December 23rd - New Orleans Pelicans vs Houston Rockets - 17-12

[Mrakar]

I really want this win. That loss still bothers me, one of many lost double digit leads.
Clear difference between 2 teams is coaching. We are more talented/expirienced team, but Ime is miles ahead of Willie right now.

Our coach proved me right once again. Pels are one of the dumbest teams in the NBA and we need to be coached and not let the players do what they want. Its not a surprise we lost every close game we plated this year, we are 0-5 in close games.
That will continue to happen if our go-to move is Brandon Ingram turnaround fadeaway 2 from just inside the 3 pt line. or Zion running into 3 playera and turning over the ball. Not to mention that in the moment where we need quick 3pt shot we have Naji Marshall and Jordan Hawkins on the bench and Zioj and Earl-Robinson playing...
Our Superstar loses the shoe in most important moment of the game and instead of running back barefooted he decides to out the shoe on and leave his team playing 4 on 5...
This team lacks basketball IQ all-around, from PG to center. Only 2 players on this team that are good because of IQ and not only pure talent are Herb and Naji. Rest of team makes stupid plays all-the time.
.Our center who is having season of his career makes 4 rookie lvl dumb fouls in the game we need him the most.

I think this team would be top 3 in the West minimum with the coach like Udoka. Not only good coach but a guy that is coaching and not only motivating players...
We are lucky this team is as talented as it is, we are getting all the wins on talent, and almost nothing on being a smart basketball team.

[Creative]

Another game that we lose due to our own mistakes... The referees whistled for the Rockets throughout the game, but it was due to our poor play that we did not win this game. It's terrifying how we are wasting our potential...

[Fedupfan]

Man we need to remove Willow Green. The man has a permanent tampon.

[djrnno]

Weak HC = a weak undisciplined team

[djrnno]

As much as it pains me to say this, if I'm Brandon Ingram or Jonas Valanciunas, I'm not signing any extension with this team. It's got to be frustrating to be a whipping boy for local fans while one of the biggest divas in sports history waddles passively up and down the court and then to the pay window on the 1st and 15th. I'd want to get out with all due urgency.

Believe me, I don't want to feel this way, but I can neither ignore the reality or gravity of the situation. Something better change, and change fast, Griff.

DEFENSE...DEFENSE...DEFENSE!!!

Sorry the NBA is now SCORING SCORING SCORING and SHOOTING SHOOTING SHOOTING NOT defense defense defense

[JJackisangry]

Sorry, this one's on our 3 "All Stars" who disappeared in the final 4 minutes, as well as missing at least 7 free throws between them over the game. Ingram had multiple passive possessions with long-range misses, while Zion and CK turned it over without getting up a shot. Weak.

Refs abused Jonas, but he wasn't doing anything anyway. Otherwise they were reasonably evenhanded. Coach had the right players in at the end, but they could not execute. Not Willie's fault, other than the lack of respect given to him and the team by the refs. Since that seems more team based than coach based over the years, I don't see any changes in ref bias helping us out in the future. Therefore, I don't see any upside to swapping coaches and a big potential downside to doing so.

We need to start figuring out how to get away with fouling like other teams do to us. I think it starts by taking advantage of our deep roster and allowing guys to foul out by preventing the opponent from moving so easily through and around our defense. If we are going to give up 30 free throws a night anyway, let's make the count like Memphis, Utah, Boston and now Houston are doing. Grab, shove, grind, body, etc. for 48 minutes and make them give the other team 40 free throws. Just stop the easy cuts and catches.

It?s always the players. It?s the players when AD and Boogie were here. It?s the players now that we have an incredibly stacked roster with depth. Never Gentry, never Willie. The players make dumb decisions because they are coached by an incompetent coach that cannot get the best out of them. It speaks volumes that everyone is crying for CP3- it should not be a player?s job to coach a team. It?s fair for the players to share some blame- sure. But the coach is a massive problem and no rationalizing will change anything. Willie is poor. He is a young head coach that may improve with time, but he is damned poor.

[djrnno]

Don't look now, but our SCORING...SCORING...SCORING Offense averaging over 120 points in the month of December (despite an 89 point effort against the Lakers) last night only managed 104 points against a team that plays....DEFENSE...DEFENSE...DEFENSE!!!

Defense trumps offense 90% of the time in team sports.

(And they were playing on the back end of a back to back on the road)

DEFENSE...DEFENSE...DEFENSE!!!

Defense may be somewhat important in football ( although not so much anymore). In baseball the only real defense that's of value is pitching. But today's NBA is almost not so much a team sport. in almost every game 1 or 2 players go off and singlehanded win the game with SHOOTING and there's almost nothing defense can do. C'mon the best defensive team is giving up almost 107 a game . Sorry in today's game with the way fouls are called shooting trumps defense every time, it's not the 90's NBA . And that 120 a game you're quoting is just for Dec. We're avg 115 a game Cherry pick much?

