The Pelican Brief: Your one stop shop for everything NOLA

[Growapair]

Whoa. Show down, Nelly.

Let me go through this piece by piece.



We do need a distributor, agreed. We are, however, unorthodox in having three creators at the 2,3 & 4 positions, or at least those are the positions that our 'Big Three' would be playing in an ideal world.

I'd prefer McCollum's salary was traded away and split between a functional point guard and more shooting depth, but we'll have to see.

That's right bro, trade away a near All Star shooting guard for two average Joe white chumps.

Eh, we have guys who can make shots. I think our system needs to be better in closing games out, better coaching decisions made. I'm not worried about our shot-making ability, when healthy.



Because he's on a colossal contract?

For one season, and his first season at the Suns he took them to the NBA Finals

We were supposedly into Kyle Lowry before he signed in Miami. History proves that this would have also been a mistake.

Fact: Kyle made it to the NBL Finals ... again ... somewhere the Pels have never been

We could use a steady hand distributing. Paying north of $30 mil for point guards over the age of 35 is however decidedly NOT what we need.

You just need a point guard bro, but Paul, Van, Schroder Vincent, Milton all gone already from free agency, ffs, Bulls even signed Carter but don't worry Pat Bev is still available

I'd be surprised, and dismayed, if Hayes is even tendered a QO. Billy, 50/50 depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out. He's fine for a third string centre on a minimum contract. I dunno if Liddell, who is a second round pick coming off a serious injury and possibly not big enough to play the 5, should be dictating our decisions here. We need to get our starting centre sorted, THAT'S the big one.



Who?

Eddie, Herb, whatever, who gives a ... you just gave him $54M to do exactly what Dyson does for $10M lol

We only had one first round pick.

My bad, you have five first round picks over the next two seasons and 2 first round picks each of the next 3 years after that, ffs, you could probably get Steph Curry with that hall but you ain't got it.

And why didn't we trade a bunch of picks for Morant? Well, let's see:

• Memphis would have to actually WANT to make that deal. There's no sign that they do.
• we'd have to send out matching salary, so who?
• do we really need another problem child when we're having to treat Zion with kid gloves?
• do we really need another ball dominant player with questionable defensive aptitude?Results this year would say you need someone to close out games

A team that immediately lost its best two players upon reaching the top of the West?

See, Charlotte Hornets 1993/4 season.

Nah mate see Pelicans 22/23 ... Top of the West Dec30, 22 bomb out of playoffs

PS. Josh Richardson says bye

 

[Son of Skeletor]

That's right bro, trade away a near All Star shooting guard for two average Joe white chumps.

Mmmm hmmm.

Splitting a near max salary in a position in which we are already well-served in many respects - individual shot creation - into two separate pieces is obviously a terrible idea.

What you really want to do is the reverse, change two useful pieces for a star, on a big contract, like the Lakers did with Westbrook, and... oh, wait.

For one season, and his first season at the Suns he took them to the NBA Finals

Yes, for one season.

And unless the NBA is going to magically grant us a $40 million cap exception this season, I don't see what your point is?

We would have to send out that much in salary just to trade for him. Please tell me how we accomplish this? I'll wait.

Fact: Kyle made it to the NBL Finals ... again ... somewhere the Pels have never been

The NBL Finals eh? No, I don't believe we've ever been there. Would be quite a feat, that.

The Heat overpaid for Lowry. I know it, they know it, everyone knows it. He was on the decline even before he went to Miami.

I'd love to have CP3, or Lowry, or Mike Conley, or anyone else of that ilk, on the squad. If the price was right.

The right price for us at the moment is about $5 mil per season. I wouldn't even want to use our full MLE.

Eddie, Herb, whatever, who gives a ...

His mother, probably. Also it helps in conversation generally if you mention the right name. Just a thought.

you just gave him $54M to do exactly what Dyson does for $10M lol

We gave a guy who has played better than Dyson slightly more money than Dyson? Such foolishness!

