The BigFooty 2014/15 NBA Season Preview

[hayes]

Just about done my preview, should I pm someone the preview to see whether I should make any changes and whether or not it is adequate.

Fire away!

 

[peternorth]

post it

 

[Trent Conheady]

Season Preview Denver Nuggets
Last season 36-46, missed playoffs

Additions
Aaron Afflalo (acquired in trade with Orlando)
Jusuf Nurkic (Pick 16 2014, acquired from Chicago)
Gary Harris (Pick 18 2014, acquired from Chicago)
Nikola Jokic (Pick 41 2014)
Eric Green (Pick 46 2013)

Losses
Evan Fournier (traded to Orlando)
Doug McDermott (Pick 11, traded to Chicago)
Anthony Randolph (traded to Chicago)
Roy Devyn Marble (Pick 56, traded to Orlando)
Jan Vesely (Fenerbache Ulker)



Roster
Point Guard
Ty Lawson - Coming of an injury interrupted season last year, he will be keen to make amends for last season, as reassert himself as one of the best point guards in the eastern conference
Nate Robinson - After tearing his ACL last season, he will want to return to the high level that he was at when he played at Chicago, however now at age 30 what will he have left in his tank, and will he be the same energetic player he was prior to the injury
Eric Green – Picked up in 2nd round of 2013 draft, after spending time overseas, Green lead the NCAA in scoring during his last year in college. Hard to see how he will get too many minutes in the rotation with Robinson and Lawson taking up the overwhelming majority of court time.

Shooting Guard
Arron Afflalo – Fills a major hole at shooting guard, can he maintain the form he showed last season, with the major and perhaps pay a major role in getting the nuggets back to the playoffs. His outside shooting and perimeter defence will play a major role in the nuggets success in 2014.
Randy Foye – With a probable return to the bench in 2014, he will play a role as a sharpshooter of the bench, also with his reduced time on the court, his defensive shortcomings will be less evident and less impactful on the nuggets.
Gary Harris – Provides depth to the shooting guard position, and with a strong start to the season, may even result in Harris taking Foye’s spot in the rotation. Also his defensive abilities further strengthen his case.

Small Forward
Danilo Gallinari – Finally coming back after a torn ACL late in the 2012-13 season and missing last season with injury, can he regain his previous form and be a vital component of Denver’s rotation, especially contributing to their outside shooting.
Wilson Chandler – Likely moving back to second unit this year, with Gallinari returning, after also missing a large chunk of time last season, hopefully the reduced minutes can allow him to have a healthy and a productive season, he has only played 75 games or more once in his 7 seasons in the nba
Quincy Miller – Miller had a significantly larger role last season, but it is unlikely that he will be able to crack the rotation this season with Gallinari and chandler in front of him.

Power Forward
Kenneth Faried – Coming off a very successful USAB campaign
Darrell Arthur – Has battled with injuries over the last few years and coming into a contract year, will want to perform well. With an injury plagued season last year, and only playing 17.1 mpg has not helped his cause.

Center
JaVale McGee – Had a tough season last year, missing virtually the entire season, like many players on the Denver nuggets roster. The burning question is will he finally show some maturity or will he remain a shaqtin a fool MVP candidate?
J.J. Hickson – Tough to gauge how his performance will be this year coming off a torn acl, Hickson’s return date is unclear, and when he returns it will intriguing to see where he is placed in the rotation
Timofey Mosgov – Will be looking to pick up where he left off in season 2013, where he was the starting centre to end the season. Coming of his best season last year, he will be looking to have another strong season and perhaps hold his spot as a starting center
Jusuf Nurkic – Picked up in the 2014 draft, unlikely that he will crack the rotation much this season with all of the players in front of him, he is definitely a player to watch in the future.


