For Tankers viewing pleasure.

[13 - 3]

Jeff Duncan is on board the tank!

https://www.nola.com/pelicans/2019/0...o-get-him.html

[msusousaphone]

Big night tonight. Only one game separates suck positions 6, 7, 8, and 9. So there are many ping pong balls at stake.

Our tank faces our toughest opponents of the "we want to lose" season as we take on the fledgling Suns. If we trip up and accidentally win a game....this could be it. The Suns are secure in one of the top three positions of suck. So maybe they'll go easy on us and win big.

MEM and DAL begin their 1st of two game stints. If we can succeed is losing, we HAVE to vault one of these teams before their series is over. Maybe even tie both.

Fun times.

[PELICANSFAN]

I would be shocked if we lose to Phoenix with Booker, Ayton, Oubre and Warren out.

[Pelicanidae]

I would be shocked if we lose to Phoenix with Booker, Ayton, Oubre and Warren out.

Sure, the fact that they're missing everyone makes them worse. Gotta remember though that were missing AD, Jrue, Moore, Jackson, and Miller. Both teams are sending out the absolute dregs.

[Silverfoxx]

I swear I despise Julius Randle so much right now with his selfish play. Dude needs to be benched man. I won't even watch this game because this Pug is gonna mess up the tank.hope I'm wrong though.

[Tinman]

PELICANDAE --- Off TOPIC. Go to David Booth's (Director of Player Personel for Pelicans} TWITTER. He follows 88 Total. Most are NOT people. Check out who the most recent Follow/Being followed is.

[PELICANSFAN]

I swear I despise Julius Randle so much right now with his selfish play. Dude needs to be benched man. I won't even watch this game because this Pug is gonna mess up the tank.hope I'm wrong though.

Selfish play? The coaches put him out there to play. Should he not be aggressive just because the team should be tanking? He is playing for a new contract. If the coaches want to tank, they should not be playing him.

[Pelicanidae]

Selfish play? The coaches put him out there to play. Should he not be aggressive just because the team should be tanking? He is playing for a new contract. If the coaches want to tank, they should not be playing him.

I'd agree with this if it was game 50. It's not. It's game 79. Randle is not going to prove anything tonight that he didn't prove a month ago. That said, I agree that the coaches should NOT be playing him (Mason Ginsberg takes that view as well, he tweeted that Randle should be benched like 3 games ago), but unfortunately you're then relying on Alvin Gentry to make the call, and Gentry has proven himself incapable of making those kinds of long-term, big-picture decisions.

[PELICANSFAN]

I'd agree with this if it was game 50. It's not. It's game 79. Randle is not going to prove anything tonight that he didn't prove a month ago. That said, I agree that the coaches should NOT be playing him (Mason Ginsberg takes that view as well, he tweeted that Randle should be benched like 3 games ago), but unfortunately you're then relying on Alvin Gentry to make the call, and Gentry has proven himself incapable of making those kinds of long-term, big-picture decisions.

If I am a player looking for a contract, I am playing my hardest each night I am out there (and other teams would want to see that). If the coaches play him, I do not think it is selfish of him to play his best. We just need someone to give the coaches the direction to bench him.

[Pelicanidae]

If I am a player looking for a contract, I am playing my hardest each night I am out there (and other teams would want to see that). If the coaches play him, I do not think it is selfish of him to play his best. We just need someone to give the coaches the direction to bench him.

The coaches shouldn't need direction to do that. It should be absolute common sense to, when tanking (which we OBVIOUSLY are) at least reduce minutes heavily on key guys. So many coaches manage it without someone pointing it out to them.

[PELICANSFAN]

The coaches shouldn't need direction to do that. It should be absolute common sense to, when tanking (which we OBVIOUSLY are) at least reduce minutes heavily on key guys. So many coaches manage it without someone pointing it out to them.

Yeah, but these coaches have one foot out the door. Upper management should be telling them they need to bench players like Randle and Payton.

[Pelicanidae]

Yeah, but these coaches have one foot out the door. Upper management should be telling them they need to bench players like Randle and Payton.

You mean the upper management that also has a foot out of the door?

Nah but, seriously, it's all just such a mess.

[PELICANSFAN]

You mean the upper management that also has a foot out of the door?

Nah but, seriously, it's all just such a mess.

You're right, it definitely is.

[Tinman]

Sunday could guarantee Pels no worse than 7th if Wizards win & Pels do what Pels do!
We should pull for Dallas over Memphis.
Would put Pels in a 6-7 tie with Dallas, with Dallas playing Phx in Dallas Tuesday.
As The great Bono would say "Sunday Bloody Sunday" .

[Mythrol]

You mean the upper management that also has a foot out of the door?

Nah but, seriously, it's all just such a mess.

I mean Ferry is actively going for the GM position and Mrs B has no intention of selling. She shouldn't need to say anything to Ferry for the directive to be given that we need to punt these games.

[Tinman]

I mean Ferry is actively going for the GM position and Mrs B has no intention of selling. She shouldn't need to say anything to Ferry for the directive to be given that we need to punt these games.

But why should Gentry care?
Unless Ferry staying means Gentry has a better chance!
Hey, I have a great idea- Let's just keep everybody . Ugh !

[Pelicanidae]

But why should Gentry care?
Unless Ferry staying means Gentry has a better chance!
Hey, I have a great idea- Let's just keep everybody . Ugh !

Worst case scenario has already been avoided: at least Dell is gone.

Now if we end up with Griffin, or Langdon, or Rosas, then second worst-scenario will have been avoided: keeping the same management staff. And if we get a brand new GM, odds are that we'll get a new HC to go along with it.

edit: Surprise thought: if we get Griffin as GM, odds that he hires Blatt as HC? General consensus is that Blatt got fired from the Cavs job because of Lebron, and if it's true and Griffin still gets along with him, then there could be an outside chance of that.

