The other shoe drops...

[Rastapopoulos]

 

[Strenuus]

That was fast...

They must really like Ish Smith. *pukes*

 

[Draco]

The loss from our elite franchise confirmed their thoughts they need another former Blazer.

Phil Pressey, come on down.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Where does banged-up New Orleans need the most help - everywhere but power forward. I know they like Anderson's scoring off the bench, but with Asik out, they should just start Davis at the 5 and Anderson at the 4. Those are the two best healthy players they have. Otherwise, they will find themselves down early in every game, constantly playing from behind. OKC finally realized that starting Perkins was a losing proposition (playing 4 on 5 on offense), even when they had Durant and Westbrook. NOP needs to realize the same thing.

BNM

 

[Draco]

Where does banged-up New Orleans need the most help - everywhere but power forward. I know they like Anderson's scoring off the bench, but with Asik out, they should just start Davis at the 5 and Anderson at the 4. Those are the two best healthy players they have. Otherwise, they will find themselves down early in every game, constantly playing from behind. OKC finally realized that starting Perkins was a losing proposition (playing 4 on 5 on offense), even when they had Durant and Westbrook. NOP needs to realize the same thing.

BNM

Davis is similar to LaMarcus in that he doesn't want to start at center. So to please him Gentry started Perkins and played him 3 minutes. They might start Adjinca next game.

 

[blue9]

Where does banged-up New Orleans need the most help - everywhere but power forward.

Exactly. That roster is garbage. How is it that so many people think they're a Playoff lock?

 

[Natebishop3]

Exactly. That roster is garbage. How is it that so many people think they're a Playoff lock?

The Anthony Davis hype train is real.

 

[Draco]

Exactly. That roster is garbage. How is it that so many people think they're a Playoff lock?

It's such a shame; they had this ridiculous rush to build a playoff team when Davis was first drafted. Traded two lottery picks for Jrue. Traded Lopez so they could overpay Tyreke; then traded a lottery pick for Asik since Lopez was gone. Then overpaid Asik. Fired their coach who finally got them to the playoffs.

If that team had been patient and just used their picks they might be an up and coming title contender. Instead they have the best young talent in the league stuck with one of the leagues worst rosters. They've setup the franchise to follow the path of Kevin Garnett's decade long TWolves era.

 

[Natebishop3]

It's such a shame; they had this ridiculous rush to build a playoff team when Davis was first drafted. Traded two lottery picks for Jrue. Traded Lopez so they could overpay Tyreke; then traded a lottery pick for Asik since Lopez was gone. Then overpaid Asik. Fired their coach who finally got them to the playoffs.

If that team had been patient and just used their picks they might be an up and coming title contender. Instead they have the best young talent in the league stuck with one of the leagues worst rosters. They've setup the franchise to follow the path of Kevin Garnett's decade long TWolves era.

That's a good point. Think what they could have done with some of those picks. Evans was such a reach, and Jrue has been a pretty massive bust. He was supposed to be one of the best up and coming guards in Philly. I guess the Sixers knew something though.

 

[Boob-No-More]

If that team had been patient and just used their picks they might be an up and coming title contender. Instead they have the best young talent in the league stuck with one of the leagues worst rosters. They've setup the franchise to follow the path of Kevin Garnett's decade long TWolves era.

Ha! They wish! The T-Wolves made the playoffs 7 straight years and made the WCF finals with Garnett. NOP will never be that good, because if this is the best they can do, Anthony Davis won't stick around that long.

BNM

 

[Natebishop3]

Ha! They wish! The T-Wolves made the playoffs 7 straight years and made the WCF finals with Garnett. NOP will never be that good, because if this is the best they can do, Anthony Davis won't stick around that long.

BNM

They had some pretty good teams in Minnesota. That Cassell/Sprewell/Garnett team was tough.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Exactly. That roster is garbage. How is it that so many people think they're a Playoff lock?

Because they made the playoffs last year and everyone just assumes, with the best young player in the game, the team will continue to get better. Davis hasn't peaked yet, but who else on their rotation isn't already past their prime (and often injured)? It's not that their guys are old, but Evans, Holiday, Gordon, Anderson and Asik are all who they are. I can't see any one of those 5 guys with any untapped upside. They have all stopped improving, and for various reasons (mostly injuries), most are in decline at relatively young ages.

BNM

 

[Draco]

Ha! They wish! The T-Wolves made the playoffs 7 straight years and made the WCF finals with Garnett. NOP will never be that good, because if this is the best they can do, Anthony Davis won't stick around that long.

