-
In The NO Episode 7: Perfect Pelicans No More
In the latest episode, I brought on a couple of guests to help look both backwards and forwards. First, I chatted with Andrew Lopez of the Times Picayune/NOLA.com about the Pels’ recent string of losses. After that, Brett Dawson of The Athletic joined the pod to preview Monday night’s Pelicans @ Thunder game. Listen […]
-
The Corner Test
The corner three is one of the most efficient shots in basketball, why? It is the closest distance three point shot in regards to proximity from the basket, especially the short corner. The corner three allows more floor space on the fast break for the ball handler. When a fast break has capable shooters running […]
-
Taking the Initiative
This week, New Orleans Pelicans General Manager Dell Demps was called “a lousy general manager” by former NBA Commissioner and contemporaneous proxy owner of the New Orleans Hornets David Stern. This produced reactions all over the NBA, including the local media and the New Orleans Pelicans themselves. I want to address a few things about […]
-
Working Smarter and Harder
Fatigue makes cowards of us all. — George S. Patton, Jr, War As I Knew It If you just look at the number of games or minutes played by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2018-2019 regular season, you are left with the impression that the sample size is small, and that no conclusions . […]
-
Gentry Needs To Find Out Now If The Three Bigs Can Play Together
When Julius Randle unexpectedly became a free agent on July 2nd, the Pelicans put in a call to his agent half expecting to get blown off. They had no cap room left, and only had the mid-level exception to offer to the 23 year-old unrestricted free agent. Even in a slightly depressed market, guys like […]
-
Thoughts on the Ajinca-Johnson Trade
Just before the start of the season, Alexis Ajinca was traded to the Clippers for Wesley Johnson. It was a straight up deal with no other assets changing hands. The trade, I think, is potentially very helpful, but not for the knee-jerk reason, which is “The Pelicans got a player who can help them more […]
-
In The NO Episode 6: The Pelicans Beat The Brakes Off The Rockets
First pod of the season. Mason and Shamit react to the Pelicans whooping the Rockets on opening night. Listen on iTunes Listen on Spotify RSS Feed Direct Download
-
Born to Run: Pelicans fly higher than Rockets in season opener
If you are fan of New Orleans sports and you felt confident enough in the Saints that a few months ago you told people not to judge the team by their preseason performances, then you can apply that same rule to the NBA. After going winless in preseason, the Pelicans open the season with a […]
-
The Offseasons Loom
“Then out spake brave Horatius, The Captain of the Gate: To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late. And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of his gods.” — Thomas Babington Macaulay, Lays of Ancient Rome Summary This is not […]
-
Ian Clark Looks to Build on Great Finish to Season
July 2nd was certainly the climax of the New Orleans Pelicans 2018 offseason. Rondo and Boogie went to the West Coast, Julius Randle chose to team up with AD and Elfrid Payton came home. A day that we will look back on years from now, as one that forever changed the direction of this franchise. […]
-
Let’s Be Real About Rondo
Some have characterized Rondo going to the Lakers as a “big loss” for the Pelicans. They cite his stats, his relationship with AD, and his intangibles as things that the Pelicans will find it hard to replace. He allowed Jrue to play off the ball, they will say. He was a great guard for the […]
-
All Dell Demps Deserves is the Chance to Succeed . . . Or Fail
Dell Demps is entering his 9th season as General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans, and what a journey it has been. When he first arrived in 2010, a new coach was just hired without his input and the term “ownership turmoil” would be a vast understatement. As if that wasn’t enough, rumors were swirling […]
-
Anthony Davis means business and we should appreciate that
Ever since New Orleans Pelicans once-in-a-generation superstar Anthony Davis switched agents and signed with Rich Paul from Klutch Sports, who also have LeBron James as a client, the dominant NBA narratives out of The Big Easy center around the power forward’s future. I don’t know if it’s because local fans are experiencing Chris Paul PTSD […]
-
In The NO Episode 5: Interview with Pelicans Performance Consultant, Mike Guevara
Photo Credit: Ashley Amoss Meet the one of the most innovative guys in sports. Mike G is a Performance Consultant with the New Orleans Pelicans as well as the personal Performance Coach to Jrue Holiday. Coach Mike walks us through how he got his start, what kind of preparation goes into the offseason, what to […]
-
In The NO Episode 4: Okafor, Schedule, and Ticket Sales
Part 1: Part 2: In Part 1 of the latest episode of In the NO, Shamit and Mason kick things off by discussing the addition of Jahlil Okafor. They then pivot to the recently released NBA regular season schedule, and then talk about the Pelicans’ over-under in comparison to some other Western Conference playoff hopefuls. […]
-
In The No Episode 3: Gentry Ball, Decompression, and Targets
Shamit and Mason discuss the happenings of the offseason. We talk about Gentry Ball, targets, and take a look into the brief future. Listen on iTunes Listen on Spotify RSS Feed Direct Download
-
Waiting on Wings
By Ryan Hebert (@RyanHebert89) The NBA offseason has slowed down and aside from a few minor transactions, and it is hard to see the Pelicans making a major trade or acquisition at this point. That is, until the February trade deadline. If you asked most fans what the Pelicans need right now to solidify themselves […]
-
Introducing “Gentry Ball”: A Look Into Early Offense and The Fit of Elfrid Payton
When Elfrid Payton was first signed, there was a lot of hullabaloo about his fit. As the dust settled, it became clear the idea was to put him in an up-tempo system that allowed him to play in the open floor. This message was reiterated by Dell Demps at the press conference introducing Payton and […]
-
Do The Pelicans Need To Save Cap Space for Julius Randle?
It was all smiles at the introductory press conference. Julius Randle spoke about making New Orleans his home long term, and Dell Demps spoke of Randle as if he was a core building block moving forward. And while both men were being authentic, the NBA’s pesky little salary cap could put a thorn in the […]
-
How Much Hype Can One Man Randle?
By Rick Stone As one door closes, another one opens. The New Orleans Pelicans might have lost DeMarcus Cousins in Free Agency, but the overall fan base has not waivered. Excitement comes in the form of Anthony Davis’ freshly recruited big Julius Randle, that has joined the Pelicans on a two-year, $18 million deal. The […]