Depth chart
PG: Lawson/Robinson/Green
SG: Afflalo/Foye/Harris
SF: Gallinari/Chandler/Miller
PF: Faried/Arthur
C: McGee/Hickson/Mosgov/Nurkic


Season outlook
If the nuggets can stay healthy for the entire season, it is possible that they can make the playoffs provided with a bit of luck along the way. Arron Afflalo and Danilo Gallinari are immensely important to Denver’s chances, if these two can have a strong season shooting the ball it may catapult the nuggets up the western conference.
After Kenneth Faried’s strong summer with USAB, I forecast him having a career season, being in a contract year helps him immensely, however I feel that if Denver are to have a strong season they need to have some more production out of their frontcourt.
I do think that the nuggets will make the playoffs despite some of their defensive shortcomings, this depends so much on their health, and their production in the frontcourt, do they have a consistent starting center that they can rely on, each game throughout the season.
However some of their strengths counteract these weaknesses, their outside shooting is significantly better than a season ago with the addition of Afflalo, the return of Gallinari which also results in their depth being much better, which is significant.
In summary I see the nuggets as an 8 seed in the west, with their improvements, and as long as they can remain healthy they will be a dangerous team out in the eastern conference


Conference predictions

West
1 Oklahoma City Thunder
2 San Antonio Spurs
3 Los Angeles Clippers
4 Dallas Mavericks
5 Golden State Warriors
6 Portland Trail Blazers
7 Memphis Grizzlies
8 Denver Nuggets
9 Houston Rockets
10 New Orleans Pelicans
11 Phoenix Suns
12 Minnesota Timberwolves
13 Sacramento Kings
14 Utah Jazz
15 Los Angeles Lakers


East
1 Cleveland Cavaliers
2 Chicago Bulls
3 Washington Wizards
4 Toronto Raptors
5 Charlotte Hornets
6 Atlanta Hawks
7 Miami Heat
8 Brooklyn Nets
9 New York Knicks
10 Indiana Pacers
11 Detroit Pistons
12 Orlando Magic
13 Milwaukee Bucks
14 Boston Celtics
15 Philadelphia 76ers

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Conference predictions

West
1 Oklahoma City Thunder
2 San Antonio Spurs
3 Los Angeles Lakers
4 Dallas Mavericks
5 Golden State Warriors
6 Portland Trail Blazers
7 Memphis Grizzlies
8 Denver Nuggets

peternorth likes this

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Levity aside, great job

Denver's probably the hardest team to pick this season... multiple guys coming off injuries, but a lot of versatility there.

Willing to bet Hickson will play back-up PF for you rather than centre, lest you give up 120 points a game. Doesn't he have a drug ban to serve too?

 

[swans95]

Levity aside, great job

Denver's probably the hardest team to pick this season... multiple guys coming off injuries, but a lot of versatility there.

Willing to bet Hickson will play back-up PF for you rather than centre, lest you give up 120 points a game. Doesn't he have a drug ban to serve too?

Yep, the first games of the season, ironically for using marijuana.

 

[Drumroe]

Levity aside, great job

Denver's probably the hardest team to pick this season... multiple guys coming off injuries, but a lot of versatility there.

Willing to bet Hickson will play back-up PF for you rather than centre, lest you give up 120 points a game. Doesn't he have a drug ban to serve too?

Not that I've started it, but I think Milwaukee has a really tough line-up to pick. Their guards are all over the shop, so it's really tough to choose the starters. At this stage I'm leaning towards:
Marshall
Knight
Middleton
Parker
Sanders

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Not that I've started it, but I think Milwaukee has a really tough line-up to pick. Their guards are all over the shop, so it's really tough to choose the starters. At this stage I'm leaning towards:
Marshall
Knight
Middleton
Parker
Sanders

Yeah it's basically impossible because it'll come down to whatever Kidd tries to implement.

Will be interesting to see what they do with Giannis, expect to see him front and centre of their marketing campaign for both 2015 and new arena.

 

[BG32]

peternorth likes this

BG32 losing his s**t!

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

peternorth likes this

Obviously this is correct and the Clippers will finish 15

 

[Trent Conheady]

peternorth likes this

Carlos Boozer will average a triple double, nash will play 82 games, Kobe Bryant will lead the league in scoring, and Randle will win rookie of the year

 

[djrossie16]

Would love to do a Warriors preview, but not sure if I'll be able to find the time to do it.

