every day we play, 4 or 5 times, you lose your breath watching something he does. I'm excited to team up with him.''
Jahlil Okafor says this summer was the first time since his high school days he knew he was coming back to the same team with the same coaching staff. Added that comfort will be major for his progression
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) September 30, 2019
''Coach Gentry has put emphasis on us being a defensive team first, and us fitting into that mold. I've always been able to score, but my focus is defense, rebounding, and I think I've made strides in those areas.''
Pelicanide,
Who do you project will be the starting five come October 22 against the Raptors?
E'twaun Moore takes the stage: ''Don't ask me no tough questions.'' he laughs
''Every time you get a lot of new faces, teammates and staff, it's like a new beginning almost. Of course it's going to be different with everything, but it's been fun and exciting to get to know everyone.''
Impressions of Zion: ''Zion, you can tell, is definitely a great kid. Definitely mature for his age, a hard worker. He's been here for a couple of weeks working out and playing, it's been a lot of fun.''
On Jrue: ''Jrue, as we know, plays on both ends of the court. I think he'll just go out there and put everything on the line, and it's even more comfortable for him now that he can just go out there and be himself.''
Things you've learned about Zion: ''When you get someone that athletic you think he's just athletic, but he's very smart when you get on the court. He can make any adjustment, his IQ is pretty high.''
''Last year I only like 3 threes a game, but they want me to shoot more. Like, 6 a game, because I shoot a high percentage and that makes it a lot easier for everyone else on the court.'' -- YES PLEASE, E'twaun, I don't know how many minutes you're gonna get, but if Gentry insists on playing you a lot, just LAUNCH the thing. Be trigger happy. You can shoot, just do it.
On positions: ''When I was playing small forward we went to the second round of the playoffs, so it's okay. But for me, it's just about competing and having fun.''
I feel like we're going to just run with Lonzo/Jrue/Ingram/Zion/Favors.Originally Posted by PelDave
I know that a lot of people have mentioned that that lineup is very low on shooting, and that's true, but we know that Jrue, Zion, and Favors are basically locks to start. After that, it's basically who will be the 4th and 5th men in that unit. We know that Gentry loves Lonzo, so I have to imagine that he gets the opportunity to start, and I feel like because it's the big contract year with Ingram we'll need to give him the chance to prove his worth.
If Jrue can return to his old shooting ways, and Lonzo and Ingram have made reasonable improvements, then I feel like the shooting won't be too big an issue anyway.
I haven't really transcribed anything that Jalen Adams has said, mostly because I got distracted and didn't get back to him until he was nearly finished, but from what I caught he's a really well spoken dude who handled the media fantastically. That's always great to see, he was extremely incisive.
Kenrich (whose accent is far stronger than I imagined):
''Last summer, I didn't know if I was going to make the team or not. Now I'm on the team, so it's a big difference.''
''We're a group of selfless guys so we're all going to click together.''
''I've put a lot of work in on situational things that will come up in-game, stuff that I'll need to work on, and my jump shot really. Catch and shoot, really, where I can space the floor out for them guys.''
''Man... I wanna make the playoffs. That's my personal goal.''
''It's year two, so I already know what to expect. I know where I'm supposed to be on offense, I know where I'm supposed to be on defense, so it's all about putting it together and winning a lot of games.''
''We've got a lot of talented young guys. Not only the guys that we drafted but the guys who came in for training camp as well, top to bottom. And that's huge.''
About Zion: ''His whole career is broadcast, so I know almost everything about him. But I'll say this, he's a real humble dude. Low maintenance guy who doesn't demand too much, he's just very humble.''
Playoffs: ''I think it's definitely possible for us, with the depth we have and the team we have. If we just come together defensively and play the way that coach wants us to, I feel like the sky's the limit for us.''
JJ in the studio �� pic.twitter.com/E8yYQaH0RK
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 30, 2019
.@NikMelli making his NBA media day debut! pic.twitter.com/bTk8gS7q6q
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 30, 2019
I completely forgot that Kavell Bigby-Williams was from London, and I heard an English accent and my brain just broke. Did not expect to hear any British people on Pelicans media day
Frank Jackson:
''It's been fun to be back in the city for the last month or so and just evaluate and get to know my new teammates.''
Zion: ''He's just such a pure and genuine person. [...] He's just a normal kid. It's been a pleasure to hang out with him, and I'm excited for this year to unfold.''
