13th December - New Orleans Pelicans @ Philadelphia 76ers - 6-19

[GuardianAngel25]

As long as Kenrich Williams is in the starting lineup this team will never be above .500. We simply can’t have our 4 man putting up stat lines with 0 points and when he goes off in games he doesn’t even reach double digits. 5ppg/5.8rpg/1.8apg shooting FG-39% 3pt-28% FT-40%. This is just absolutely terrible and would hurt the best teams in the NBA. Go take away any of the top teams 2nd or 3rd best player and plug in Kenny.. I guarantee they will suck and be very inconsistent. He is an end of the bench “energy/hustle” player and nothing more which is fine.

Missing Zion even if he is half the player we expect him to be is so huge. Zion just putting up numbers like 15ppg/9rpg/3apg while shooting FG-50%/3pt-30%/FT-65% and bringing his athleticism, defense, pace, energy, lineup versatility, and the many more attributes you can put next to his name without the numbers have this team above .500 imo no question. I think he would be much better then that but if that was just all we got this team is completely different. Zion won’t instantly make us some championship contenders but he can change a lot.

I’m excited to see this team grow after the all star break as we likely give our younger players some more run for the experience going into next season. I know I’m looking ahead but damn next season is exciting! Just knowing all of the exciting players we have going forward along with Jrue who can go back to thriving in a role as our 3rd option. Hayes will be our starter will start to have an NBA big man body and not a lanky SF similar to the growth we saw in AD. NAW will grow on the NBA level having film and experience to learn from all of his mistakes. To go along with those 2 great additions in last years 1st round we will be adding what could be another huge draft pick to be excited about that is better with more potential than both of them. On top of this you add in Ingram who has been nothing but a flat out star and putting up near MVP numbers at 22 with the potential to be a 50/40/90 player scoring 25+ppg next season. Throw all of this alongside our generational talent in Zion!?!?
The future is so bright yet some fans are being blinded by us having to grow as one of the youngest teams with arguably the worst injury luck so far this season! This team is stacking itself to be dominant for the next decade not this year while many of the top teams are for the now to then be falling and splitting apart over the next 3-4 years. They will be lucky to make it for half of this next decade while our entire core won’t have even hit their primes yet! Trust the process and enjoy it. It will be frustrating at times and I mean very but I 100% believe it will be worth every bit of it! Go Pels!

[13 - 3]

So all of a sudden this season was rebuilding not “win now”? Nice young team? How many years has Favors been in league? Holiday? Reddick? I don’t think Holiday or J.J. Thought this would be a rebuild. If they request a trade I can understand and would not be mad.

[msusousaphone]

What are you on about?

This has never been 'win now'. Griffin may have said something along the lines of "this team will be exciting" but he has said most often that they want to "do this right" and "take their time". The PR department may have insinuated it was this season but people who believe the PR dept have only themselves to blame.

[13 - 3]

https://www.thebirdwrites.com/2019/1...l-alvin-gentry

[msusousaphone]

Petulant article written more out of impulse and emotions than thought.

Sure, we’re partially to blame! We may have all been hungover from draft night, intoxicated from summer league standout performances, tipsy from the trade return and buzzed from free agency.

Really the only relevant point. Continuity and experience are king in the NBA. It was foolish to think a team without much of either was "win now".

[Taker597]

https://mobile.twitter.com/BleacherR...05739416682503


It could be worse. We could of ended up trading with the Knicks and miss out on... Ingram.

[Pelicanidae]

I don't know how long it's going to take Favors to be trusted with 30 minutes a night again, but once he is, Okafor should never touch the court. Jesus Christ.

[P_B_&_G]

Its astonishing how much better the team looks with Favors on the floor. Dare I say competent NBA team? Hopefully he will be healthy going forward and if we're really lucky we see Zion before the new year.

[Fedupfan]

Its astonishing how much better the team looks with Favors on the floor. Dare I say competent NBA team? Hopefully he will be healthy going forward and if we're really lucky we see Zion before the new year.

Hopefully, Alvin is fired soon so Zion and Favors can win together.

[13 - 3]

https://mobile.twitter.com/BleacherR...05739416682503


It could be worse. We could of ended up trading with the Knicks and miss out on... Ingram.

Go tell Knicks fan they are rebuilding. Randle will be a defensive stud!

[Pelicanidae]

Go tell Knicks fan they are rebuilding. Randle will be a defensive stud!

I remember getting in arguments on this site with people who absolutely insisted that resigning Randle for $20m a year would be fine and actually good.

Wonder how those people feel now?

[JJackisangry]

All I’m hearing are excuses. Yeah, there was always the likelihood that we wouldn’t set the league on fire without Zion. There is no way in hell this team should be 6-20. People are a bit too desperate to defend their stances if you mean to tell me that 6-20 is where this team should be. The sooner Griffin cleans house the better. After this season ends, Gentry has to go.

[Taker597]

All I’m hearing are excuses. Yeah, there was always the likelihood that we wouldn’t set the league on fire without Zion. There is no way in hell this team should be 6-20. People are a bit too desperate to defend their stances if you mean to tell me that 6-20 is where this team should be. The sooner Griffin cleans house the better. After this season ends, Gentry has to go.