Not sure if djrossie is doing one up or not.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

PHOENIX SUNS 2014/2015 SEASON PREVIEW - THE CINDERELLAS HAVE FOUND THEIR SLIPPER

​

Last season record: 48/34 (9th in the west)

Personnel Changes

Out: Channing Frye (Orlando)
Ish Smith (Houston)
Lenadro Barbosa (Golden State)
Dionte Christmas (New Orleans)
Slava Kratsov (Foshan Long Lions)

In: Isiah Thomas (Sacramento)
Anthony Tolliver (Charlotte)
Zoran Dragic (Baloncesto Malaga)
TJ Warren (Draft - Pick #14 - North Carolina)
Tyler Ennis (Draft - Pick #18 - Syracuse)

The Suns defied all expectations last season to notch 48 wins and just miss the playoffs. First year coach, Jeff Hornacek employed a dual point guard lineup that was very successful in pushing the pace and saw the Suns lead the league in fast break points. Amazing seasons from Goran Dragic (MIP), Eric Bledsoe (first season as a starter, but only managed 43 games), Morris twins (delivered PB's in just about every statistical category) and Gerald Green (possibly the streakiest player in the league). Throw in bargain basement signings in Miles Plumlee and PJ Tucker and it was one hell of a ride in the Valley of the Sun. The question is can this group improve enough to make the playoffs?

The Offseason

Much of the focus of the Phoenix offseason was the trials and tribulations of the Eric Bledsoe RFA situation. The Suns tabled an offer of 4/48 very early in the piece, whilst Bledsoe demanded a max deal. Negotiations remained at a standstill for close to 3 months, before "bread was broken" and Bledsoe was signed for 5/70. The health of Bledsoe will be a huge watch during the season. The Suns lost Channing Frye to Orlando who tabled a 4/32 offer and replaced him with Anthony Tolliver on a 2/6 deal. The Suns also brought in Isiah Thomas on a 4/27 deal, which led many to believe that Bledsoe would be traded. Finally on the eve of training camp, the Suns locked up the Morris twins on 4 year extensions - 4/32 for Markieff and 4/20 for Marcus. Amazingly the Suns brass told the twins "you have $52 million to split amongst you how you see fit, let us know the breakdown".

PJ Tucker also amazingly blew .222 after having one beer and will miss the opening 3 games due to this freak occurrence.

Boris Diaw likes this.​

Depth Chart

PG: G. Dragic/Thomas/Ennis
SG: Bledsoe/Green/Goodwin/Z.Dragic
SF: Tucker/Mc Morris/Warren
PF: Mk Morris/Tolliver/Randolph
C: Plumlee/Len

The Suns strength is clearly in their backcourt where they possess arguably the best 3 man rotation in the league. The Suns system is predicated on having two ball handlers on the floor at all times and great floor spacing. The Suns will fill it up most nights, particularly with the additions of Thomas and Warren. The query will be how the spacing holds up, given Frye has departed. My personal opinion is that Markieff Morris will blossom as the starting 4 and will put that doubt to bed. The Suns will continue to struggle against the bigger front courts in the West such as Memphis, LAC and Dallas who all have strong presence in the post and this will be their achilles heel.

Prediction

The Suns fortune in 14/15 will likely mirror the health of Eric Bledsoe. When Bledsoe started last year, the Suns were 27/13 and only 20/19 in his absence. The other big factor will be the level of improvement of both Plumlee and Len. Both have shown glimpses of defensive prowess, but as young guys up against some monsters in the West, it's a big burden to carry. Despite this, the Suns have backed these guys in and not gone the quick fix option in bringing in a veteran big. The smaller factor will be the level of organic improvement in this group and it's hard to not see it happening. The Suns will be right in the mix for the playoffs again and if Bledsoe stays healthy (big if), there's no reason why they can't win 50 games and lock up a spot between 6-8 in the West. Regardless, the Suns will be a very exciting team to watch.





In Dragons we trust.