''I play golf a lot, and I've only seen that happen once before. But that's Zion, and every time he's out he does something miraculous, so it's cool.'' - on Zion breaking the golf club.
Top 3 restaurants: ''Meril, Peche, Saffron. The food here is great, I'm a big food guy and there's so many Mom and Pop restaurants and I love it.''
On the Duke people: ''Finally! It's great, get these Kentucky guys out of here. From the time I got here until now it's totally flip flopped, but it's great. The brotherhood's real, and it lasts.''
''I know every single person on this team wants to win basketball games. And there's nothing like good, wholesome competition.''
''Defensively, we need to have a strong defensive mentality and for me that's honestly my biggest focus, just to get in there and be a defensive menace.''
''I had the opportunity [over the summer] to stay with Jrue at his house, and it was a great time. The Holiday Ranch, it's not bad.''
Here’s JJ Redick on extending his playoff streak and his first conversation with Zion Williamson. #wbd #Pelicans #nba #nsfw pic.twitter.com/TPlMp5Uq7a
— David M. Grubb (@DMGrubb) September 30, 2019
Here's that Redick quote about not missing the playoffs again.
Nicolo Melli at the table!
''I refused one time to come to the NBA 2 years ago. This time it was very easy, I talked with the managers, with the coaches, and I had super good feelings. I believe it was the right moment in my career to come, the right moment for me, and the right opportunity for me.''
''The thing is, when I talked to them on the phone, I had the right feelings. I thought it was the right decision to take at that moment.''
Expectations for himself: ''As a basketball player, the first thing I need to do is to adapt and understand. For sure, there are huge differences with Europe in the spacing and the speed. As a player I like to lead the team, and be that kind of second point guard that I was in Europe, but to do that I need to know how everyone on the team moves, and to do that I need to study and be ready.''
On some personal thoughts surrounding the choice: ''A lot of friends, when they heard about this news with me coming to the NBA, they were saying 'can you believe it?' It's amazing. We're playing on Christmas day, and I have friends who meet every Christmas to watch the NBA games and this year they're going to watch, hopefully, me playing. You never know. So it's like a dream coming true, and knowing that the family and friends are a big part of it, that makes everything even more special.''
Calling Darius (who had played with him): ''Knowing that a former teammate like him, a great guy, would have been a great thing for me. Unfortunately for him, he's been injured, it was my first day here, and I was like 'this is a joke!'. But he's always there with us, in the gym, giving us support.''
About New Orleans: ''I didn't know anything about the city, but one thing I love is the sense of the community, and you can feel it in the city. We have this motto, ''won't bow down'', and I like to walk around and you can feel it on the street. How people live here, they have this spirit, I don't know how to explain it, but this strength and I like it very much.''
On his play: ''I'm the 4, mostly, but whatever it takes to help the team win, I will do it.''
On his strengths: ''I don't know. I know what my strengths are in Europe, but I will need to learn what translates in the NBA and how to adapt my game.''
Playing differences: ''These are big things. The three point line being a little farther is tough, and I understood that immediately. After three shots I was tired. I'm exaggerating a bit, but here you have the best players in the world. Everyone wants to play in the NBA, and who is here, are the superstars, and that's one big thing to understand.''
On Zion: ''Honestly, I'm not a big college basketball follower but of course everybody has talked about him. I watched a lot of tapes and a couple of games, and he's impressive. I don't have to tell you that. The pressure on his shoulders... he's impressive, he's something special, but he hasn't played any games yet: so give him time. I hope he has the best career possible and I wish him that with all of my heart, but he needs time, and to enjoy the journey and not get lost in the pressure and the media attention.[...] He's here because he played great basketball, and I'm sure he's going to do that. But he has all the qualities to do it, for sure.''
On the long season: ''Last season I played 84 games, so that's not a problem. Obviously here we have 82 games, hopefully more, but I'm ready.''
Funny interaction between Jaxson Hayes and Nicolo Melli.
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) September 30, 2019
Jaxson: what's your favorite sushi spot?
Melli: what's YOUR favorite sushi spot?
Jax: the same as yours
Melli: mine is not the same as yours, I'm married.
Nicolo Melli is a great interview. Got huge laughs from this exchange.
Okay Melli is absolutely hilarious
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) September 30, 2019
Jaxson Hayes at the table:
Says he's been working on his jump shot over the summer.