[JJackisangry]

A coach doesn't do this; a player does.

https://twitter.com/FearTheBrown/sta...291557035?s=20

or this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5eL8aUundQ

Thanks for making my point. The players don’t have an earthly clue what Willie wants them to do.

[Fedupfan]

Thanks for making my point. The players don’t have an earthly clue what Willie wants them to do.

100%.. they look lost cause the coach is lost.

[djrnno]

[QUOTE=As I See It;1604396]The 107 points per game is relative to this age of basketball...it's the best defense being played in the NBA today...not in the 1990's. There's a first best...second best...third best defensive team in every era; last night we were sliced and diced by a tired, (second game in a road b-t-b) second best defense THIS YEAR. You, my friend, are the one comparing eras...not me.

The picture of the fellow on your avatar is perhaps the greatest offensive talent ever (per Larry Bird). Tell me what did he ever win in the NBA (or at LSU for that matter).

As far as me 'cherry-picking', I only went back to the most recent games (figuring it would be fair to weight some 3M3 games in the comparison since he was available last night). While I didn't hide the fact that I was only including the team's December numbers, I will gladly defer to your 115 points per game this season. Last I looked, 104 is still less than 115.

DEFENSE...DEFENSE...DEFENSE!!!

PS: Drawing your attention to the statement I highlighted in your post, last night proves you're dead wrong. Speaking in absolute terms is a dangerous practice, my friend!![/QUL


LOL when Pete played it was a whole different game, defense mattered 20x more . I'll tell you what, you take the 5 best defenders in the league and I'll take the 5 best shooter/scorers and I'll bet you a yrs salary that I'll win 8 out of 10 games
SCORING SCORING SCORING

[PaKwAn]

That January record/results will tell a lot if Green gets fired or not and if Griff presses the panic button.
I envisioned a small trade something that keeps us out of the luxury tax, but that record in a tough January schedule can be telling what Griff will be doing come trade deadline time.

[WhyHornetsWhy]

Problem with this team is, the guards are playing out of position.

We need a true PG.

CJ moves to SG.

Jonas, although I love his offense, is a liability on defense.

My dream:

Do whatever it takes to trade for both Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen for a massive over haul without having to move too many of our bench players.

Package Picks + Dyson/Nance/Jonas/Herb

~~~

Lol I am drooling over a line up of

Garland/CJ/BI/Zion/Allen

Jose/J Hawk/Ryan/Naji/Trey/Zeller

That, my friends, is a championship team

~~~~

Or, just do what I have been also hoping for: Trade for CP3 + Allen.

[JJackisangry]

Problem with this team is, the guards are playing out of position.

We need a true PG.

CJ moves to SG.

Jonas, although I love his offense, is a liability on defense.

My dream:

Do whatever it takes to trade for both Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen for a massive over haul without having to move too many of our bench players.

Package Picks + Dyson/Nance/Jonas/Herb

~~~

Lol I am drooling over a line up of

Garland/CJ/BI/Zion/Allen

Jose/J Hawk/Ryan/Naji/Trey/Zeller

That, my friends, is a championship team

~~~~

Or, just do what I have been also hoping for: Trade for CP3 + Allen.

No way on earth they would take that.

Way I see it we have 4 options.

1. Willie Green stops being a moron and we pair Zion with shooters. Dae brought up a stat that when Trey actually shoots the damn ball, we win. Zion obviously need shooting in support and that comes with actually pairing him with shooters. Hawk and Trey have to be on the floor to accompany him. When Matt Ryan comes back he can rotate in as well. You have to use the tools at your disposal or look in another direction. It’s a complete waste of Zion not to pair him with tools that we already have. It’s idiotic.

2. You fire Willie and bring in a coach that will actually use the tools correctly. Simple as that.

3. You trade Zion and look for preferably a young guy with talent, a good piece and picks. Preferably those two players are PG and power forward- maybe throw in a decent expiring to make the deal work plus add depth. This probably means that you are all in on Green (which to honest after that Lakers game and some of the thrown leads this year I wouldn’t trust Green with prime Lebron).

4. You trade for and acquire either shooters or a leader with veteran experience that can run a team. Let’s be honest- Willie can’t.

Chances are something needs to change. If it stays status quo, I fear we may really disappoint. I don’t think it will magically click like Willie wants it to- either he needs to change or the tools do.

[Pelicanidae]

No way on earth they would take that.

Way I see it we have 4 options.