​

 

[I Lost My Keays]

Still can't believe Afflalo got traded for Fournier

 

[I Lost My Keays]

HURRY UP NBA SEASON!

 

[Drumroe]

Detroit Pistons

Additions: Jodie Meeks, DJ Augustin, Caron Butler, Aaron Gray, Cartier Martin, Spencer Dinwiddie, Stan Van Gundy

Losses: Rodney Stuckey, Charlie V, Peyton Siva, Chauncey Billups, Josh Harrelson, Joe Dumars

Depth Chart:
PG: Jennings/Augustin/Bynum/Dinwiddie
SG: Meeks/KCP/Martin
SF: Singler/Butler/Datome
PF: Monroe/Smith/Jerebko/Mitchell
C: Drummond/Gray

Players Outlook:
Jennings: Had a pretty bad year last year, although his first half of the year was actually decent where he averaged 8 assists. Has put on some size in the off-season which should help on defense. Talent has never been the issue with Jennings, it's all about getting him to play team bball. For the first time in his career he has a decent back-up playing behind him who should challenge him for the starting spot, hopefully SVG can turn him around, because I think he could be a good point guard.

Augustin: Great signing for 3m a year, and had a rejuvenated year at the Bulls last year. Can shoot it from range and the Pistons will need him to do that. Should get some good minutes at the Pistons, and could even play his way into a starting role.

Bynum: 3rd string PG, has good chemistry with Drummond but that's it, wont get many minutes.

Dinwiddie: Great name, great mo, should be GOAT by end of his third year. Recovering from an ACL tear, will spend most of the year in the D-League.

Meeks: Had a career year last year at the Lakers, shooting the ball well from 3, but also adding to his bow and putting the ball on the floor. Pistons paid what seems to be overs in free agency but if he keeps the production up it's a good deal. We have to hope he wasn't just a product of D'Antoni's system. Provides the spacing that we need at the 2, and will be battling with KCP for the starting spot.

KCP: Has some great talent, and was MVP of the summer league. Needs to refine his 3 point shot, but his defense and energy is already there. I'm expecting a big improvement from him this year, and should see some minutes at the 3 too. I think he will come off the bench to start, but if he's nailing his 3's he will push for a starting role.

Martin: What kind of name is Cartier?

Singler: Bucketman, brings buckets. Will be our starter I would think, he's a poor man's Chandler Parsons, but if he can provide some 3 point shooting and hustle he will keep his minute.

Butler: TuffJuice. Signed to a 4.5mil contract to bring vet leadership and spacing. Will see 15-20 minutes a game off the bench, but he's on his last legs.

Datome: 3 point specialist who couldn't hit a shot last year. I have some faith in him, will get some burn at the 3 when Butler is injured/old.

Monroe: Signed the QO, so I would think he's most likely gone at the end of the year. If his mid-range has improved he's a great fit next to Drummond. Isn't the best defender, but is really solid on the block. Contract year so I'm expecting big things, hopefully we can keep him beyond this year.

Smoove: Can SVG harness his chucking? Probably not, but if so he's a talented player. Not sure who will start out of him and Monroe and it may flip between them depending on matchups. Hopefully his small forward minutes are over.

Jerebko: SVG has been a big fan of his off-season, and if he gets back to his hustling ways he will earn minutes.

Mitchell: Can jump, looks dumb.

Drummond: Future of the franchise, SVG has made it known he plans to give him the ball and build around him. His post moves are still rusty, but if we're giving him the ball he will improve. Can rebound and alley-oop with the best of them, and brick free throws like no others.

Gray: White

Team Outlook:

A disappointing year last year, with players zero spacing and no coaching leading to us losing our way into the lottery again. But we swooped in and have got ourselves a great coach for once.

A lot of our hopes have come down to this man. He has brought in shooters with his off-season moves, so will plan to emphasize people that can shoot around our big men. Pistons fans are hoping he can be the one to get through to Smith and Jennings.

Like always there's been alot of hype about our off-season, everyone in career best shape, putting in the work etc. but I've been let down too many times before. I'm staying optimistic though and think we will be much improved.