There's no guarantee that Dyson makes it. If he does, great. If he doesn't... well shoot, guess we shouldn't have let one of our rare recent draft success stories walk, should we?

The real question you should ask is, should we have drafted Dyson? It's completely asinine to chastise us for rewarding a player who has earned it. A player who the fanbase loves, and a player who genuinely seems to love the city, and working hard.

My bad, you have five first round picks over the next two seasons and 2 first round picks each of the next 3 years after that, ffs, you could probably get Steph Curry with that hall but you ain't got it.

If you want to criticise us for not making a move with our draft capital, go right ahead. I wanted us to pursue Myles Turner three years ago.

If you want to criticise us for not trading a bunch of first round picks for ailing point guards the wrong side of 35... well, I think you're wasting your time.

And no, we have exactly two extra first round picks coming our way, one apiece from the Lakers and Bucks. That's it. You've added like four extra first round picks that don't exist.

Nah mate see Pelicans 22/23 ... Top of the West Dec30, 22 bomb out of playoffs

It's almost as if the point I made about us missing our best players was somehow relevant. Almost.

PS. Josh Richardson says bye

Oh noes!

We needed a point guard too... oh wait, he's not a point guard.

Well, we needed a wing who can shoot... oh wait, we have Trey Murphy, and just drafted possibly the best shooter in the 2023 draft - what luck!

Vale the Josh Richardson era, 2023-2023. Gone, and probably already forgotten.

 

[Growapair]

Mmmm hmmm.

Splitting a near max salary in a position in which we are already well-served in many respects - individual shot creation - into two separate pieces is obviously a terrible idea.

What you really want to do is the reverse, change two useful pieces for a star, on a big contract, like the Lakers did with Westbrook, and... oh, wait.



Yes, for one season.

And unless the NBA is going to magically grant us a $40 million cap exception this season, I don't see what your point is?

We would have to send out that much in salary just to trade for him. Please tell me how we accomplish this? I'll wait.



The NBL Finals eh? No, I don't believe we've ever been there. Would be quite a feat, that.

The Heat overpaid for Lowry. I know it, they know it, everyone knows it. He was on the decline even before he went to Miami.

I'd love to have CP3, or Lowry, or Mike Conley, or anyone else of that ilk, on the squad. If the price was right.

The right price for us at the moment is about $5 mil per season. I wouldn't even want to use our full MLE.



His mother, probably. Also it helps in conversation generally if you mention the right name. Just a thought.



We gave a guy who has played better than Dyson slightly more money than Dyson? Such foolishness!

There's no guarantee that Dyson makes it. If he does, great. If he doesn't... well shoot, guess we shouldn't have let one of our rare recent draft success stories walk, should we?

The real question you should ask is, should we have drafted Dyson? It's completely asinine to chastise us for rewarding a player who has earned it. A player who the fanbase loves, and a player who genuinely seems to love the city, and working hard.



If you want to criticise us for not making a move with our draft capital, go right ahead. I wanted us to pursue Myles Turner three years ago.

If you want to criticise us for not trading a bunch of first round picks for ailing point guards the wrong side of 35... well, I think you're wasting your time.

And no, we have exactly two extra first round picks coming our way, one apiece from the Lakers and Bucks. That's it. You've added like four extra first round picks that don't exist.



It's almost as if the point I made about us missing our best players was somehow relevant. Almost.



Oh noes!

We needed a point guard too... oh wait, he's not a point guard.

Well, we needed a wing who can shoot... oh wait, we have Trey Murphy, and just drafted possibly the best shooter in the 2023 draft - what luck!

Vale the Josh Richardson era, 2023-2023. Gone, and probably already forgotten.

You have no point guard, you only won games other teams failed to close out without Zion. Your team is ranked last for clutch and you do nothing in free agency (except spend $54M on Jones) or a single trade despite having these first round picks.


What is the plan? It can't be that Zion won't get injured, can it?

 

[Son of Skeletor]

This is some all-time great analysis.

peternorth - is there somewhere we can sticky this for all eternity? A how-to guide for future GMs.


