Thunder vs Pelicans (YHT) Game 3 Playoffs! GAMEDAY THREAD!

[13 - 3]

So it has come down to this! They want us to show up early so we can booze up early. This is our only hope now. Rest tonight. Long day Saturday.

We need everybody on Saturday ��️

�� Doors open at 12:30 p.m.
�� All concessions are 50% off until tip-off
�� Red shirt on every seat!

Tix: https://t.co/r9aJk1FxQ8@SmoothieKing | @Entergy pic.twitter.com/9Hl2Ex1RdT

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 25, 2024

No new injuries to report heading into game 3.#Pelicans | @MorrisBartLLC https://t.co/XjA3VaXzpA

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 26, 2024

[13 - 3]

NAW going off for T Wolves. Sad we kicked him to curb.

[stevemadden504]

Cj looking awful early.

[Pelicanidae]

NAW going off for T Wolves. Sad we kicked him to curb.

He had several years here to figure it out and didn't. He sucked on the Pelicans. Good for him that he finally got it worked out elsewhere, but I'm not interested in paying people just in the hopes that they figure it out. For every NAW there's a Cheick Diallo.

[Pelicanidae]

CJ looking terrible.

BI not looking much better.

The money-makers failing to show up again, thus far.

[Mount_Zion]

Yup the top two scoring options look terrible

The B.I Era is coming to an end

[Pelicanidae]

Yup the top two scoring options look terrible

The B.I Era is coming to an end

If there's one benefit to getting swept out of the first round in embarrassing fashion with BI completely wetting the bed like this, it's that maybe it convinces Griff not to pony up the gigantic contract.

I hold out no hope, but that's the pipe dream.

[markid]

It's a bummer. I was excited to see how BI does here and what I am seeing is telling..

[stevemadden504]

Crazy to think we got a 30 scorer riding the bench in Hawkins. If you trying to win and you can see your main guys aren't getting it done why not try something new. The goal is not just to make it to the playoffs and I feel Willie is content with it

[Mount_Zion]

Will the boo birds come out

Willie Green looks frozen

[Pelicanidae]

BI and CJ having a functional 3rd quarter hoping it will make us all forget the previous 10 quarters of this series.

[Ivan Balakhonov]

They managed to make it absolutely unwatchable. I almost wish Griff gives these proverbial $50M to Ingram to finally convince me that it's time to stop caring about the franchise.

[Pelicanidae]

They managed to make it absolutely unwatchable. I almost wish Griff gives these proverbial $50M to Ingram to finally convince me that it's time to stop caring about the franchise.

Imagine how much fun we'd be making of like, Chicago if they gave a 1 time allstar a $250m contract.

[Mount_Zion]

Giddey is outplaying CJ lol

[Mount_Zion]

The Kings Play-in game was pretty much against a team that can't play any defense

[JJackisangry]

Crazy to think we got a 30 scorer riding the bench in Hawkins. If you trying to win and you can see your main guys aren't getting it done why not try something new. The goal is not just to make it to the playoffs and I feel Willie is content with it

Willie got his contract. He couldn’t give a flip. This is the problem with the organization. There is no accountability or pressure on the staff whatsoever. I can appreciate the atmosphere they are trying (and failing to build), but you won’t build a winning franchise that way. Willie doesn’t need to look for solutions and can continue to bang his head into the wall with the same strategy every night.

[Pelicanidae]

the Kings games was pretty much against a team that can't play any defense

Nah, don't need to say that. Kings were a top 15 defensive team this year, not great but not terrible. We had their number, that just happens sometimes. Don't need to discredit the positives of this team to acknowledge the negatives.

Pelicans, as constructed, are a solid team. They will win 45-50 games every year if this squad is kept together in even semi-reasonable health. The talent is there, the fit is not. They'll beat up on terrible teams and get their wins 50/50 against mid-teams, and pick up a few big wins against good teams. It'll happen.

What this team is not right now, is a contender to take on the real contenders. Without Zion, the gaps are exposed: very few people who can really create advantages with any sort of consistency. CJ is too old for it at this point, having slowed down slightly, and works best off-ball. BI's game relies on hitting difficult shots and he seems averse to creating easier ones, which means when the difficult shots aren't falling (which is more than half the time) he just can't get going in any meaningful way. And that's who you're trusting to create everything without Zion.

Team's a good regular season team, and if we had a higher seed and got to play a worse team in the first round maybe we could even steal a series. But we're not up to taking on the real teams, contending for chips, not right now. Needs change.

[JJackisangry]

Nah, don't need to say that. Kings were a top 15 defensive team this year, not great but not terrible. We had their number, that just happens sometimes. Don't need to discredit the positives of this team to acknowledge the negatives.

Pelicans, as constructed, are a solid team. They will win 45-50 games every year if this squad is kept together in even semi-reasonable health. The talent is there, the fit is not. They'll beat up on terrible teams and get their wins 50/50 against mid-teams, and pick up a few big wins against good teams. It'll happen.