Record Prediction:
42-40.

Just over .500, lets do this Stan!

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Great stuff Drumroe

Will be interesting to see how SVG divvies up the frontcourt minutes, particularly with better spacing options now on the roster.

I'm intrigued as to what you can do with a Drummond/Jerebko pairing in spots, plus also the possibility of Monroe/Smith when Drummond needs a breather.

 

[Drumroe]

Great stuff Drumroe

Will be interesting to see how SVG divvies up the frontcourt minutes, particularly with better spacing options now on the roster.

I'm intrigued as to what you can do with a Drummond/Jerebko pairing in spots, plus also the possibility of Monroe/Smith when Drummond needs a breather.

The problem for Jerebko is that if SVG is playing Smith almost exclusively at PF there just aren't any minutes for him. Smith could play a little bit of SF if Jerebko is the PF, but even then its 4-5 minutes max.

We have good big man depth at the moment, but our small forward stocks are the worst in the league. A Singler/Butler rotation is just depressing.

 

[Oliver King]

Golden State Warriors - 2014/15 Season Preview

Records – 2013-2014 Season
First Round Playoff Exit
Record: 51-31 – Increase from 47-35
Offensive Rating: 107.5 (12th in League) – Decrease from 106.4 (11th in League)
Defensive Rating: 102.6 (4th in League) – Increase from 105.5 (14th in League)

Roster Changes
Ins: Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush, Steve Kerr.
Outs: Steve Blake, Jermaine O’Neal, Jordan Crawford, Mark Jackson.

Depth Chart
PG: Curry/Livingston/Barbosa/Nedovic
SG: Thompson/Rush
SF: Iguodala/Barnes
PF: Lee/Green/Speights
C: Bogut/Ezeli/Kuzmic

Looking Back
When you talk to people about the Dubs, it usually revolves around how great our shooting is, where there are some great individual scorers. However, as a system, our offensive production was only average.

But that wasn’t always the case. The season started off promisingly, with exciting, free-flowing ball movement. This culminated in a 24-13 opening record, capped off by a 10 game win streak, and a franchise record 6-1 road trip. Most of the positives about the early season form is shown in the highlights below against OKC, with Iguodala hitting the game winner.



As the season wore on though, the offense became increasingly stagnant, devolving into constant ISO ball. Too much of the offense relied on either Curry or Thompson getting hot on any given night, and a late season injury to Bogut left the front court paper thin.

The starting 5 was one of the best in the league in point differential. The bench, however, did not provide much assistance, rating 24th in the league for points scored. It was common for any gains made at the beginning of a game to be lost in the 2nd quarter, where all bench units proceeded to shoot brick and brick.

Saying that, the team still increased its year on year record, and finished 5th in the tough Western Conference. However they were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs by the Clippers in 7 games.

Coaching
Mark Jackson was popular with the players, and can be applauded for his positive attitude and encouragement, and his consistent focus on defence. However he let a talented offensive team flounder, and rarely experimented with some potentially exciting lineups. This led to frustrating viewing, and an underachieving season. With an early playoffs exit, and in addition to his stubbornness, Pastor Jackson didn’t have a prayer of receiving a contract extension.

Steve "Wayne" Kerr has stepped in to take hold of the reins. Being involved with some successful systems over his playing and post-career days (Bulls, Spurs, Suns), he’s got some quality experience to draw on. Kerr has already stated that he wants an increased focus on ball movement, which should open up better looks for shooters, and lead to more exciting viewing.

Roster Outlook
David Lee – After being unable to magically transform himself into Kevin Love in the off season, Lee will return this season for the measly sum of $15mil. His usually reliable mid-range shot took a dive last season, and paired with his lazy defence, was a constant trade chip for fans. A known quantity, a return to some more consistent shooting would go a long way to helping the team.
Andrew Bogut – Was a contender for DPotY last season until he was cut down prematurely by injury, which was a total and utter shock. An underrated passer, Kerr has signalled his intention of running the offensive through him in the post a bit more. Staying injury free (at least featuring in the playoffs) would go a long way to the Warriors making a post-season impact.
Andre Iguodala – Made the First All-Defensive Team last season, which was well deserved. Sometimes a frustratingly timid shooter, but he’s a team player that provides great athleticism and passing, and made several clutch baskets. Kerr’s new offence should suit his play style.