BNM

Perhaps. It wouldn't be hard to have one fluke year they win a series. Being a first round playoff foder team as the Wolves were was much easier back then. We're kind of splitting hairs though. Pelicans have Davis for at least five years.

 

[Boob-No-More]

They had some pretty good teams in Minnesota. That Cassell/Sprewell/Garnett team was tough.

Yep, that MIN team that made the WCF was the No. 1 seed in the WC playoffs that year. Unless they hurry up and win the lottery 2 or 3 times in a row, and can convince Davis brighter days are ahead (blow about $200 million - or whatever the new max contract is by then - worth of rainbows up his ass), I can't see NOP ever being the 1st seed in the WC.

BNM

 

[Draco]

They had some pretty good teams in Minnesota. That Cassell/Sprewell/Garnett team was tough.

That one year was basically it. Other than that Marbury and Szerbiak were his best teammates. KG was amazing.

 

[Draco]

Because they made the playoffs last year and everyone just assumes, with the best young player in the game, the team will continue to get better. Davis hasn't peaked yet, but who else on their rotation isn't already past their prime (and often injured)? It's not that their guys are old, but Evans, Holiday, Gordon, Anderson and Asik are all who they are. I can't see any one of those 5 guys with any untapped upside. They have all stopped improving, and for various reasons (mostly injuries), most are in decline at relatively young ages.

BNM

Asik was bad too. He was virtually unplayable in the Warriors series. They gave him $60 million? Nobody was going to sign the guy for anything close to that. Panic moves of a desperate franchise and that doesn't end well.

If they start the year 6-20 or something do they fire Gentry?

 

[Natebishop3]

That one year was basically it. Other than that Marbury and Szerbiak were his best teammates. KG was amazing.

Anthony Davis reminds me a lot of Garnett..... except Garnett was a much more imposing player. As much as I hate the guy, he's extremely competitive. He wants to win. He'd kill to win. Davis just seems too nice. He doesn't have a mean streak in him.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

To be fair, NO is NOT healthy (I now, tough shit but...) With Asik and Tyreke Evans (and Jrue not on a minutes restriction) I do think they are at least 8th seed. Not better than 7th though. Some writers had them as high as 4th.

 

[Draco]

To be fair, NO is NOT healthy (I now, tough shit but...) With Asik and Tyreke Evans (and Jrue not on a minutes restriction) I do think they are at least 8th seed. Not better than 7th though. Some writers had them as high as 4th.

Agreed. They will be much better if healthy. But they won't ever be winning multiple playoff series with the current core.

 

[Natebishop3]

Agreed. They will be much better if healthy. But they won't ever be winning multiple playoff series with the current core.

Davis just strikes me as a secondary star. He doesn't have the right mindset. He's not a Durant/LeBron/Kobe/MJ/Shaq/etc. He's a David Robinson. He's a Scottie Pippen. He's a Kareem.

 

[Draco]

Davis just strikes me as a secondary star. He doesn't have the right mindset. He's not a Durant/LeBron/Kobe/MJ/Shaq/etc. He's a David Robinson. He's a Scottie Pippen. He's a Kareem.

People said that about Dirk his first 10 years in the league. Or Steph Curry two years ago. Once a player wins a title I think we change our previous perspective of him. Hell many said the same about LeBron and Jordan 6 years into their careers.

 

[Natebishop3]

People said that about Dirk his first 10 years in the league. Or Steph Curry two years ago. Once a player wins a title I think we change our previous perspective of him. Hell many said the same about LeBron and Jordan 6 years into their careers.

Honestly, best case scenario, he's Duncan. A quiet dude that leads by example. It's hard to peg that though because Duncan had Robinson. The Spurs are such a strange situation to compare though because they're such a system team. Everyone player is a cog in the system. It's not like Kobe with the Lakers or Durant with the Thunder or even Dirk with the Mavs.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Where does banged-up New Orleans need the most help - everywhere but power forward. I know they like Anderson's scoring off the bench, but with Asik out, they should just start Davis at the 5 and Anderson at the 4. Those are the two best healthy players they have. Otherwise, they will find themselves down early in every game, constantly playing from behind. OKC finally realized that starting Perkins was a losing proposition (playing 4 on 5 on offense), even when they had Durant and Westbrook. NOP needs to realize the same thing.

BNM

If only they had someone like RoLo. Oh wait....

 

[Draco]

If only they had someone like RoLo. Oh wait....

People rip on the Lopez contract; but I still like him better than Asik and they are paid basically the same.