The Pelican Brief: Your one stop shop for everything NOLA

[Klyntonius]

After seeing Luc Longley move a couple of days ago, $30 says he's signed on account of he'll fit in well with our fast pace.

 

[leemo]

$10 says we sign Nick Young

I'd actually like this lol

 

[nufan]

We just signed Xavier guard Trevon Bluieitt to a two way contract.
This is a great move by Dell, this guy can flat out ball

 

[Son of Skeletor]

We just signed Xavier guard Trevon Bluieitt to a two way contract.
This is a great move by Dell, this guy can flat out ball

As a college ignoramus I'll happily take your word on this.

Last Xavier guy we took worked out well enough.

 

[2006_Eagles]

As a college ignoramus I'll happily take your word on this.

Last Xavier guy we took worked out well enough.

I thought he underwhelmed personally

 

[Son of Skeletor]

I thought he underwhelmed personally

He was a Memphis pick, was already tainted by the time he got to us

 

[2006_Eagles]

He was a Memphis pick, was already tainted by the time he got to us

 

[leemo]

We signed Troy Williams, most recently of the Knicks.
I don’t remember much about him but he looks decent in this clip

And going off Knicks fans on a few other forums they really liked him.
I’m guessing it’s out of him, Kenrich Williams and Garlon Green for who gets a roster spot out of training camp

 

[nufan]

As a college ignoramus I'll happily take your word on this.

Last Xavier guy we took worked out well enough.

Actually the reason o follow Xavier.

 

[leemo]

We have signed former #3 pick Jahlil Okafor
http://www.nba.com/article/2018/08/08/report-jahlil-okafor-agrees-deal-new-orleans-pelicans
First year non guaranteed, team option 2nd year. Great low risk deal for us for a player with a lot of upside.

 

[2006_Eagles]

We signed Troy Williams, most recently of the Knicks.
I don’t remember much about him but he looks decent in this clip

And going off Knicks fans on a few other forums they really liked him.
I’m guessing it’s out of him, Kenrich Williams and Garlon Green for who gets a roster spot out of training camp

No doubting Williams has talent and will be the most athletic small forward we've had since probably ever. If this dude could put it together it would pay dividends for us.

The Okafor signing is nothing but a bonus for us. He's only owed 100k over 2 season with a team option for year two. No risk at all

 

[leemo]

No doubting Williams has talent and will be the most athletic small forward we've had since probably ever. If this dude could put it together it would pay dividends for us.

The Okafor signing is nothing but a bonus for us. He's only owed 100k over 2 season with a team option for year two. No risk at all

Agree, again only going off highlights but off the Bench i can see Williams providing some solid minutes at the 3. The thing I like is that he offers something completely different - Moore is a facilitator with a good shot, Hill is there for defence, and Williams is a lot more attacking/slasher kind of player. Not sure what he's like defensively but surely on a min contract we'd get value from him

 

[Klyntonius]

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, our season starts tomorrow! And the beauty of playing Houston first up - it's televised and I have it set to record!

So what are our hopes and expectations for the season?
I really think we can be a top four seed in the West. A lot has to go right for that to happen, of course, but that goes for all teams we're competing with not named Golden State or Houston.

I'm keen to see how Randle fits with the team. On paper at least, he should be a perfect fit.

I'm looking forward to what Frank Jackson can bring. The dude looks like an absolute excitement machine.

I'm especially excited to see Davis continuing to grow and stay on course to becoming the game's number one player. If he can continue in his mindset to carry the team that he gained late last season, he can really take over the league and drag this team a long way with him.

Well, that's how I feel now, at least until we get off to an injury plagued 5-15 start to the season.

 

[leemo]

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, our season starts tomorrow! And the beauty of playing Houston first up - it's televised and I have it set to record!

So what are our hopes and expectations for the season?
I really think we can be a top four seed in the West. A lot has to go right for that to happen, of course, but that goes for all teams we're competing with not named Golden State or Houston.

I'm keen to see how Randle fits with the team. On paper at least, he should be a perfect fit.

I'm looking forward to what Frank Jackson can bring. The dude looks like an absolute excitement machine.

I'm especially excited to see Davis continuing to grow and stay on course to becoming the game's number one player. If he can continue in his mindset to carry the team that he gained late last season, he can really take over the league and drag this team a long way with him.

Well, that's how I feel now, at least until we get off to an injury plagued 5-15 start to the season.