Stephen Curry – Despite being denied a bank loan, Curry had another successful season. He maintained his rise to NBA superstardom with an All-Star starter spot, and a place in the 2nd All-NBA Team. Curry was 7th in the league for both PPG (24) APG (8.5), and led the league in made 3’s and creating his own shot. Usually a great passer with good vision, he is prone to lazy turnovers if not switched on. The addition of Livingston and Barbosa might give him the opportunity to play off the ball a little more, and also allow him a rest on the bench (was top-10 in minutes per game). Still think he is able to raise the bar again this season, with the potential to make the 1st All-NBA Team (possibly at the 2).
Shaun Livingston – A distributor to come off the bench, and to also offer some defence. Would also be good to see him play some minutes with Curry, allowing Steph to play more off the ball.
Mo Speights – Was brought in last year to try and replicate the lost production of Landry. LOL. A very hot and cold player (mostly cold) that takes a lot of frustratingly long shots, hopefully Mo can work closer within his limitations in order to increase his effectiveness.

Klay Thompson – After having played in the FIBA World Cup, Klay comes into the season full of confidence (and looking for a max extension). A great catch and shoot player, hopefully he can add another string to his bow by getting to the basket a little more and drawing fouls. Klay has also developed into a good defender, usually taking the best guard. I feel Klay is going to have a really good year.

Harrison Barnes – After his great play against the Spurs in the seconds round of the 2013 playoffs, Barnes backed it up with a disappointing 13/14 season. He didn’t get many plays run for him, but missed a lot of open shots when he got the chance. This is only his third season coming up, so hopefully the inclusion of Kerr can help rejuvenate his game.
Leandro Barbosa – Brought in from Phoenix, he’s a veteran guard that is on the roster to provide some bench production. Hopefully stays injury free.

Brandon Rush – After spending the last season as a Mormon, Rush has found his way back to the bay. Having had ample time to properly recover from his ACL injury (suffered when he was last a Warrior), he would be looking forward to providing some quality shooting off the bench.

Festus Ezeli – Missed all of last season with an injury. Will be a very helpful backup for Bogut if he can ever get back on the court.
Nemanja Nedovic – On the second, and last, year on his contract. Will find it hard to get back up PG minutes this season, so will have to take his opportunities when they arise.
Draymond Green – Green came into last season slim and fit, and showed great development and production playing at 3 or 4. Loves to take a 3, and he produced some clutch buckets last season, but an overall rise in his 3pt% would help. His energy is infectious, and it will be interesting to see what type of contract (and demand) he’ll be seeing at seasons end.

Ognjen Kuzmic – really tall white guy brought in last season to stand there and be really tall in the likely event of a Bogut injury.

Looking Forward
If Kerr can implement a successful motion offense system, whilst still keeping up the high standard of defence, there is an opportunity to really improve from last season. Increased bench production will assist a great starting five, and using some different line-ups will help keeps things fresh. How quickly it will take the players to adapt to a new coach will be key.

Staying injury-free is a massive concern as always, and something that can derail the season. Keeping the minutes of certain personnel down (assuming the bench players can pick up the slack) might be able to help reduce the wear of a long regular season.

Capped out, and with a likely upcoming Thompson extension, this team needs to make the most of its current roster. How far this team can go is still an unknown, but the potential is there to make some noise in the playoffs.

Prediction: 54-28.

Flame On!

 

[djrossie16]

Oliver King Great write up! Thanks for doing it.
The West is incredibly tough again and although I am confident we'll make the playoffs I am worried about the C position. Corpse O'Neal helped us out a lot last season. Hope beyond hope Ezili is ready to give quality minutes and that Bogut can last most of the season.

