April 22nd - New Orleans Pelicans @ Orlando Magic - 25-33

[Pelicanidae]

So Bledsoe decides to show up now that we are all but out from the playoffs. Wonderful.

I mean, it's a loose definition of showing up. He showed up for about 3 minutes last game, and for about 2.5 minutes so far tonight

[Pelicanidae]

Halftime, we're up 20 ish

Zion: 21/5/2 on 80%FG and 100% from the line
Ingram: 18/3/4 on 50%FG and 25% from 3


Lonzo is 0/4 from the floor, 0/1 from 3.

Lonzo's last 5.5 games (including tonight as the .5):

- Tonight: 0/3/6 on 0/4 shooting, 0/1 from 3
- Vs BKN: 15/4/3 on 6/11 shooting, 3/6 from 3
- @NYK: 5/7/3 on 2/9 shooting, 1/5 from 3
- @WAS: 4/2/3 on 2/10 shooting, 0/7 from 3
- @BKN: 15/0/3 on 6/11 shooting, 1/6 from 3
- @ATL: 12/9/11 on 4/15 shooting, 4/14 from 3

That means in that span he is averaging: 8.5/4.2/4.8 on 33.3%FG (20/60) and 23.1%3pt (9/39)

Been bad, folks.

[AusPel]

Bled > Lonzo

[Pelicanidae]

Also worth noting Lonzo has a total of 0 FTAs in the last 7 halves of basketball he's played.

[Pelicanidae]

The 45 points we scored in the second quarter is the most points anyone has ever scored against the Magic in a single quarter.

The previous record of 44 points in a quarter was set by Phoenix in 1997.

[Pelicanidae]

The Magic are really not very good

[Pelicanidae]

Can the Pels blow even a 40 point lead?

[Taker597]

Man... I really want to see Ingram and Zion be passable defenders to really be an elite package and get another elite player. Preferably a guard. The growing pains from earlier in the season is gone and they are really flowing with each other.

[Pelicanidae]

Man... I really want to see Ingram and Zion be passable defenders to really be an elite package and get another elite player. Preferably a guard. The growing pains from earlier in the season is gone and they are really flowing with each other.

My personal bet?

Zion will continue the growth he's had this season and become a reasonably good defender. Not great, probably won't make a litany of All-D teams, but he'll be fine.

Ingram will not.

[Taker597]

My personal bet?

Zion will continue the growth he's had this season and become a reasonably good defender. Not great, probably won't make a litany of All-D teams, but he'll be fine.

Ingram will not.

Ingram would have to fill out his frame for him to get any defensive leverage or able to muscle at the point of attack.

At 24... It's unlikely. This is who he is... Remember when people said the same thing about Durant. Still lanky.

You can get by with hiding him on an elite team.

[As I See It]

In 14.10 minutes, H'Gomez has become the third leading scorer on the team, thus far, tonight. And has authored a Double Double.

[Pelicanidae]

Ingram would have to fill out his frame for him to get any defensive leverage or able to muscle at the point of attack.

At 24... It's unlikely. This is who he is... Remember when people said the same thing about Durant. Still lanky.

You can get by with hiding him on an elite team.

Durant didn't become a 'good' defender until he was like 26, and that was in a primarily off-ball help role. Could Ingram maybe do that? Possibly, but he'd have to show any interest whatsoever in that first and thus far he hasn't.

I agree that you can potentially hide him, depending on team construction.

[Taker597]

Lewis ceiling looks to be Rotational player atm. He really doesn't flash to me mainly because NBA teams know how neutralize open court speed. Player development can be like watching paint dry.

[As I See It]

Durant didn't become a 'good' defender until he was like 26, and that was in a primarily off-ball help role. Could Ingram maybe do that? Possibly, but he'd have to show any interest whatsoever in that first and thus far he hasn't.

I agree that you can potentially hide him, depending on team construction.

You do hate him, huh?

[DaFranchise80]

Lonzo has fallen off a cliff since February.

[As I See It]

Lewis ceiling looks to be Rotational player atm. He really doesn't flash to me mainly because NBA teams know how neutralize open court speed. Player development can be like watching paint dry.

He's a marginal role player right now.. First thing he has to do is work on his frame.

[As I See It]

Lonzo has fallen off a cliff since February.

If you are basing it on point scored, you are absolutely right.

[luckyman]

Durant didn't become a 'good' defender until he was like 26, and that was in a primarily off-ball help role. Could Ingram maybe do that? Possibly, but he'd have to show any interest whatsoever in that first and thus far he hasn't.

I agree that you can potentially hide him, depending on team construction.

He made several plays off ball tonight and has in the past. One example was when the Magic had the shot clock rolling down, BI put OFF BALL pressure on the closest guard denying him the ball. Thus forcing Bamba to keep it.

The possession became a turnover.

But I digress.

Excellent and efficient game from him tonight.

[Pelicanidae]

He made several plays off ball tonight and has in the past. One example was when the Magic had the shot clock rolling down, BI put OFF BALL pressure on the closest guard denying him the ball. Thus forcing Bamba to keep it.

The possession became a turnover.

But I digress.

Excellent and efficient game from him tonight.

Does this generally work for you, when trying to demonstrate a point?

Who's the worst defender in the NBA, maybe Trae Young? If I can find one or two defensive possessions per game where he does something right does that mean he's a good defender all of a sudden? Ingram is a poor defender, and the fact that he very occasionally makes a play on D doesn't change that overall picture.

But I digress.

Yeah, Ingram was really good on offense tonight, as he very often is.

[luckyman]

Does this generally work for you, when trying to demonstrate a point?

Who's the worst defender in the NBA, maybe Trae Young? If I can find one or two defensive possessions per game where he does something right does that mean he's a good defender all of a sudden? Ingram is a poor defender, and the fact that he very occasionally makes a play on D doesn't change that overall picture.

But I digress.

Yeah, Ingram was really good on offense tonight, as he very often is.

Yes it does work for me. And it obviously worked here because now you're changing switching and dodging.

I'm not going to point out the difference in what you initially said vs what you're saying now.

You said he shows no interest in playing off ball defense. I just gave an example from the game just played where he clearly does. Do I need to scrub his entire game log to point out examples of this?

You can go through this routine of moving goal posts all you like. I'm not going to go back and forth with you. Better things to do. I do digress.

[As I See It]

Ingram is a poor defender, and the fact that he very occasionally makes a play on D doesn't change that overall picture.

You may be right, but there is another heavily-relied-upon forward on the Pelicans who is far worse.

[Pelicanidae]

Yes it does work for me. And it obviously worked here because now you're changing switching and dodging.

I'm not going to point out the difference in what you initially said vs what you're saying now.

You said he shows no interest in playing off ball defense. I just gave an example from the game just played where he clearly does. Do I need to scrub his entire game log to point out examples of this?

You can go through this routine of moving goal posts all you like. I'm not going to go back and forth with you. Better things to do. I do digress.

I'm sorry, I don't think a player is showing real interest in improving in a skill and providing impact at it just because you can find a handful of possessions of them doing the thing here and there. Just like I don't think Trae Young is actually interested in defense just because he occasionally makes a rotation or sometimes digs on a passing dribbler, I don't think Ingram is at all invested in defense just because you can point out rare instances of him making the token effort.

That's my position clarified, so I think I'll move on as well. No time for bad faith pedantry.

[As I See It]

In case you are interested...

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/zion-wil...es-of-any-duo/