Trade for Chris Paul's $30+ million contract using magic beans.

Don't extend Herb 'Ed' Jones.

Don't trade CJ McCollum under any circumstances, because he's an All-star.

Sign VanVleet with $40 million worth of cap space we don't have.

Trade draft picks we don't own for Steph Curry.

Panic because we don't have Shake Milton or Josh Richardson.


Is that the gist of it?

You have no point guard, you only won games other teams failed to close out without Zion. Your team is ranked last for clutch and you do nothing in free agency (except spend $54M on Jones) or a single trade despite having these first round picks. What is the plan? It can't be that Zion won't get injured, can it?

If Zion is injured we're f*cked anyway.

I want a point guard. I want a new centre. I'm just realistic enough to understand what we can and cannot do.

It's really not that difficult.

View attachment 1726733

Sigh. I dunno what site you're using, but it sucks.


We own the Lakers' 2024 first, which we can potentially defer to 2025.

We own the Bucks' 2027 first.

We own our own picks.


Everything else is potential swaps with Milwaukee, not outright extra picks. Theoretically we could get the Bucks 2025 first, if it lands in the top 4. Short of Giannis falling off the face of the earth, I don't think that's going to happen.

Capiche?

 

[mickelboy182]

This is some all-time great analysis.

peternorth - is there somewhere we can sticky this for all eternity? A how-to guide for future GMs.


Trade for Chris Paul's $30+ million contract using magic beans.

Don't extend Herb 'Ed' Jones.

Don't trade CJ McCollum under any circumstances, because he's an All-star.

Sign VanVleet with $40 million worth of cap space we don't have.

Trade draft picks we don't own for Steph Curry.

Panic because we don't have Shake Milton or Josh Richardson.


Is that the gist of it?



If Zion is injured we're f*cked anyway.

I want a point guard. I want a new centre. I'm just realistic enough to understand what we can and cannot do.

It's really not that difficult.




Sigh. I dunno what site you're using, but it sucks.


We own the Lakers' 2024 first, which we can potentially defer to 2025.

We own the Bucks' 2027 first.

We own our own picks.


Everything else is potential swaps with Milwaukee, not outright extra picks. Theoretically we could get the Bucks 2025 first, if it lands in the top 4. Short of Giannis falling off the face of the earth, I don't think that's going to happen.

Capiche?

This same bloke is adamant that the Bulls are going to make the Western Conference Finals next season... You are dealing with a basketball savant here.

 

[Growapair]

This is some all-time great analysis.

peternorth - is there somewhere we can sticky this for all eternity? A how-to guide for future GMs.


Trade for Chris Paul's $30+ million contract using magic beans.

Don't extend Herb 'Ed' Jones.

Don't trade CJ McCollum under any circumstances, because he's an All-star.

Sign VanVleet with $40 million worth of cap space we don't have.

Trade draft picks we don't own for Steph Curry.

Panic because we don't have Shake Milton or Josh Richardson.


Is that the gist of it?



If Zion is injured we're f*cked anyway.

I want a point guard. I want a new centre. I'm just realistic enough to understand what we can and cannot do.

It's really not that difficult.




Sigh. I dunno what site you're using, but it sucks.


We own the Lakers' 2024 first, which we can potentially defer to 2025.

We own the Bucks' 2027 first.

We own our own picks.


Everything else is potential swaps with Milwaukee, not outright extra picks. Theoretically we could get the Bucks 2025 first, if it lands in the top 4. Short of Giannis falling off the face of the earth, I don't think that's going to happen.

Capiche?

Well, thank you for clearing that up for me ... the Pelicans truly are up s**t creek without a paddle

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Well, thank you for clearing that up for me ... the Pelicans truly are up s**t creek without a paddle

Wtf is wrong with you.

 

[Growapair]

Wtf is wrong with you.

My bad, the pelicans are up sheet creek without a point guard lol


Pat Beverley now to Philly there really is no point guard left to save Pels season next year.

Max Struss maybe? but after that ...

