Things Will Get Better

By:
Published: August 23, 2013

Hey, man, I’m alive,
I’m taking each day a night at a time
Yeah I’m down, but I know I’ll get by
Hey, hey, hey, hey, man, I gotta live my life
Like I ain’t got nothing but this roll of the dice
I’m feeling like a Monday, but someday I’ll be Saturday night

— Bon Jovi, Someday I’ll be Saturday Night

New Orleans Pelicans News

The New Orleans Pelicans signed forwards Lance Thomas and Arinze Onuaku. We’ll provide details when they are more clear.

The New Orleans Pelicans’ D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, is holding open tryouts in New Orleans on September 15.

The NBA D-League Iowa Energy are hosting a local basketball player tryout in New Orleans on Sunday, Sept. 15. The tryout will take place at Tulane University’s Hertz Center Practice Facility from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is $150 if submitted by Sept. 5 or $200 Sept. 6 and beyond or at the door.

These tryouts offer players an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of Energy management and coaching staff while they compete to earn an invite to the team’s training camp in November. The Energy have had a long history of discovering talented players at their open tryouts including guard Stefhon Hannah (2010-2011) and center Ben Strong (2011-2013). Multiple players from last year’s tryouts signed NBA D-League contracts based on their performances at Energy tryouts. Interested candidates are encouraged to pre-register as space is limited.

Date: Sunday, Sept. 15
Location: Tulane University Hertz Center Practice Facility, Ben Weiner Drive, New Orleans, LA 70118
Time: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.)
Fee: $150 if registered by Sept. 5 OR $200 Sept. 6 and beyond OR at door Credit card, cash, cashier’s check or money order only (NO personal checks)
Regular Registration Deadline: Thursday, Sept. 5
Please visit www.IowaNBA.com for the registration packet. Questions: please call 515-564-8550.

As noted on our twitter feed, Al-Farouq Aminu is playing in Nigeria this summer for their national team. Tournament play begins Monday. Final results determine qualification for the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

There are two sets of tryouts this weekend. Kids Dance Team auditions are Saturday morning. The team that used to be the Used to Bees, the Pelicans Senior Dance Team, is having tryouts Sunday afternoon. The Flight Krewe, who provide in-game entertainment and were called the Buzz Patrol before, are having tryouts on September 15. It seems the team is naming some things . . .

In Arena news, The LSED settled a lawsuit this week to help maintain their budget and keep the Arena renovations on schedule. A builder that lost the bid for the renovations claims preferential treatment for the winner. The LSED claims that settling the case was far cheaper and easier, likely, than fighting to prove that there was no preferential treatment.

Around Bourbon Street Shots

We’ve been treated to two Trew to the Game columns since the last digest (due to me being in Belize over a long weekend). In the first, Chris discusses the Pelicans from a jersey number perspective. In the second, Chris proposes some game-changing ideas, or at least game-experience-changing ideas.

Michael Pellissier noticed that the Pelicans actually play basketball and came up with the radical idea of discussing how one of the hired players, Greg Stiemsma, does his job. This could catch on.

`Voices’ of the People

My crazy idea is a marketing pitch. Picture this, Drew Brees Pelicans jerseys. Anthony Davis Saints jerseys. Lance Moore Pelicans jerseys. Jrue Holiday Saints jerseys. Let’s pitch the thing that makes us different from other teams around the league(s). Sales of these jerseys would be through the roof.

mknkachow

Stiemsma is also a good choice to mentor Withey in his first pro season.

Caffeinedisaster

I think that Stiemsma will be the starting center on opening day. I think the Pelicans prefer to bring Jason Smith and his energy off the bench along with his mid-range shooting to assist the second unit. I think you will see Stiemsma play the first 6-8 minutes of the game and giver way to Smith and possibly a little to Withey to finish the half and the dame will occur in the 2nd half. I think the three of Smith, Stiiemsma and Withey along with Davis at times will be enough to cover the 5 spot.

JefferyDuplessis

42 Sense

New Orleans is well aware of a what a team means to a city. The Big Easy has also had a taste of how much a player can mean to it, rising and falling with the exploits of this player or that. The past week or so has given the chance for New Orleans to return the favor.

Ryan Anderson was one of many people experiencing misfortune with the events leading to the end of Gia Allemand’s life, but Pelicans fans had a particular interest in his experience. This is not to diminish the experience of others, but Ryan has brought significant positive feelings to Pelicans fans, so there is sympathy. Additionally, some Pelicans fans have wondered how this will affect his play, or even his future, in New Orleans. While this is natural, fans should resist this sort of speculation. Let Ryan Anderson, the man, deal with his life.

Supporters may want to consider giving some money or donate time to their favorite charity in his name and giving him space for all of this to run its course. Once that is done, it’s perfectly fair to wonder how he’ll handle things.

As far as Anderson goes, just rally around him and make New Orleans a better place. That’s the biggest win we, the fans, can produce from this sad, sad story, at least from where I sit.

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