Sadly, we play close enough to be around .500. A lot blown 4th QTR, but this squad required a good coach not a daycare Vet coach.

[13 - 3]

I remember getting in arguments on this site with people who absolutely insisted that resigning Randle for $20m a year would be fine and actually good.

Wonder how those people feel now?

Yeah I will eat some crow there. Funny thing is Demps probably would have paid him. We (Griff)avoided another train wreck letting him walk.

[Taker597]

I remember getting in arguments on this site with people who absolutely insisted that resigning Randle for $20m a year would be fine and actually good.

Wonder how those people feel now?

That’s a catch 22. It's obvious we should never pay that ridiculous price tag, but starting the season with 2 rookie PF was completely asinine. I don't understand why Griffin bought into Alvin's small ball roseter to such a dangerous degree that they didn't see the size problem that they created.

We really did a horrible job filling his absent at backup PF. We came in no real depth at PF and day one. It burned us, badly.

Start the season with two rookie PF was such a bad move in hindsight t.

[Pelicanidae]

That’s a catch 22. It's obvious we should never pay that ridiculous price tag, but starting the season with 2 rookie PF was completely asinine. I don't understand why Griffin bought into Alvin's small ball roseter to such a dangerous degree that they didn't see the size problem that they created.

We really did a horrible job filling his absent at backup PF. We came in no real depth at PF and day one. It burned us, badly.

Start the season with two rookie PF was such a bad move in hindsight t.

I would rather have an unpleasantly thin lineup at the PF for a season than lock myself up to Randle for $20m for multiple years. Randle is excruciatingly bad on defense, and while it's obvious that NY isn't an optimal circumstance for anyone, his offense has taken a step back this year in more ways than just points per game. He's bad, and paying him that much money is ridiculous.

Yeah, it sucks that we don't really have the depth in certain areas that we would want, but if the only way you could fill that is by giving Randle that money, then it's not a catch 22: there's an obvious, correct solution. Don't pay up.

[Speakthetruth]

Griffin looks dumb now all that pumping off his chest in the off season and this team blows

[msusousaphone]

I can't even remember what had transpired back during the Randle conversation. Like....was that before the trade and the lottery? It was a different time, back then. More desperate. We didn't have many other options.

Also a weird argument. We'd be a playoff team now with Randle. We needed that spot bad. Anyone who watched how much better this team played with Favors can see that. But long term we no way need him. Before Zion we did need him. Very hard debate to judge in hindsight.

[Taker597]

I would rather have an unpleasantly thin lineup at the PF for a season than lock myself up to Randle for $20m for multiple years. Randle is excruciatingly bad on defense, and while it's obvious that NY isn't an optimal circumstance for anyone, his offense has taken a step back this year in more ways than just points per game. He's bad, and paying him that much money is ridiculous.

Yeah, it sucks that we don't really have the depth in certain areas that we would want, but if the only way you could fill that is by giving Randle that money, then it's not a catch 22: there's an obvious, correct solution. Don't pay up.

That’s not the point I'm trying to make. With simply suitable PF, we would batting around 0.500.

It's still a catch 22. We cut bait from overpaying a decent PF and the drop off in play is ridiculous. It's what we give up. Randle is a horrible defender, but still miles better than Melli. Hell, you can easily argue that overpaying Randle is a better move than keeping Melli. Zion ain't hitting his prime for another 6 years. 3 yr, 63 million for Randle isn't a death contract by any means.

But... What doesn't change is how Gentry will probably still run 4 Guards and 1 PF line up.

For clarification, I didn't want Randle resign. I just want an adequate replacement at better value. Instead... We overloaded ourselves on mediocre guards. Should of moved some bodies when we had the opportunity.

[JJackisangry]

For a team that plays absolutely no defense anyways, Randle wouldn’t hurt us. In fact, he’d probably be the difference in turning some of these close games to wins. I was completely against signing him after we landed Zion (we don’t need to rush the rebuild as much as I’d like to win now), but let’s not pretend that we would be in the same situation had we ended up 7th in the lottery.

We could always count on Randle to take the tough shots and get to the line while he was here. I’m not gloating that the guy is struggling away from New Orleans. He was a good dude.

[Taker597]

For a team that plays absolutely no defense anyways, Randle wouldn’t hurt us. In fact, he’d probably be the difference in turning some of these close games to wins. I was completely against signing him after we landed Zion (we don’t need to rush the rebuild as much as I’d like to win now), but let’s not pretend that we would be in the same situation had we ended up 7th in the lottery.

We could always count on Randle to take the tough shots and get to the line while he was here. I’m not gloating that the guy is struggling away from New Orleans. He was a good dude.

I think the real difference is just how bad Melli is as a rookie. He never should been forced into the lineup. He's need to be in the gleague to develop. I think there was some adequate bargain bin PF like a Markieff Morris in FA or decent defensive rebounding big like Dwight Howard that could easily elevate the team from bottom of the league. If Gentry is willing to kill this horrible small ball lineup.

Whom are both getting paid chump change at 7 and 5 million.