August 13th - New Orleans Pelicans vs Orlando Magic - FINAL BUBBLE GAME

[Pelicanidae]

Season finale tonight #PelicansGameday

🏀: vs. Orlando
⏰: 8 pm CT
📺: @FOXSportsNOLA
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA 100.3 FM#WholeNewGame | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/CgZBpZrrNI

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 13, 2020

This it is.

Still no Zion, Ingram, or Jrue, again for very obvious reasons.

It's really disappointing that the final game of the season would be this inconsequential, but here we are. What a way to go out; not with a bang, but a whimper.

We've heard rumours and whispers going around. Will Guillory of The Athletic tells us that it's basically the worst kept secret in the NBA that Gentry is gone after this year, and we've had reports just today from David Aldridge that people around the league expect a roster shakeup for us, with Lonzo Ball at the centre of discussions. Zion has confirmed he's going to work on his body to get in the right shape the staff expect for next year. Favors has said he would like to come back, but knows that it's a case of ''we'll see''. Redick's playoff streak is over.

Barring anything weird, the team next year will probably look significantly different, both in terms of the roster and the coaching staff. I think that's a good thing, and while this game tonight is probably going to be rather miserable, we can look forward to some hefty changes that should set us up more comfortably going forward this offseason.

Here's to next year.

[HartOfaPelican]

Next year will be more of the same unless some big changes are made.

[Coreyinthe504]

I don't really like resting players if we are out of the playoffs. How is zion going to get in condition not playing? I was going to watch it if Zion played though, but i don't think i will now.

[PELICANSFAN]

I don't really like resting players if we are out of the playoffs. How is zion going to get in condition not playing? I was going to watch it if Zion played though, but i don't think i will now.

How is one or two games and then a few months off going to do anything for his conditioning?

[As I See It]

I think that's a good thing, and while this game tonight is probably going to be rather miserable, we can look forward to some hefty changes that should set us up more comfortably going forward this offseason.

Here's to next year.

And of course, my friend, we can look forward to seeing more Jah tonight too.

Just teasing.

[As I See It]

Who thinks we've seen Jrue in a Pelican uniform for the last time?

[Taker597]

I don't really like resting players if we are out of the playoffs. How is zion going to get in condition not playing? I was going to watch it if Zion played though, but i don't think i will now.

Apparently being coddle builds a winning culture. Oh, wait... It doesn't. Just another farm to be raided.

[Pelicanidae]

Who thinks we've seen Jrue in a Pelican uniform for the last time?

Could be. With Aldridge saying that its expected for the Pels to make a real shakeup, almost anyone could be on the way out even if Lonzo is the most obvious name given.

Especially if we did want to make, for example, a CP3 trade; Jrue's contract is the quickest way to a deal of such size, given he's our only guy with a $25m+ salary at the moment.

[As I See It]

Could be. With Aldridge saying that its expected for the Pels to make a real shakeup, almost anyone could be on the way out even if Lonzo is the most obvious name given.

Especially if we did want to make, for example, a CP3 trade; Jrue's contract is the quickest way to a deal of such size, given he's our only guy with a $25m+ salary at the moment.

This is where I get confused. If we are 'a building mode' as you suggest, why would we tie up > $40 Million of our salary cap for the next two years on a 35 year old player? Especially since growth trumps a playoff experience in your mind.

[Pelicanidae]

This is where I get confused. If we are 'a building mode' as you suggest, why would we tie up > $40 Million of our salary cap for the next two years on a 35 year old player? Especially since growth trumps a playoff experience in your mind.

I gave my reasoning and also my concerns in another thread. Not gonna go over it here cause it takes a lot of explaining and I don't wanna clog up the game thread with total none-related walls of text

[Pelicanidae]

Number of different starting lineups the Pelicans have used in the past 5 seasons:

15-16: 42
16-17: 28
17-18: 16
18-19: 31
19-20: 23

That's an average of 28 per season.

— Christian Clark (@cclark3000) August 13, 2020

[WildlifeAirGrp]

Last post for a while. Just wanted to say thanks for helping distract me from the real world. It certainly didn't end the way we wanted it too, but it's been fun coming on here and realizing I know nothing about the NBA. Either way, we are headed off for a project soon and I will only be able to watch from afar. Maybe that's a good thing. It'll be exciting to see who our new coach is. Take care and hope to chime back in later this year.

[Funcrusher]

This is where I get confused. If we are 'a building mode' as you suggest, why would we tie up > $40 Million of our salary cap for the next two years on a 35 year old player? Especially since growth trumps a playoff experience in your mind.

Because we're "building" through the draft, not through free agency. Unless you think we're legitimate suitors for any hot commodity free agent in the coming years, and let's be real.

[Funcrusher]

Here's to next year though. I hope Griff knows what he's doing, and honestly, I'm optimistic

[Eman5805]

I love Hart in the open court. Dude has finished so many of those breaks.

[Pelicanidae]

I love Hart in the open court. Dude has finished so many of those breaks.

Of guys who have actually played significant minutes, Hart is probably our best transition finisher at the moment.

[Pelicanidae]

Just looking at the active roster for this game it's crazy how many of these guys probably won't be here next year.

Frank Jackson, Kenrich Williams, Jahlil Okafor, Sindarius Thornwell. Technically Derrick Favors, Lonzo Ball, and E'twaun Moore are all listed as active as well.

Seven names there, and I expect at least 3 of them to be gone. Could be more.

[Eman5805]

So everyone turns into the 2016 Warriors vs us?

[Pelicanidae]

It's crazy, especially considering how many guards we have, that we don't have a single legitimate normal point guard.

Lonzo - Can't create in the half court, can't break down defenses, can't run normal offense
Jrue - More of a shooting guard. He can do some of that stuff but it's not really his strength
Moore - 3pt shooter, can do occasional stuff off the dribble but isn't good at it, cannot run offense
Hart - Hustle guy, defender, rebounder. Can't really run offense other than in transition
Frank - Microwave scorer: has essentially no ability to set anyone else up consistently
NAW: Actually a pretty good passer but is a gunner more than anything right now, struggling to find his role
Redick: Shooter shooter shooter. Can make decent passes here and there, can't run offense.

Insane.

[Pelicanidae]

This sequence just happened for us on consecutive possessions

- Zylan set two completely useless screens
- NAW did a bounce pass with way too much sauce on it to Jax, who fumbled it
- The Magic couldn't convert in transition but they did get the loose ball
- Comes back down for us on offense again and Hart immediately passes it a distance of less than 3 feet into the hands of a Magic player
- Transition bucket

Beautiful basketball

[Pelicanidae]

Jax swats Fultz

[Pelicanidae]

NAW ---> Jax lob

[Pelicanidae]

Frank just gave up on that defensive assignment before it even started lol. Fultz just strolled around him

[As I See It]

This sequence just happened for us on consecutive possessions

- Zylan set two completely useless screens
- NAW did a bounce pass with way too much sauce on it to Jax, who fumbled it
- The Magic couldn't convert in transition but they did get the loose ball
- Comes back down for us on offense again and Hart immediately passes it a distance of less than 3 feet into the hands of a Magic player
- Transition bucket

Beautiful basketball

WBD = WE BOW DOWN

[Biasvasospasm]

I swear, teams don't shoot this well from 3 at shootaround.