 

[Son of Skeletor]

My bad, the pelicans are up sheet creek without a point guard lol


Pat Beverley now to Philly there really is no point guard left to save Pels season next year.

Max Struss maybe? but after that ...

Max Strus is going to Cleveland for 4/63. And he's not a point guard.

Pat Bev is also not a point guard. In some respects he'd fit, in terms of defence and staying out the way on offence. But he's not going to help our late game execution one iota. He's also - you guessed it - 35 years old.

Here's a rough estimate of our cap for next year:





Some things to note - the salary cap is set at $136 mil next season. Garrett Temple's salary is not guaranteed and I hope to God never will be, but this doesn't include Jordan Hawkins' approx $4 mil salary when he signs his rookie contract, nor cap holds for extra roster spots. In other words, yes - we will be roughly $30 million OVER the salary cap this coming season. Observe also that the luxury tax kicks in at $165.3 million, which is right where we're currently at.

There are things like mid-level exceptions which come into play, of which the Pels' situation is a bit murky, given you can use it to re-sign your own players. Herb's contract extension may or may not use part of this exception. If we use this, we are hard capped at the first tax apron of $172 million. So we'd have to lose salary in order to even use it fully.

We can only sign and trade for free agents if our total salary doesn't exceed that $172 million, which we're already perilously close to. And if we were to do it, we'd be hard capped for the rest of the season.

Now, given all that, tell me - how exactly do we trade for Chris Paul or Ja Morant (lol), or sign VanVleet as a free agent?

Also, are you beginning to understand why it might not be ideal for us to be committing $36 mil to a shooting guard over the age of 30? It leaves us with precious few other avenues to improve other, more pressing issues with our roster.

If you'd like an example of a 'realistic' move for us I wouldn't have minded shifting Lewis and/or Temple plus a second round pick to Washington for a rental of Monte Morris, as Detroit did. But I'm under no illusions that this would be a stop-gap move, not a championship-level move. Morris is OK, fits in some respects, and is affordable for this year. He's also soon to be out of contract, probably miscast as a starting point guard, and unlikely to help our defence.


So, if you'd like to discuss realistic avenues to improving the Pelicans' roster, we're all ears. However if your sum contribution is going to amount to bemoaning our 'stupidity' for not making unrealistic moves, you're not going to make many friends here.

 

[Growapair]

This same bloke is adamant that the Bulls are going to make the Western Conference Finals next season... You are dealing with a basketball savant here.

They got more chance of making the WC Finals than Pelicans without a Closer bro

 

[Growapair]

Max Strus is going to Cleveland for 4/63. And he's not a point guard.

Pat Bev is also not a point guard. In some respects he'd fit, in terms of defence and staying out the way on offence. But he's not going to help our late game execution one iota. He's also - you guessed it - 35 years old.

Here's a rough estimate of our cap for next year:


View attachment 1727386


Some things to note - the salary cap is set at $136 mil next season. Garrett Temple's salary is not guaranteed and I hope to God never will be, but this doesn't include Jordan Hawkins' approx $4 mil salary when he signs his rookie contract, nor cap holds for extra roster spots. In other words, yes - we will be roughly $30 million OVER the salary cap this coming season. Observe also that the luxury tax kicks in at $165.3 million, which is right where we're currently at.

There are things like mid-level exceptions which come into play, of which the Pels' situation is a bit murky, given you can use it to re-sign your own players. Herb's contract extension may or may not use part of this exception. If we use this, we are hard capped at the first tax apron of $172 million. So we'd have to lose salary in order to even use it fully.

We can only sign and trade for free agents if our total salary doesn't exceed that $172 million, which we're already perilously close to. And if we were to do it, we'd be hard capped for the rest of the season.

Now, given all that, tell me - how exactly do we trade for Chris Paul or Ja Morant (lol), or sign VanVleet as a free agent?

Also, are you beginning to understand why it might not be ideal for us to be committing $36 mil to a shooting guard over the age of 30? It leaves us with precious few other avenues to improve other, more pressing issues with our roster.

