#Pelicans Media Day Live: Trajan Langdon https://t.co/NHgXyBVub1
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2023
It's media day
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Media Day
#Pelicans Media Day Live: Trajan Langdon https://t.co/NHgXyBVub1
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2023
It's media day
Basketball.
Talk about letting Zion playmake out of the PnR and also playing him at the 5 from time to time.
Also more discussion about Ingram as a de facto point guard at times.
Zero expectations for me this year.
Thought it was a top 4 western team this time last year including normal injuries. Was pretty accurate for a while, but this franchise doesn't do normal. Nope.
Anything from NBA champs to top 10 lottery all on the table for me.
Saw Trajan and Coach Green out having dinner together last week. Sitting too far away to hear anything, but they were still deep in conversation when we left and the place was all but empty...
B.I. ��#Pelicans | @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/hj2PHd3Dw1
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2023
Herb in the #Pelicans Statement Edition uniform �� pic.twitter.com/l0gqGyAXJG
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2023
Watch Live #Pelicans Media Day: Zion https://t.co/J1JB4Gm7wT
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2023
Transcribing from the Zion interview; note that phrasing in this transcription is as close to exact as I can make it without spending forever on double checking and such. It will be 90% accurate but if I miss a word here or there, that's just what you gotta deal with.
On moving forward and what's different?
''Pelicans have put in a lot of things this off-season to not only prevent stuff like that, but how to react to it in the best way possible. I think what the Pels have done is add good structure and we'll see as the season goes [...] working on movements, staying in New Orleans this summer and working with the Pels. Being on the same page with the personal trainers. Really locking in to every aspect of my body.''
Why spend more time in NO?
''I wanted change. If I want change I have to do something different so I sat down with the Pels and came up with a great plan.''
Willie Green and Trajan said you can play all positions but there's a potential best fit at 5; do you feel comfortable with that?
''They said that? I feel comfortable in all positions, I'm a basketball player. I simply want to win and impact the game. I train to impact the game from all areas.''
What helps you stay in a good mindset with all the rumours and such?
''It's home, New Orleans is home to me. It's a little upsetting I have to sit up here and tell people all the time that this is home to me, it's where I want to be, and being in the city a lot more this summer was dope. Running into people in New Orleans, it was love always. [...] The mindset is that I can help a lot of people, I can do things for a lot of people around me but this past summer was that if something was to happen to me where basketball wasn't there or where life changed, who would be there for me? Realistically? And I had to come to that realisation that when it comes to family and the city, it's always good. So I focus on that.''
You try to keep your private life private; how was it this summer with people prying?
''When I want to share something about my family, I will. Simple as that. When I want to share something about my personal life, I will share it - if not, I don't.''
We still don't know what this team is capable of, but thoughts on whether you see potential greatness?
''I do, I think there's a lot of greatness within this franchise but I'm not about to sit up here and talk about it too much because I need to show y'all.''
Priorities going into the season.
''To win, to win with my brothers. Simple as that, I think we all have the same goal - we want to win and we want to have fun.''
Standouts this summer
''A few things stood out to me - before I get to my teammates, I'll start with FO and staff. Griff, Trajan, Swinn, those three have been really helpful. They've supported me, they've had my back, and we all got the same goal in mind which I think is what family is about, people having your back no matter what and wanting the best for each other. Teammates wise, y'all know Jose is Jose, but who I think y'all should look forward to and I'll put pressure on him is Trey Murphy, even though he's currently out. Trey's gonna be a problem. I'm excited for him to return to the court, he's going to be a problem.''
Trying to grow into a more leadership role
''Before I can lead I have to learn how to follow, and I think BI and CJ have done a great job of leading the team on and off the court. So I'll say those are our two leaders, they've been on the court in tough moments and they're always the ones to say something to get the team going. I have to grow into that leadership role, and hopefully over time I'll be able to grow into it.''
Flashback to how special December was - what are you hoping to carry over?
''It was great, it was a great time, but I mean it was early in the season. We want to be at the top when the season's over. That's what we work towards. So the season didn't end the way we wanted it to last year but we can't dwell on that - we have to learn from it and get better.''
What have you worked on this summer?
''You want me to give a scouting report on myself? What I worked on was being unguardable.''
Nance says that he's already ''80%'' recovered from his ankle injury. Says he came back earlier than he 'should have' last year and that it was ''totally my decision'' because he ''wanted to snd a message'', but the injection has worked and he'll be fine.
Also just want to highlight, out of despairing hilarity, that they mentioned that they didn't have an official team physiotherapist before this summer
You have to laugh because otherwise you'd cry.
Man oh man.Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
R.I.P. to HunnyB/FlyGirl
Let’s just get rid of the small market mentality and come out swinging. We looked to be finally turning a leaf before Zion went down but bad habits came creeping back once he got hurt. No more 10 game skids. Even with our best players down we should have been able to steady the ship, but part of that failure is coaching and the other half is avoiding complacency. Willie is still a young coach and can turn it around. The players have another season under their belt. Hopefully our main guys stay healthy. Keep the heads up. We will not have a better chance at competing than now in all likelihood.
Man he looks stoned all the time. I've watched an interview from one of the casters covering Serbian basketball team in World Cup in Manila and he was also at couple Media Days with USA team. He said that most American players are different, but the player he was fascinated the most was Brandon. He was talking to him and asked him how he liked Phillipines and World Cup in general and Brandon answered with: "It's nice, they have pretty women here". Just to clarify, USA players were not allowed to leave hotel. They even had training ground in hotel. That guy also mentioned that Brandon looks disinterested all the time.
Idk, he seems pretty happy here
Brandon Ingram out here in the glizzy costume pic.twitter.com/PyTW3b1vql
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) October 8, 2023
By all accounts I've heard he's very dedicated to his craft, is a bit shy and a homebody. Nothing wrong with any of that.
Probably how I'd be if I were a professional athlete. The job alone is too much noise.
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