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Pelican Scoop: On the Trade Deadline
We are all thinking about it, so why not have a conversation about it – The Trade Deadline. For the last few seasons, the Pelicans have been mostly buyers or, at the very least, neutral this time of year. All of their core pieces were under contract for multiple seasons and they were on a […]
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The Point of Getting the Eighth Seed
What’s the point of getting the 8th seed? I see this question a lot, and I don’t really know how to answer it. My problem isn’t that I don’t know how to list the positives of making the playoffs, even if you get defeated in the first round, it’s that I don’t truly understand the […]
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Imagining Some ‘Pelicans as Buyers’ Trades
The blockbuster trade is not coming. And with the Pelicans starting to play much better and the playoffs in reach, neither is the epic sell job that sends out impact players for picks and/or inexperienced young prospects. No, if Dell is going to make a move, it is going to be a minor one or […]
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Finding the ‘Outta Nowhere’ 3-and-D Wing
The Pelicans biggest hole has been the in the same place for the better part of a decade. Heck, save for one good year from Peja, the small forward position might have been their biggest weakness since Jamal Mashburn lost his career to the all too common vertigo. And as Pelicans fans wish upon a […]
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The Case for Keeping and Re-Signing Ryan Anderson
Conventional wisdom says that Ryan Anderson is not long for New Orleans. He is on the final year of his four-year contract and will likely be a hot commodity this summer, as over 20 teams will have max salary cap room and very few quality players to spend it on. With the cap setting to […]
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Can the Pelicans Match the Warriors 2012 Draft and Would It Be Enough?
Harrison Barnes. Festus Ezili. Kent Bazemore. Draymond Green. All in one rookie class. Collectively, there hasn’t been a better draft in recent memory, and that draft (combined with what was already in place and a couple of savvy FA signings) led to a title, and a potential dynasty in the making. The idea of that […]
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Monty Love Proves Just How Flawed Our Memories Are
One thing you can say about Monty coached teams – They always played with effort. I have seen this sentence or one like it literally dozens of times in the past few weeks. The first thing I did when I read it was google ‘Multiverse Theory’. Seems odd, I know, but I was convinced that […]
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Are We Being Unfair to Tyreke Evans?
The Christmas Day game seemed like the tipping point for many fans. For me, it was the Boston game about a week earlier. Now, social media and the internet in general is not a great place to find the entire spectrum of fans’ thoughts, but it is all we’ve got right now. And the internet […]
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In the NO Podcast Ep 240: Blow it up?
Chris Trew of Trew to the Game (and our own BSS) joins me to talk about an 0-3 week that pushes this team further and further from respectability. We then talk about whom Chris likes to heckle the most, who talks trash the most, and come to realize Chris is a big softie. We also […]
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For Pelicans, Blowing it Up isn’t the Same as Tanking
It is no coincidence that I am writing this piece two days before we reach what I stated was The Point of No Return. A month ago, I wrote a piece setting a target days of January 9th for the Pelicans to decide which direction to take, and set a win total of 13 as […]
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Finding The Missing Piece(s): A Return of Sorts
Three years ago, I did a weekly series titled ‘The Missing Piece’. It was based around the premise that the Pelicans had some foundation pieces in place and they were just searching for the right guy to tie it all together. At the time, they had Davis and Anderson as the big men of the […]
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New Path the Pelicans Are On Makes Coaching Change Seem Pointless
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This is a popular saying attributed to one of President Carter’s advisors in 1977. The idea was that the government was hemorrhaging billions of dollars trying to tinker with things that didn’t need tinkering with, while ignoring the true problems that did need to be fixed. Ah, the more […]
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In the NO Podcast Ep. 238: Two and Two and a goodbye
Michael and I recap a week in which the Pelicans have some crazy highs and lows – and actually get to play their preferred five for a few minutes. Yay. Then – we predict the rest of the year as Michael says goodbye to the pod after 238 episodes. Yeah. Don’t have much else to […]
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In the NO Podcast Ep. 237: Is it time for the Tank?
In a lot of respects the Boston loss (and its aftermath) crystalized just how bad this team has been over the course of the season for many fans. So Michael and I talk fallout – trades, what we want this team to do, what we think they will do, what is a decent outcome if […]
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A Blueprint for Blowing It Up
Mark Borchardt is arguably the greatest subject in a documentary film, possibly ever. But before he was the centerpiece of American Movie, he was an aspiring director with a series of movies under his belt titled, “I Blow Up.” (see video here) The footage is grainy, and there is no sound, but essentially the victims […]
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New Orleans Pelicans Nearing the Point of No Return
In Back to the Future III, Doc Brown sets up a demonstration for young Marty showcasing his two options for his potential trip back to the year 1985. The plan is risky, with the worst case scenario being a gruesome death that would see Marty and the DeLorean plunge off a steep cliff after failing […]
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In the NO Podcast Ep. 236: Mini Pod
Michael and I rip of a smallish podcast for you – since my inability to record properly destroyed the longer one we put together. Bleh. Anyways – we talk Asik return, Norris Cole, “are our guards any good?” and how Michael is really down on the crew right now. We also predict the upcoming week […]
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The Correct Argument for Firing Dell Demps
When things are going wrong for a franchise – in any sport – there are two things you can count on the fan base wanting: Players traded and people fired. Most don’t care how the problem is fixed, just that it is fixed and somebody is held accountable. The trading part is harder to pull […]
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In the NO Ep 235: Terrible on the Road
Michael and I continue to be flummoxed by some of the trends for this team – including just how bad they are on the road. We also play “what is more disappointing?”, “Rap lyric vs Shakespeare”, “Which Pelicans not named Davis could be the third best player on a good team?”, “Who on the Rockets […]
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Targets if Dell Really Does Want to Trade His First Round Pick
In theory, it’s simple. You put your first round pick on the block and teams come to you offer a bevy of veteran players who can help you win now and in the near future. In reality, though, you need to find the right team. A team that is both willing to sacrifice for the […]