I think top 4 is possible, but not realistic, purely on the basis of the conference being so tough. Having said that, of the teams that finshed above us last season, I think Portland could slide, OKC could slide, and the Jazz are being talked up by a lot of pundits but i think they will be the same or worse as last year (don't really see where all this extra improvement will come from).
I am low key excited for what Jahlil Okafor can bring as a backup to AD if he gets 12 mins a game, also think that Randle should compliment AD pretty well. I hope that Jackson gets into a groove that will eat up a lot of Payton's minutes as I don't think he is that great. I also hope that one of Troy Williams or Wesley Johnson (preferably Williams) take up a lot if not all of Solomon Hill's minutes as i think he is straight up hot garbage.
I hope we compete and AD re-signs early-ish in the season so we don't have to put up with speculation all year that he is leaving.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

I really don't see top four guys, sorry.

OKC should be better, not worse. The Jazz won 80% of their games when Gobert was healthy, they're not sliding. Dubs are a lock, and even though Houston don't look quite as scary they'd still need a truckload of injuries to fall out of the top-4.

We'll do well to match 48 wins. More worryingly AD and Jrue are going to have to play a tonne of minutes to get us to that point, which is far from ideal.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

We'll finish top 4.

 

[Klyntonius]

I really don't see top four guys, sorry.

OKC should be better, not worse. The Jazz won 80% of their games when Gobert was healthy, they're not sliding. Dubs are a lock, and even though Houston don't look quite as scary they'd still need a truckload of injuries to fall out of the top-4.

We'll do well to match 48 wins. More worryingly AD and Jrue are going to have to play a tonne of minutes to get us to that point, which is far from ideal.

I agree (I think everyone does) that the Warriors and Rockets are a lock. I think we'll be competing against Denver, Oaklahoma, Utah, San Antonio and the Lakers for the remaining two top 4 spots. It's extremely tough but I can't see any of them as clearly better than we are and all will similarly need to rely heavily on a couple of stars the same way we will be reliant on Davis and Holiday. We need things to go out way, especially health, but I think it's realistically achievable.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

I agree (I think everyone does) that the Warriors and Rockets are a lock. I think we'll be competing against Denver, Oaklahoma, Utah, San Antonio and the Lakers for the remaining two top 4 spots. It's extremely tough but I can't see any of them as clearly better than we are and all will similarly need to rely heavily on a couple of stars the same way we will be reliant on Davis and Holiday. We need things to go out way, especially health, but I think it's realistically achievable.

From where I'm sitting the Jazz and Thunder have two things over us, namely depth (both) and continuity (Jazz).

We re-rigged our team to fit Boogie in, re-jigged it again to accommodate Rondo, struck gold when trading for Niko... but now we have fit two major new pieces in, again. And that's assuming Randle and Payton are capable of being major pieces, which remains a great unanswered question. I don't mind the Wes Johnson trade, but he's a place-holder at best and yet another new face to be incorporated.

I'd love to be more optimistic given how much fun last season was, but we've got a lot of unanswered questions... and our slipshod preseason only added to them. If you offered me 6th seed today I'd bite your hand off, but that's me.

 

[Klyntonius]

From where I'm sitting the Jazz and Thunder have two things over us, namely depth (both) and continuity (Jazz).

We re-rigged our team to fit Boogie in, re-jigged it again to accommodate Rondo, struck gold when trading for Niko... but now we have fit two major new pieces in, again. And that's assuming Randle and Payton are capable of being major pieces, which remains a great unanswered question. I don't mind the Wes Johnson trade, but he's a place-holder at best and yet another new face to be incorporated.

I'd love to be more optimistic given how much fun last season was, but we've got a lot of unanswered questions... and our slipshod preseason only added to them. If you offered me 6th seed today I'd bite your hand off, but that's me.

All reasonable points but I am going to continue to ride last years positivity into this season, at least until my half full glass becomes a glass full of turd.

 

[Catman]

That is a hell of a way to start the season!

 

[Klyntonius]

Contenders...

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Mirotic and Davis worked well together against the Rockets and Payton looks like he's a nice replacement for Rondo. This team could do anything this year.

 

[the harry]

It's exhausting just watching the team play so far. Very quick again.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Huge half from Mirotic and Davis

 

[2006_Eagles]

2 games into the season and top 4 has to be the minimum. We have the talent to achieve this. Also AD will win MVP if we finish there

Dubs
Rockets
Jazz
Pels

Though I have doubts over the Rockets. Jazz and Dubs will deffo be top 4. Jingles is playing out of his mind