1. Willie Green stops being a moron and we pair Zion with shooters. Dae brought up a stat that when Trey actually shoots the damn ball, we win. Zion obviously need shooting in support and that comes with actually pairing him with shooters. Hawk and Trey have to be on the floor to accompany him. When Matt Ryan comes back he can rotate in as well. You have to use the tools at your disposal or look in another direction. It’s a complete waste of Zion not to pair him with tools that we already have. It’s idiotic.

2. You fire Willie and bring in a coach that will actually use the tools correctly. Simple as that.

3. You trade Zion and look for preferably a young guy with talent, a good piece and picks. Preferably those two players are PG and power forward- maybe throw in a decent expiring to make the deal work plus add depth. This probably means that you are all in on Green (which to honest after that Lakers game and some of the thrown leads this year I wouldn’t trust Green with prime Lebron).

4. You trade for and acquire either shooters or a leader with veteran experience that can run a team. Let’s be honest- Willie can’t.

Chances are something needs to change. If it stays status quo, I fear we may really disappoint. I don’t think it will magically click like Willie wants it to- either he needs to change or the tools do.

Zion, we have seen - both in his sophomore year and last year - that when you give him the tools and play him with them, produces incredible offense. Those teams win. Defensive issues are mitigated by the fact that they never play in transition because the offense is so killer. Willie Green's continued aversion to playing Zion with shooters makes zero sense, and it's one of the most frustrating things about him: it minimises Zion's talents and the talents of those shooters who could be getting way easier looks.

We are, indeed, 23-7 when Trey takes at least 8 3PAs. Not makes, just attempts. Trey is playing the fewest minutes with Zion of any rotation player so far this season: Green literally subs them out for each other, the complete opposite of what you would want.

Willie Green, as a player, was never that good. He made his career on hustle and effort. He is trying hard to model the team in that image, without realising that this is not a Grit-and-Grind-Grizzlies team: it's an offensive juggernaut waiting to happen. Because he never played that way, he isn't looking for it. So he's missing the team he has, in an effort to establish the team he wishes he had. It's wishful thinking at best, delusion at worst.

In response to WhyHornetsWhy: Jonas' defense has actually been very good this year for the most part. Dude's improved massively and part of that is that competent perimeter defense (which we have) relieves him of a lot of the horrible 2-on-1 tilted scenarios he's historically had to try to work against. He's been perfectly good on defense.

[JJackisangry]

Zion, we have seen - both in his sophomore year and last year - that when you give him the tools and play him with them, produces incredible offense. Those teams win. Defensive issues are mitigated by the fact that they never play in transition because the offense is so killer. Willie Green's continued aversion to playing Zion with shooters makes zero sense, and it's one of the most frustrating things about him: it minimises Zion's talents and the talents of those shooters who could be getting way easier looks.

We are, indeed, 23-7 when Trey takes at least 8 3PAs. Not makes, just attempts. Trey is playing the fewest minutes with Zion of any rotation player so far this season: Green literally subs them out for each other, the complete opposite of what you would want.

Willie Green, as a player, was never that good. He made his career on hustle and effort. He is trying hard to model the team in that image, without realising that this is not a Grit-and-Grind-Grizzlies team: it's an offensive juggernaut waiting to happen. Because he never played that way, he isn't looking for it. So he's missing the team he has, in an effort to establish the team he wishes he had. It's wishful thinking at best, delusion at worst.

In response to WhyHornetsWhy: Jonas' defense has actually been very good this year for the most part. Dude's improved massively and part of that is that competent perimeter defense (which we have) relieves him of a lot of the horrible 2-on-1 tilted scenarios he's historically had to try to work against. He's been perfectly good on defense.

Willie is in the completely wrong era. Whether he likes it or not, the players run the league now. This my way or the highway approach is not designed to benefit this roster. Intentionally whipping out bad lineups isn’t helping anyone. It’s arrogant. It calls for tactics and understanding matchups and how to free up your best players (and you have A LOT of good offensive players). The Heat made that miracle run to the finals twice because they were built to grind teams out. And they lost twice because they lacked offensive talent. You need to play both sides, obviously. But not taking into account that turnovers and bad possessions can lose you a game on the defensive end just by forcing you to defend in transition is what has us dropping easy W’s. So many point swings because we can’t put other teams away. You can blame the players and the coach- whoever you want. Judging it right now- it is not a good fit. Something has to give. Willie’s hubris or the roster needs a revamp. Stop sitting on the fence Griff. Get us to the promised land while we have a chance.