If you'd like an example of a 'realistic' move for us I wouldn't have minded shifting Lewis and/or Temple plus a second round pick to Washington for a rental of Monte Morris, as Detroit did. But I'm under no illusions that this would be a stop-gap move, not a championship-level move. Morris is OK, fits in some respects, and is affordable for this year. He's also soon to be out of contract, probably miscast as a starting point guard, and unlikely to help our defence.


So, if you'd like to discuss realistic avenues to improving the Pelicans' roster, we're all ears. However if your sum contribution is going to amount to bemoaning our 'stupidity' for not making unrealistic moves, you're not going to make many friends here.

I would have signed a low usage defensive point guard to give the ball to who has the best mismatch out of Zion, BI and CJ down the stretch, rather than the predictable ISO ball they all went to.

Shake Milton went for between 5M and 10M? Jevon Carter for 7M, Gabe Vincent for 11M and you tell me what Pat Bev got from Philly, he was chasing 12M from Bulls.

Bulls went 14-9 after signing Pat Bev just because they had someone to decide which star should have the ball - he would have been perfect.

And yes you need an older point guard so your young stars will defer, there is respect for longevity in the league. That is why Jose is not right for it.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

I would have signed a low usage defensive point guard to give the ball to who has the best mismatch out of Zion, BI and CJ down the stretch, rather than the predictable ISO ball they all went to.

Shake Milton went for between 5M and 10M? Jevon Carter for 7M, Gabe Vincent for 11M and you tell me what Pat Bev got from Philly, he was chasing 12M from Bulls.

Bulls went 14-9 after signing Pat Bev just because they had someone to decide which star should have the ball - he would have been perfect.

And yes you need an older point guard so your young stars will defer, there is respect for longevity in the league. That is why Jose is not right for it.

Shake Milton is not it. He's not an upgrade on Alvarado, and he comes at three times the price.

Carter, Vincent and Beverley are all cut from the same cloth. They're effectively 3 & D point guards. Vincent averaged 3.5 assists per 36 minutes, Carter 3.9 assists per 36, Beverley 4.5 assists per 36 in Chicago. They're defensively stout, and can hit threes, but they're not going to set the table in crunch time.

We probably aren't going to find a great playmaker in the short term. In the meantime, we should be looking to implement changes in the way we are coached offensively. Less iso, more system.

 

[Growapair]

Shake Milton is not it. He's not an upgrade on Alvarado, and he comes at three times the price.

Carter, Vincent and Beverley are all cut from the same cloth. They're effectively 3 & D point guards. Vincent averaged 3.5 assists per 36 minutes, Carter 3.9 assists per 36, Beverley 4.5 assists per 36 in Chicago. They're defensively stout, and can hit threes, but they're not going to set the table in crunch time.

We probably aren't going to find a great playmaker in the short term. In the meantime, we should be looking to implement changes in the way we are coached offensively. Less iso, more system.

Pels needed 3&D point guard, someone who is going to make sure the team keeps running the system rather than going ISO.

Suprisingly Dyson Daniels did the best job of that last season, largely because he didn't have the confidence to do his own thing probably.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Pels needed 3&D point guard, someone who is going to make sure the team keeps running the system rather than going ISO.

That's not what 3 & D point guards do though. They're off ball specialists, they don't run a team. They function best on a team with a playmaking wing, like James Harden.

Devonte Graham was more of a playmaking guard than those guys, and Graham was no playmaker.

Offensively, Monte Morris is more along the lines of what you are describing. He's just not a plus defender.

Suprisingly Dyson Daniels did the best job of that last season, largely because he didn't have the confidence to do his own thing probably.

Not really.

Here's our on/off metrics for last season, both in general and the offence in particular. Pretty clear difference.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

This same bloke is adamant that the Bulls are going to make the Western Conference Finals next season... You are dealing with a basketball savant here.

I want to know if Kyle Lowry won the NBL finals MVP.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

My man Trey Murphy is going from strength to strength. He's going to be a phenomenal player in a few years.