Michael and I talk about the Pelicans name, whether we love it or hate it, then we turn to Austin Rivers, drool over Brandon Jennings, review the Bucks and Lakers games and preview the Grizzlies and Heat.
If you want to sound off, give us a call! We may use it in our next podcast! 504-322-3333.
Enjoy the Podcast! Want it on Itunes?
21 responses to “In the NO Podcast Episode 102: Pelicans will eat your Ducklings”
What is the difference between Horns and UCLA?
Great question! In the Horns ( also called A set offense) the perimeter players overload to a particular side, while the double high post UCLA offense has a wing player on each side.
I love our readers. You guys are hands down the smartest fans on the planet
Thanks! We do use Horns at times, correct?
Also, I’ve been trying to get a hold of all of these different offenses, but I’d really like to invest in a dummy’s guide, so to speak. Is there any literature out there that covers NBA offenses and the tenets of each?
I have never seen us run Horns, but I will look for it.
Haven’t seen a site or book that lists all the different offenses/sets, etc. I coach HS basketball and I am all over every coaching site, picking up every nugget possible, so I feel like I can instantly recognize any set. Can’t wait to see how it all changes when Gordon comes back
http://www.coachesclipboard.net/HornsOffense.html
We may be talking about the same set, idk. I try to use BBallBreakdown on youtube to learn, and that’s where I first saw it
Here is the UCLA hight post offense
http://hooptactics.net/freesite/offstrategies/setoffense/ucla.php
See how the floor is balanced.
It Horns (or A set), the 2 and the 3 are usually on the same side of the court- one on the wing and the other on the corner
Everywhere I’m looking, it keeps putting the 2 and 3 in opposite corners for the Horns set, with the 4 and the 5 in the high post.
Thanks for the referral to the site for UCLA offense.. just another tool I can use to learn more.
We saw it a few times, and I’d like to see more down screens for that mid-range jump shot off of a curl. Belli used to hit that shot a lot, and I saw Miller hit it several times in the summer games. Roberts hit one recently, I believe.
I’m more worried about Conley ripping the ball from Vasquez than Allen; Allen to me is more of a physical, play you straight up on-ball defender. Conley is just too quick. He’s going to kill our offense on the starting line-up.
That’s the thing about these elite teams. Guys like Marc Gasol, Joakhim Noah, Chris Bosh; when you trap and take the ball out of the PG in the pick and roll or even half-court press, they just pitch it to a high IQ/great passing big, and the big breaks down your offense just as effectively..
If Davis can actually learn to be comfortable making decisions (not per se, scoring) as the handler after the trap, then we have a gem. Anderson and Smith are meh in that role, while Lopez is just a walking turnover.
Also if Roberts plays the 1 on the bench again, and jacks up like 5 long 2s, I’m going to stop watching NOH basketball.
Sorry Jason…I agree with you almost all of the time but I do believe the public perception of the name change is almost entirely negative..and I am basing this on my interaction with fellow season ticket holders and paying fans.At the Lakers game I went with a simple sign saying “KEEP our Hornets” and the response was overwhelmingly,no make that unanimously against the Pelicans.
Now before you guys rip into me, I realize that this isn’t a scientific study or poll or doesn’t have any weight or merit what so ever, but I got a response from almost everyone who saw that sign. I was in the beer garden with it talking to other season ticket holders and there were a few hundred if not more there and not one even remotely like the Pelicans…let me say that again..Not one person there had anything good to say about that name.And I just didn’t get a response from season ticket holders either..it was also people with single tickets or were going to buy them.
This may have been an ultra small sample but these are the people who matter the most..the people who are actually going to the games and paying good money for the tickets and merchandise.Speaking of which..it would be interesting to see whats happening with the merchandising since all this talk really started heating up..it’s got to be having an effect on that. Who wants to buy new gear for a team that may not be around anymore?
On a personal note I strongly dislike the name to the point of if they do indeed become the Pelicans, I will give up my season tickets and I will never spend another dime on this franchise or anything NBA related again.
Until then look for me at the games with my sign..come up and say hi…
Ray,
I have little doubt regarding your claims and thst facts about the demographics are all relevant.
What I am doubting is that this is actually a reflection of people’s feelings on the name. Might it be a reaction to changing at all? To not getting ‘their name’ chosen? A reaction to.your passion? A temporary flare of resistance to change that will dim?
I am quite curious if this persists in terms of people voluntarily expressing approval relative to those who remain silent / don’t approach.
Please, keep us posted.
Jason,
Valid questions and concerns about the reactions and I will try to gauge those if I get more feedback at the games. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the total lack of enthusiasm for the Pelican name by the fans there. I was under the impression from reading the posts on this site and in the forum that I was in the minority of people who 1) thought that the pelicans were just a bad name and 2) wanted to keep the Hornets moniker. Almost everyone I talked to there said they would prefer to keep the Hornets..especially if it means re-branding to the Pelicans.Only a handful even mentioned the other names,the most prevalent choices were for the either Brass or Voodoo .A couple of people did mention Krewe. A few even asked if I knew if any petitions were being started against the re-brand.