What this team is not right now, is a contender to take on the real contenders. Without Zion, the gaps are exposed: very few people who can really create advantages with any sort of consistency. CJ is too old for it at this point, having slowed down slightly, and works best off-ball. BI's game relies on hitting difficult shots and he seems averse to creating easier ones, which means when the difficult shots aren't falling (which is more than half the time) he just can't get going in any meaningful way. And that's who you're trusting to create everything without Zion.

Team's a good regular season team, and if we had a higher seed and got to play a worse team in the first round maybe we could even steal a series. But we're not up to taking on the real teams, contending for chips, not right now. Needs change.

I question the coach more than I question the fit. CJ could have easily been moved to the bench and that would have solved problems in so many areas. We could have used BI and Zion in many more P&R and screening situations to build chemistry and that never happened. For me, Willie really needed to run more plays. He needed to get Jonas more involved. He is really one of those coaches that just throws his best players onto the floor and hopes it works. He needed to micromanage it way more than he did.

[AD Zen Master]

I don't know enough about the NBA to know, but it seems like a waste of several years chasing our tail. That Phoenix series seems like a decade ago and the 49 wins this season seem pretty worthless. The inevitable "blow-up" will lead to another 4, 5 or 6 years, maybe two more coaches, lots of meaningless games and an empty arena. Unless we get crazy lucky with the draft but we did once already and that hasn't worked out too well.

I'm just an average fan with zero excitement for the future.

[JJackisangry]

I don't know enough about the NBA to know, but it seems like a waste of several years chasing our tail. That Phoenix series seems like a decade ago and the 49 wins this season seem pretty worthless. The inevitable "blow-up" will lead to another 4, 5 or 6 years, maybe two more coaches, lots of meaningless games and an empty arena. Unless we get crazy lucky with the draft but we did once already and that hasn't worked out too well.

I'm just an average fan with zero excitement for the future.

Until the owner does a better job, it will continue to flounder.

[stevemadden504]

They not just winning these games they beating they beating their asis

[Mount_Zion]

Nah, don't need to say that. Kings were a top 15 defensive team this year, not great but not terrible. We had their number, that just happens sometimes. Don't need to discredit the positives of this team to acknowledge the negatives.

Pelicans, as constructed, are a solid team. They will win 45-50 games every year if this squad is kept together in even semi-reasonable health. The talent is there, the fit is not. They'll beat up on terrible teams and get their wins 50/50 against mid-teams, and pick up a few big wins against good teams. It'll happen.

What this team is not right now, is a contender to take on the real contenders. Without Zion, the gaps are exposed: very few people who can really create advantages with any sort of consistency. CJ is too old for it at this point, having slowed down slightly, and works best off-ball. BI's game relies on hitting difficult shots and he seems averse to creating easier ones, which means when the difficult shots aren't falling (which is more than half the time) he just can't get going in any meaningful way. And that's who you're trusting to create everything without Zion.

Team's a good regular season team, and if we had a higher seed and got to play a worse team in the first round maybe we could even steal a series. But we're not up to taking on the real teams, contending for chips, not right now. Needs change.

They had a chance to get sixth and blew it at home to the Lakers. They would have been beaten by Minnesota. I really don't think they could beat any of the other 7 teams in the West without Zion. Now the question does do you wait on Zion to stay healthy and be a available in the playoffs or blow it up

[Mount_Zion]

They not just winning these games they beating they beating their asis

outside of Game 1 which can be chalked up as OKC being rusty

[Pelicanidae]

They had a chance to get sixth and blew it at home to the Lakers. They would have been beaten by Minnesota. I really don't think they could beat any of the other 7 teams in the West without Zion. Now the question does do you wait on Zion to stay healthy and be a available in the playoffs or blow it up

I've been super clear about my beliefs.

Can't pay BI that money. Get rid of him. Get back 80 cents on the dollar, I don't care, just get some serviceable roleplayers and maybe a pick, I don't need another star.

Then get rid of JV. Not because of JV himself, he's been great, but if Willie Green is going to refuse to play him then don't waste his time or our money/roster spot. Get someone he will actually play.

Then go into the season next year starting Herb AND Trey. Cannot keep benching Trey. It's inexcusable.

And see if you can move CJ for any value through the season.

I've been saying since last year that you can't build around both Zion and BI, it just doesn't work. You need to pick which one and commit. Circumstances and on court results make it clear, along with the contract situations, which one you choose to me - Zion is the better player, and costs less going forward. Both have injury risks so I don't care about that in terms of this particular decision.

[Pelicanidae]

They not just winning these games they beating they beating their asis

Exactly, if we'd have just lost then maybe people could say ''oh well, if Zion was here we'd have won, we put up a fight''.

But you can't do that. We're getting whipped and our two guys getting paid $30m a year are doing nothing to fight back.