[Tinman]

Worst case scenario has already been avoided: at least Dell is gone.

Now if we end up with Griffin, or Langdon, or Rosas, then second worst-scenario will have been avoided: keeping the same management staff. And if we get a brand new GM, odds are that we'll get a new HC to go along with it.

edit: Surprise thought: if we get Griffin as GM, odds that he hires Blatt as HC? General consensus is that Blatt got fired from the Cavs job because of Lebron, and if it's true and Griffin still gets along with him, then there could be an outside chance of that.

I've got no problem with Blatt.
I just don't see how we keep Ferry. It's the antithesis of what Benson's message has been.Yank the freakin Band-Aid !

[Mythrol]

But why should Gentry care?
Unless Ferry staying means Gentry has a better chance!
Hey, I have a great idea- Let's just keep everybody . Ugh !

Gentry should care because the organization has been extremely fair to him. It's not as if Gentry winning a couple games is going to change his odds of getting another job in the league. He's well established and known.

Usually decent human beings treat others well who have been decent to them.

[Tinman]

Gentry should care because the organization has been extremely fair to him. It's not as if Gentry winning a couple games is going to change his odds of getting another job in the league. He's well established and known.

Usually decent human beings treat others well who have been decent to them.

Wait, you think Gentry is gonna say "Oh you wonderful wonderful people have treated me fairly by firing my arse"!
That is stunning.
There is NO WAY that if Gentry gets fired that he will think he was treated fairly.
All of that public good will evaporates immediately.
As far as your last sentence- That's the most naive thing I've ever seen posted on this website.
Its a business & unfortunately personel feelings bleed into the equation.
Gentry POV will be "I don't see why I was fired " Injuries, Demps, AD sabotaging the season ! How is this my fault.
Cmon, I can't believe you said that.

[Mythrol]

Wait, you think Gentry is gonna say "Oh you wonderful wonderful people have treated me fairly by firing my arse"!
That is stunning.
There is NO WAY that if Gentry gets fired that he will think he was treated fairly.
All of that public good will evaporates immediately.
As far as your last sentence- That's the most naive thing I've ever seen posted on this website.
Its a business & unfortunately personel feelings bleed into the equation.
Gentry POV will be "I don't see why I was fired " Injuries, Demps, AD sabotaging the season ! How is this my fault.
Cmon, I can't believe you said that.

They could have fired him mid-season. I'm specifically talking about him tanking to end the season. The team did right by him by allowing him to finish the season instead of firing him halfway through. It doesn't matter what heppens after the end of the season, the coach's job is to do what the team tells him to do, especially in a situation where the Pelicans have allowed Gentry to play out his contract.

[Tinman]

They could have fired him mid-season. I'm specifically talking about him tanking to end the season. The team did right by him by allowing him to finish the season instead of firing him halfway through. It doesn't matter what heppens after the end of the season, the coach's job is to do what the team tells him to do, especially in a situation where the Pelicans have allowed Gentry to play out his contract.

The team did right by the team.
I'm not following how finishing this helped Gentry. They are 2-13 in their past 15. He was gonna get paid either way.
Pels brass made it the least messy for the team. It wasn't to be loyal to Gentry.

[Mythrol]

The team did right by the team.
I'm not following how finishing this helped Gentry. They are 2-13 in their past 15. He was gonna get paid either way.
Pels brass made it the least messy for the team. It wasn't to be loyal to Gentry.

If Gentry didn't want to listen to what the team said he could have resigned at any point. Your job as a head coach is to do what the owner tells you to do.

It's not how they finish the season, it's about allowing you to walk away with the most amount of respect/dignity as possible. Middle of the season to rip a coach away from a team he has invested everything in is far different than allowing the coach to finish his contract and not renewing it during the off season.

Doing right by the team would be to clear house as soon as AD announced it or whenever Dell got fired and ensuring you put someone in place that will tank the last part of the season.

[Tinman]

If Gentry didn't want to listen to what the team said he could have resigned at any point. Your job as a head coach is to do what the owner tells you to do.

It's not how they finish the season, it's about allowing you to walk away with the most amount of respect/dignity as possible. Middle of the season to rip a coach away from a team he has invested everything in is far different than allowing the coach to finish his contract and not renewing it during the off season.

Doing right by the team would be to clear house as soon as AD announced it or whenever Dell got fired and ensuring you put someone in place that will tank the last part of the season.

If I'm not mistaken, he's under contract for next year also. So he's not finishing out any contract.
Also, if Gentry quits/resigns, he doesn't get paid. So, that wasn't gonna happen.
So, your take is- They have already told Gentry that he's gone at the end of the year & then said - BTW, tank for us if you don't mind, Alvin. Because Alvin, although we are canning your tail, you owe us because we LET you finish out your lame duck year? Huh!

[Mythrol]

If I'm not mistaken, he's under contract for next year also. So he's not finishing out any contract.
Also, if Gentry quits/resigns, he doesn't get paid. So, that wasn't gonna happen.
So, your take is- They have already told Gentry that he's gone at the end of the year & then said - BTW, tank for us if you don't mind, Alvin. Because Alvin, although we are canning your tail, you owe us because we LET you finish out your lame duck year? Huh!

I'm not sure I thought when they extended him it was for another season but maybe it was 2.

My take is that they came to Gentry and said we can't make any promises about your future, that will be what the new GM determines. We plan on tanking the rest of the season, are you good with doing that or do we need to put someone else in place who will and you lose any chance of retaining your job?