It will be interesting to see the reaction tonight and in the coming weeks and how it will change.
For reference, I’m completely ambivalent on a rebrand.
You may be right in all that you say about the fans support or lack of support for the Pelicans. From my perspective I must say I’ve been really surpised at the negativity coming from Hornets fans and the national media, whether its a good sample or not of the larger population. There are so many questionable brand names out there for sports … 999 times out of 1000, who would ever, ever want to call a professional football team the Saints, for example … that the reaction against Pelicans seems completely out of proportion. Also, and I really mean this, I couldn’t care less what my team is called, so long as it wins … do you think Georgetown Hoyas (WTF is a Hoya???) cared what other people thought when they were getting to Final Fours in the years of Ewing and John Thompson Sr?? And this is to say nothing of the fact that Pelicans are actually kind of cool birds. Ever been to the beach and seen one fly or dive from several hundred feet up head first into the ocean and come back up with a fish?? Its actually pretty cool and bad-ass. Finally, and not to get too philosophical/deconstructionist about this, but I am interested in the emotional hatred of this name, and the willlingness of people to express it, from a historical/cultural perspective. From what my Dad and Uncle have told me through the years, the Pelicans were a hugely popular team in NOLA for decades, interwoven into the fabric of the city in a time long gone by. I’m surprised that the reaction among some appears so diametrically opposed now.
At the end of the day, I actually love the name Pelicans. Hate on me if you must, thumbs down me …. whatever. I like Hornets too …. Brass or Voodoo seems pretty cool. Really I just love my NOLA football team and basketball team whatever they’re called, the rest of it doesnt matter. And what really doesn’t matter to me is what people outside NOLA think. I’ve lived in several different parts of the country, and most people will never understand our city, its people or its culture. To them I say … Kiss My A** and my city’s collective A**e*.
Completely agree. The Saints name is only popular because of the history. If the team was named “Saints” today, changing from a different name it would not be preceived the same way. And you are completely bullsh*tting yourself if you say otherwise.
From Wikipedia on Pelicans: “A fibrous layer deep in the breast muscles can hold the wings rigidly horizontal for gliding and soaring. Thus they… [soar] to heights of 3000 m (10,000 ft) or more…to commute distances of up to 150 km (93 mi) to feeding areas. Pelicans also fly low (or “skim”) over stretches of water, using a phenomenon known as ground effect to reduce drag and increase lift.”
Sounds like an appropriate parallel to the game of basketball.
Further, “the Brown Pelican usually plunge-dives for its prey” while the Australian Pelican is also an… opportunistic scavenger and carnivore [eating] ‘anything from insects…to ducks and small dogs.’”
That reminds me of the scrappy play of Jason Smith. Ultimately, I agree with you guys; the name doesn’t mean all that much. Although, of the choices, I preferred Pelicans, I’d be content with Krewe or Brass. I’d be bummed with VooDoo but not enough to react like many are reacting to Pelicans. It’s 10x better than Lagniappes, basketball Saints, Bounce, Blues, Soul and many other suggestions I heard.
And so as not to be like the “soap opera” basketball fans you talked about in the podcast, the basketball discussion was good as well. I love our front court and hope it can remain intact but if someone has to get moved to improve our guard play, so be it.
I, like Michael, couldn’t care less about the name as long as Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson are on this team. For all I care, we could be called the New Orleans Basketballs. Here is one of those idiodic articles suggesting that the name “Pelicans” might run Anthony Davis out of New Orleans 1433219-will-new-orleans-pelicans-nickname-run-anthony-davis-out-of-town
Pelicans is a name I love. It grew on me fast. And this will be the name we go with. This is not a test. If its not the hornets, its gotta be pelicans. Brass sounds like a pitiful rip off of jazz. Krewe is great, but its kind of going after the cliche Mardi Gras thing. Pelican is represents this state and team well. And over time, no one will care what our name is. Wizards & thunder. Look at them.
Before giving these knee jerk reactions, people should give Mr. Benson, and his team a chance to provide an image to along with the Pelican brand, I.e. a logo, fonts, uniforms, a floor, and etc. This has potential to be a home run. If the team becomes a consistent winner with Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson, the hate will be forgotten, and this brand, with the colors of the Nola flag, will generate a lot of Louisiana/Nola pride.
I hate saying this, but people are being so narrow minded, because they fail to see the big picture. All they see is “Everybody in America is laughing at us because of our perceived corny mascot, and Mr. Benson didn’t choose the other corny mascot that I liked better!! Omg!!!”
And moreover, it’s merely a name, and an image. Nothing more. They could be called the Uptown Idiots for all I care. It doesn’t matter, as long as this NBA franchise remains in Nola permanently, and this team has competent management that does what they can to produce a team that consistently contends.
To me the best name is the Buccaneers. This was New Orleans First basketball team. They were a charter member if the ABA. I think that Larry Brown & Doug Moe played for the Bucs. To me this is a no brainer!!!
Jiri Zidek…hated every baby hook he took as a Hornet…