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Devonte Graham
Kira Lewis
Jose Alvarado
Dyson Daniels
Naji Marshall
Jaxson Hayes
I think Jose is the X-factor on this team. He's the heart of the team, his shot was looking alot better later in the year and he was getting really confident and crafty around the rim. If he can keep up or improve on those offensive traits and keep the same hustle and defense, he's a legit 6th man guard type for us. DD would be second, although I'm not counting out a big jump from Kira as well.
Where's the poll option for "If I find the correct coordination of my lucky game watching outfit"?
Good positive energy.
But also, yo mama's fat.
I don't feel great about any of them becoming head and shoulders above the others. If it happens for any of them, I'm stoked.
I voted for Jose because although I didn't think he had as much room to grow, he seems to have improved based off of stats from this summer and his head seems to be in the right place and there's a very real need so he'll get the opportunity. The same thinking is the only reason why I wouldn't expect Jax to take that leap. He is basically the opposite. He has all the gifts and ability to continue to improve but his decision making continues to seem pretty poor. If Zion or JV go down Hayes is going to have to grow up quickly and that can really go either way to his development.
I think Graham will probably have a bit of a bounceback at the start of this season and hopefully Naji continues his trend of improving. I really have no hope for Kira though. I still haven't seen anything he's done on the court to make me feel hopeful but I'd be so happy if he made me eat my words. Dyson is a complete unknown to me. Excited to see what he can do.
.......if healthyOriginally Posted by zakzak
@Jabberwalker
Gonna need even more of this from JV next season...
Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 8 rebounds in Lithuania's win over Hungary today in FIBA World Cup qualifiers
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) August 24, 2022
pic.twitter.com/W1OhzrJLHi
I agree he has to be good -- I just think it will need to be in a different way. I think points should/will go down. He needs to be a screen setting monster who can stretch when Zion is in and be a menace on the O glass when he is out. And he needs to be an active hedge on D who swallows all defensive boards.
2016-17 Jonas plus stretch ability would be pretty ideal. 12 ppg, 9.5 rebs in 26mpg. I will take the 3 assists from last year and the 36% from 3. I have no desire for the 13 FGA's. Bam Adebayo averaged 13FGA's last year, as a 2B/3 option. Jonas should be a clear 4th option this year. Sure, he can take 15, 16 shots on a night where 1 or 2 of the big 3 are out. But on a regular night, be more like what Brook Lopez was on the Bucks title team in 20-21, usage wise
@mcnamara247
I hope that's what he can be. I worry a bit after getting so much playing time last year that he might think hat's the guy he needs to be from now on or something. A grizzlies podcast I listen to dubbed him Hassan Whiteguy and it's my favorite current NBA nickname.
He still can't defend the pick and roll which is kind of important
But we will probably out offense most teams anyway
I feel like I am much lower on Jonas than the majority of the fan base. I feel similarly about him as I did about David West. I see the counting stats and the toughness, but I think that on the actual court - its just a net neutral. Especially on a team with a good roster. Jonas is the Halo player that will have 24 kills and 24 deaths. And is more likely to have a game with 12 kills and those 24 deaths than the inverse.
I think that the better the team around him, the more likely Jonas is to be a net negative. On a bad team, he will raise your floor. On a great team, he is a net negative in most playoff series. What he does well, we no longer really need if healthy (aside from the offensive rebounding). But, is he going to be around the basket, able to get offensive boards when Zion is on the court? Or would you prefer him spacing to give Zion room? And will teams respect the spacing enough to actually give Zion room?
Jonas was big last year and they dont make the playoffs without him. With Zion back, I think he gets less and less valuable by the day
Jonas wasn't even part of the closing lineup at the end of the year vs the Suns and it's only gonna get worse for him with Zion returning. He's worth having around during regular season to save wear & tear on crucial players, but obviously, given the current style of play in the NBA, his career is on the downside from this point forward.
Yet he was one of the main reasons they won game 4. Played 7 of 12 fourth quarter minutes and put up 11 points and 4 rebounds in those minutes.
In games 4, 5, and 6 he averaged 8 minutes in the 4th quarter. So it's not like he wasn't a major contributor even if Larry Nance played the last 2 to 3 minutes.
Jonas and his skillset is still very much needed in today's NBA will be needed for the success of this team. Especially if Zion continues to miss time. Rebounding is always important and he can do that. They can scheme around his issues defensively.
fully agree. I would have drafted Duren who went to Detroit
I can see Jonas not being in a lot of closing lineups, but we're still going to need him for certain matchups. Denver, and Minnesota are two that come to mind.
Yeah, I really go back and forth on Jonas. Sometimes I see him do something and think, "that's the advantage of having a big dude in there who can play a traditional center role on the glass", and other times I see him giving up so much on D that it makes it hard to balance the two. I think what is going to become important is seeing how offensively gifted this team is and giving Jonas touches may not be the best option anymore. It's difficult when you asses the league for better options and realize that those options are either not very big upgrades, are too coveted to reasonably acquire, or don't have the skillsets that would fit. We need Kristaps to somehow make like a third of his salary and decide to come to NOLA lol.
Jonas may be the best true center that the Pelicans or Hornets have ever had. While Cousins may have had some aspects of his game that were better, his attitude sucked and he only gave us one real season. JV doesn't demand the ball but can shoot and score very well when he does get it. We have been starved for a good center for years, so let's be happy we finally have one!!!
It’s not about good or bad. In this league, unless the center is elite and is your best player, it’s all about fit at that position. Nikola Vucevic is “better” than Kevon Looney or Al Horford but neither the Celtics or the Warriors would rather have had him last year
Jonas is a good player, but my argument would be that he is better on a team looking to raise their floor than one looking to raise their ceiling. Or on a team that has elite perimeter defense and is in need of some offensive juice. On a team with a ton of offense and a stable of questionable defenders, he wouldn’t be my top choice if I was picking amongst all the 2nd and 3rd tier centers. I might take a Poetl over him, for instance, even though Jonas is the better player in a vacuum
Questions?...I'm in the dark. Will/Can the Pels go uptempo a bit more this year? Do BI and Zion like to run the court on offense, when given the opportunity? I'm just not sure we have many that want to go full blast downcourt, after a defensive rebound. I haven't been a Pels' fan for long...but this reminds me...I miss that Hart guy. Couldn't shoot, but would play D & didn't mind running a one-man fast break, whenever he could pull down a defensive rebound. Can I assume DD is a runner...once he starts getting some decent minutes, by mid-season?
Depends what you mean with uptempo. Casuals usually mean fast breaks and shooting in 7 seconds or less
Real uptempo is getting into your offense with 19 or 20 on the shot clock on almost every possession. And no, I don’t see this roster doing that off makes. Zion, BI, CJ, and Jonas are all more deliberate players. I am expecting them to be in the middle or the top of the bottom third when it comes to half court possession tempo
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