Everywhere else we look pretty strong.
Remembering that series we had with the Spurs a couple of seasons ago. Measuring ourselves against the best you could see we had the potential to play with the best but were sadly lacking in organisation compared with the benchmark of the competition. Hopefully Kerr has instilled a sense of pride in the play leading up to making a basket rather than the basket itself.
Defensively with some gratitude to our previous coach we look the goods mostly. Curry and Lee need to improve.
I'm hoping Steph also cuts down those bad turnovers he's capable of when the pressure gets turned up. We have some extra help on the ball handling side of things so that helps.
Objectively there are a few teams ahead of us in development and a couple right by our side and a few more biting at our heels but we look reasonably strong to challenge for a top 4 finish.

 

[stewie griffen]

Knicks preview sorted

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Andrew Bogut – Was a contender for DPotY last season until he was cut down prematurely by injury, which was a total and utter shock. An underrated passer, Kerr has signalled his intention of running the offensive through him in the post a bit more. Staying injury free (at least featuring in the playoffs) would go a long way to the Warriors making a post-season impact.

Just wanted to show appreciation for the above... great write-up.
You guys are a top 4 team in the west (sorry Houston) - and I don't think anyone can predict with any certainty what will happen in the playoffs in the west- and like last year it will probably just come down to who is the healthiest.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Form-book:

2013/14 34-48 (DNQ)
2012/13 27-55 (DNQ)
2011/12 21-45 (DNQ)


Bonjour: Omer Asik (Rockets) John Salmons (Raptors) Jimmer Fredette (Bulls) Russ Smith (pick #46) Patric Young (undrafted)

Turkish Delight.


Au revoir: Anthony Morrow (Thunder) Greg Stiemsma (Raptors) Brian Roberts (Hornets) Jason Smith (Knicks) Al-farouq Aminu (Mavs)

Thank God Stiemsma has been pushed out of the Pelican picture.


R.I.P: Evil Pierre Pelican - we hardly knew ye.

Meet your equally terrifying 2014/15 Pelicans:

Projected depth chart:

C Asik/Ajinca/Withey
PF Davis/Anderson
SF Evans/Salmons/Miller/Babbitt
SG Gordon/Fredette/Rivers
PG Holiday/Smith/Rivers


Now please enjoy this in-depth preview of the New Orleans Pelicans, brought to you by the board's two resident manic depressives Pelican tragics nufan and Son of Skeletor:

SoS: The 2013 Pelicans had two gaping holes in their rotation - they lacked both a competent centre to flank AD and a 3 & D style small forward.

Going into this off-season, New Orleans only had the trade capital and cap space available to realistically address one of these two holes; ultimately they landed Omer Asik from Houston for a future first round pick. Did they make the right choice in your view?

nufan: Yes. The number one goal of this franchise going forward is to protect Anthony Davis on the defensive end. Asik does that in spades without at all hindering his offensive progress. Now hopefully Monty won't have Davis flying around the 3 point line off defensive pick and rolls and just let Davis and Asik protect the rim and let the play come to them. It remains to be seen in the long run weather or not the pick we gave up is worth it.


I have a question: with our glaring lack of back up point guard depth, how vital is it the Jrue Holiday remains healthy for the success of the team? Could we explore a mixture of scenarios like we did last season?

I agree with you regarding Asik. AD's shot-blocking prowess has somewhat overshadowed the fact that we've been an atrocious, bottom-5 defensive team in recent seasons. Having a Davis/Asik axis upon which to build our team defence goes a long way towards addressing what has been a huge weakness. This leads me to your question about Jrue Holiday's importance - I think he's crucial to our team make-up, and the reason is that he's our best perimeter defender.

We've got plenty of offensive firepower - we still ranked #13 for offensive efficiency last season, even after all the injuries, and despite playing spacing killers like Stiemsma and Aminu heavy minutes. We can score points.

What we've lacked in recent seasons is defensive accountability - even Davis, a potential defensive behemoth, has had lapses at that end. Holiday is a genuine pest defending the ball, and thus an important complement to the Davis/Asik pairing in helping us improve. I want Jrue Holiday to become our Mike Conley - that's what he can be for this team.