[Pelicanidae]

Willie is in the completely wrong era. Whether he likes it or not, the players run the league now. This my way or the highway approach is not designed to benefit this roster. Intentionally whipping out bad lineups isn’t helping anyone. It’s arrogant. It calls for tactics and understanding matchups and how to free up your best players (and you have A LOT of good offensive players). The Heat made that miracle run to the finals twice because they were built to grind teams out. And they lost twice because they lacked offensive talent. You need to play both sides, obviously. But not taking into account that turnovers and bad possessions can lose you a game on the defensive end just by forcing you to defend in transition is what has us dropping easy W’s. So many point swings because we can’t put other teams away. You can blame the players and the coach- whoever you want. Judging it right now- it is not a good fit. Something has to give. Willie’s hubris or the roster needs a revamp. Stop sitting on the fence Griff. Get us to the promised land while we have a chance.

Basically. And frankly, when you say ''it's the coach or the roster'', the solution becomes obvious. Because it may be hard to find a great coach, but it's a lot easier than assembling a better team than this. We have so much talent on this squad, trying to do it again but with a different focus is damn near impossible.

And mentioning the Heat makes me sad because if Spoelstra was our coach, we'd be a championship favourite this year. Most coaches in the NBA are kinda neutral, there's only really a handful that are legitimately difference makers on their own, good or bad. Spo is a legitimate team-improver. Genius coach.

[JJackisangry]

Basically. And frankly, when you say ''it's the coach or the roster'', the solution becomes obvious. Because it may be hard to find a great coach, but it's a lot easier than assembling a better team than this. We have so much talent on this squad, trying to do it again but with a different focus is damn near impossible.

And mentioning the Heat makes me sad because if Spoelstra was our coach, we'd be a championship favourite this year. Most coaches in the NBA are kinda neutral, there's only really a handful that are legitimately difference makers on their own, good or bad. Spo is a legitimate team-improver. Genius coach.

Yep. I personally hope Willie figures it out. Sample size tells me it won’t happen, so a change is necessary. I can understand reducing Hawkins minutes but dropping him completely when shooting is the biggest need is bizarre. Trey and Zion should be attached at the hip.

[Pelicanidae]

Yep. I personally hope Willie figures it out. Sample size tells me it won’t happen, so a change is necessary. I can understand reducing Hawkins minutes but dropping him completely when shooting is the biggest need is bizarre. Trey and Zion should be attached at the hip.

I've said it a lot and I still believe it: coaches, especially new coaches, deserve a few years to figure things out. They're rookies too, in their job, and just as we don't expect rookie players to come in and shake the world, we shouldn't expect it from coaches.

And yes, Willie has had a bunch of misfortune as a coach, dealing with massive injury problems that have prevented him from getting the full range of experience with the roster as he should have done.

I sympathise with him for that. And there are a bunch of things he is, reportedly, very good at in terms of player management, which is a big part of being a head coach and is something that we fans rarely see. So all credit to him for that.

But the reality is, some things aren't complicated and he makes easy stuff difficult. ''Play your best players as much as possible'' shouldn't be a mystery, but we still get random 21 minute games from Trey and 18 minute games from Herb. ''Play your shooters with your drive-centric star playmaker'' is not rocket science, and he still can't figure it out. ''You need to outscore your opponent'' is basically rule 1 of the game and it eludes him much of the time. These are the very basics. That's before we get to slightly more complicated issues like substitution patterns of fringe players and ATO plays. He's just not getting it. It's bafflingly bad at times. Where can you go with this?

[hornetsrebirth]

I've said it a lot and I still believe it: coaches, especially new coaches, deserve a few years to figure things out. They're rookies too, in their job, and just as we don't expect rookie players to come in and shake the world, we shouldn't expect it from coaches.

And yes, Willie has had a bunch of misfortune as a coach, dealing with massive injury problems that have prevented him from getting the full range of experience with the roster as he should have done.

I sympathise with him for that. And there are a bunch of things he is, reportedly, very good at in terms of player management, which is a big part of being a head coach and is something that we fans rarely see. So all credit to him for that.

But the reality is, some things aren't complicated and he makes easy stuff difficult. ''Play your best players as much as possible'' shouldn't be a mystery, but we still get random 21 minute games from Trey and 18 minute games from Herb. ''Play your shooters with your drive-centric star playmaker'' is not rocket science, and he still can't figure it out. ''You need to outscore your opponent'' is basically rule 1 of the game and it eludes him much of the time. These are the very basics. That's before we get to slightly more complicated issues like substitution patterns of fringe players and ATO plays. He's just not getting it. It's bafflingly bad at times. Where can you go with this?

The distribution of minutes is a minor concern compared to other things seen in the past couple games. Morant was allowed to operate so freely with no schematic adjustments at the end of the game which caused us to lose. All of our best offensive players on the floor couldnt score in the final minutes, again causing us to lose. Poor clock and time out management and back to back to back unintelligently designed offensive possessions in succession. These are all mistakes that fall on the coaching.