On him and NAW: ''For any team to be successful, you all have to be connected. That's just part of the game, and me and him connect really well, and that's why we do well together.''
On New Orleans: ''I've been trying to go around as much of New Orleans as possible just to get my environment.[..] I kinda knew what New Orleans was like, a few of my friends live down here, so they've already kinda told me what it was like, but it's a great city.''
On him, Z, and NAW hitting up the football games: ''We're all just football fans, so we just wanna go to games. Someone mentioned Tulane, so we went to that, and then someone mentioned LSU, so we went there. It wasn't really planned, we were just like ''hey you wanna catch this game?'' and we went.''
''All the vets are so helpful with everything. If you make a mistake, someone is going to tell you what you did wrong and how to fix it right away. Which is nice.''
''I've definitely seen my personal brand expand a lot more. Followers going up, people reaching out, but I'm here to play basketball so that's not really what I'm looking for at the moment.''
Jaxson mentions that he's been keeping up with Didi in Australia, and notes that he's been playing really well, which is great to see.
''Nicolo told me, if you're drinking wine every night, your tolerance would go up. So why not do that every day, instead of drinking one big glass of wine at once? So I'm working out a little every day instead of trying to do too much too soon and hopefully I won't hit that wall as quick.'' - Trust the Italian to give that analogy.
''I've been working on my hip mobility, and balance, the little things that help you become a better athlete.''
NAW at the table:
Talks about food: ''I'm a big food guy, and everywhere I've been, I've tried to get to as many restaurants as possible, and I'm not afraid to try new things. I'm a big fan of calamari so anywhere that serves that, I promise I've had all the calamari in this city. So for me, coming to one of the Meccas of food, that's a big thing for me, something I'm passionate about.''
Does eating that much hurt his weight? ''Nah, cause they want that weight. I send pictures, to make sure I'm getting the right stuff, but fortunately I'm at a stage where I can eat almost anything and they're okay with it.''
Progress: ''The average NBA player is, what, 4 years? And I know for a fact that it took me more than 4 years to get here. My thing is to be the best that I can be and every day try to grow and improve. Guys put me in a great position to play with great guards and learn from them, take as much as I can, and eventually be a better player.''
On Zion: ''I mean, he's a... I think what people forget, when you take a step back, is that he's a normal kid. He's human. It may seem hard to believe with everything he does but he's still human, and that's cool because he's able to just be normal. With that, and his personal skills, and how he's so laid back, it just goes to show the type of person he is. Not arrogant at all, but he's a great friend, great teammate, he's going to give you confidence and he talks to you like you're the number 1 draft pick. It's rare for a guy of his age, with his hype, to be the way he is. I had the chance to play in the Elite 24 on his team, right before he blew up. Right after that game, is when the Zion Era began, and seeing it firsthand was pretty cool. And right before the game we were just chilling, talking, and just hearing him talk then... wow that's literally the same kid as he is now, and it's good to know he's stayed true to himself.''
''Basketball's a team sport. You've got to want to play for the other guy, to sacrifice your body for the other guy. It's hard to do that when you don't like somebody, it's human nature, but here, everyone gets along and it's easier to play as a team and to keep the outside things outside. Because there are no problems, guys are here to get better. We're all trying to achieve that and hold each other accountable.''
Mix of ages: ''Like Jaxson said, the vets are very very helpful. You learn so much every day, and we literally have everything laid out for us in terms of ways to get better. For me, that's really key. ''
I feel like I've covered media day as much as most reporters
You have. I’ve been at work. Thanks for this.I feel like I've covered media day as much as most reporters
No problem! That's why I do all my transcriptions of interviews, pressers, podcasts, and events: they usually start somewhere in the middle of the day for Americans, which means nobody can watch them live because you're all at work or whatever. Just so happens that mid-day for America is like, late afternoon or even evening for me here in England, so I'm almost always free to catch them live, and provide the full transcripts for people who missed it. Makes me feel useful
Picture day ���� @B_Ingram13 pic.twitter.com/xSqJ4XPvVN
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 30, 2019
You know @joshhart’s beignets had to make an appearance �� pic.twitter.com/Lg85l2UGyk
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 30, 2019
@Pelicanidae
Thanks so much for these transcripts I REALLY appreciate it. Can't wait to see these young guys and these vets get out there.
Thank you so much, i really enjoyed that re-cap
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