I 100% agree with you on the offensive fire power, but we have not at all seen all the cogs move together to make an effective machine. We gave a lot up for Jrue because of Davis, offensively he is an extremely vital piece to the puzzle, in my opinion think of a hybrid between Mike Conley and John Wall.

There has to be a plan B on offense at the 1 and now that Roberts is gone I don't see it (ugh). We traded for Russ Smith for a reason in the draft, he was a value pick and had great college numbers. (saw a chunk of Louisville games and like what I saw). Defensively I agree to a point. Miller is our best perimeter guy now that Aminu is gone. Jrue will get the minutes though and has the long arms, etc.


Last season New Orleans ranked 6th in three point percentage, but just 29th in three point shots attempted. Is Monty Williams a disciple of the Byron Scott school of basketball philosophy? Or was last season's reticence to launch from downtown a by-product of events outside our control, ie injuries and rotations?

I think the reason we shot such a high perceantage last season is so many starters missed games. We did have a lot of specialty shooters on our roster. Morrow, Babbit, Roberts, even Rivers shot a good clip post all star got very good minutes but I do think Monty limited their shots because of Davis and his need to handle the ball.


Next question: Does Anthony Davis have "the break out year" last season with a fully healthy roster?

Good question, and a tough one to answer. I'm inclined to think that a bump in minutes (I think he played 28 mins as a rookie?) was always going to lead to a corresponding bump in production, particularly after acclimatising to the league. His 'breakthrough season' was inevitable in some ways. He didn't play super-heavy minutes last year, but he probably got more shots on account of the injuries - it'll be interesting to watch his usage rates this year with a full squad.


Another coaching question for you - in four seasons under Monty Williams, we've ranked 29th, 30th, 29th and 22nd in pace.
There is some athletic potential on this roster - does Monty need to let loose the reins? Also, is he under pressure to deliver results now?

It's too hard to say, so much has changed with this team being built around Anthony Davis. There is also the injury list factor to take in to consideration.

Give Monty at least 30 games this season, our schedule is hard to begin with - can we be .500 at Christmas? There has to be room to try, move and hopefully thrive. Monty probably has a 30-50 game life span to prove himself with a talented roster. If the season is already dead again by the All-Star break, then he might be in trouble.


Does Tyreke Evans need a true position (starter, 6th man, PG, SF, etc)? Or is it a matter of surrounding him with players (hello Ryno, AD) who will allow him to do what he does best?

In other words... why did the Pels sign Reke?

Position doesn't matter with Tyreke. Guidance and an ego check with offensive sets do matter though. He was a good 6th man playing with scrubs plus one starter last season (pretty much post all star game).

He will struggle at times, but there could be a trade that makes him more valuable.


What kind of trade do you see happening?

I suspect some how we will trade for a legit SF at some point and Jeff Green springs to mind.


Darius Miller, Austin Rivers, Jeff Withey - do any of these guys make it long term?

No - none. Rivers gets an extensions off his rookie contract because a top 10 pick at that price who does have promise is worth the money. Ditto for Miller, too similar to lance Thomas for me. He'll stick during his rookie contract, but once that's done I don't think we pay the league min.


What should people who have not watched much Pels basketball look out for on league pass this season?

Pick and roll Basketball. Jrue is a GOOD point guard particularly with Davis being able to play a flare catch and shoot, plus an additional flare screen for Ryno to get open for threes. There's also the standard pick and roll play to Asik and or Davis. That is our play and we have the players to do it all well.


OK, prediction time - how will the Pels go this season?

My prediction is 47 wins and just miss the playoffs. I would really like to say we can make it but that would mean every team in the division making it and I just can not see that at all

My heart says that there's a lot of raw talent on this team. My head says that we have shallow depth and we play in the wrong conference.

44 wins, no playoffs... and perhaps no more Monty Williams.

The Brow demonstrates how much the Pelicans will improve this year. This caption is rated PG.