November 20th - New Orleans Pelicans vs Indiana Pacers - 3-14

[Pelicanidae]

Back at it tonight!

🏀: vs Indiana
🕕: 6pm CST
📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA#WBD | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/cp4Ud58Lfj

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 20, 2021

Having picked up a win last game against the Clippers, we take on the Pacers tonight.

Pacers are having a rough year, their 6-11 record thus far a testament to that. They rank 15th in offense and 16th in defense, dead average in both, but they're on a little bit of a skid having lost 3 in a row - including a game to the 4-11 Pistons. They're a team that can be beaten, even by not very good teams. So there's a chance there.

Could we try and go back-to-back, initiating our first winstreak of the season? It would be difficult, of course, but wouldn't that be fun?

[AusPel]

For some reason, this game is being televised live in Australia on free to air.

Random azz game to show, but I'm not complaining

Probably won't get the Joel and AD call, though

[Pelicanidae]

I think what's weird to me about this season is that despite starting 3-14, which is obviously horribly bad, we're somehow not even particularly far long-term from being in play-in position. We love to talk about tanking, which makes sense given the trajectory of the team so far this year and how much time Zion's missed and whatnot, but the team currently in 10th in the West only has 6 wins.

We have the 2nd worst record in the NBA, but are only 3 games back from the play-in. Which seems like it shouldn't be possible, and yet it is.

[HerbJonesFan]

I don't understand how thats "weird"

If the bar is only 10th place, it shouldn't be that far out of sight, even if you started 0-17. The 10th place team usually wins 40-44% of their games. Meaning, that through 17 games, they would have won around 6 in almost any season. Even if you started 0-17, you would "only" be 6 games back with 65 left to play. When you look at it that way, of course you could shoot for that fantastic 10th seed. Heck, you can start 0-22 and still only be 8 or 9 games out with 60 left to play in a normal year.

In 2015-16, the 10th place team in the West won 33 games. 34 the year after that, 37 in 2018-19, and so on and so forth. 10th was always gonna be in play, even with a worse start than this. Heck, even when the team is 4-21 after 25, someone will come on here and say "We got some easy games coming up and Zion is coming back, and we are only 6 games out of 10th with 57 left to play!"

If that is the new bar, it is easy for almost any fanbase to find hope, which is why the play in game addition is brilliant.

[As I See It]

For the people who believe Zion is 'all that'...a 'play-in' game shouldn't look bad to them right now.

[AD-AT]

Crazy how much 1 mental error seems to always lead to like a 12-0 run against us this season.

[PaKwAn]

Why would they match hart up with sabonis?

[AusPel]

Why is NAW so terrible at throwing alley oops

[AD-AT]

Please keep shutting me up Kira. I am all for it!

[AusPel]

Just watch the ball roll out of bounds boys

That's the way

[PaKwAn]

Josh hart has been complaining so much this game

[AD-AT]

Hart's 1 on 3 fast break turnovers are getting old

[As I See It]

"Come on, coach, FREE BILLY. JAX is the same player he was three years ago'.

[HerbJonesFan]

I am just curious if this board thinks Brandon Ingram is a good basketball player. Not a good scorer. Not a good stat putter upper. Is he a good basketball player?

[As I See It]

JAX, you play defense with your feet...not your hands.

[AusPel]

Jax is so bad

[AD-AT]

Jax is Asik but athletic. Somehow still as awful at catching a pass inside

[AusPel]

How is that not a foul

[ragincaucasian]

I am just curious if this board thinks Brandon Ingram is a good basketball player. Not a good scorer. Not a good stat putter upper. Is he a good basketball player?

Not really.

He is way below average defensively, especially with his huge wingspan.

He is decent when he can hit the midrange, which seems to be only 1 game this year.

Doesn't drive to the basket when he's having an off shooting night.

Doesn't pass particularly well.

Is the opposite of clutch. He is a detriment to the team in crunch time.

Will do the ISO Ingram thing which is 100% fail every time.

Not a great rebounder for his size.

Average 3 point shooter (36% this year)



Pros:

He shoots free throws well, unless you really need them. Then he turns into Shaq at the free throw line.

Is a good teammate (I guess?)

[AD-AT]

NAW is going to have a short career if he can't get this jumpshot under control

[6warddude]

Josh hart has been complaining so much this game

the whole season..

[As I See It]

If possible, JAX has regressed.

[As I See It]

Josh hart has been complaining so much this game

Doing his best Lebron impersonation, I guess.

[Pelicanidae]

End of the third, looking like we're getting 30'd.

I'm seriously concerned about Ingram. Since coming back off injury he has been roooough. There have been moments and bursts where he's looked good but overall it's not been pretty and this game is just continuing it.

NAW's lost it again after finding it for three or four games.

Temple and Satoransky haven't played a ton tonight so far but they've been bad when they have, no surprises.

Rough.

[Pelicanidae]

Alvarado and co come out, that's 3-15.