2016-2017 Season Discussion Thread

[masazasm2 16]

For those who didn't see it, we played hard all game, even when we were way down.

 

First quarter:

The Magic decided to play Davis straight up and he torched Ibaka inside and out. Vucevic was switched to Davis and he was beat several times also. Biyombo looked lost. The refs called ticky tack fouls and didn't allow the defense to play. Other than 2 travels, Davis was a beast and looked unstoppable and controlled both the offense and defense.

 

On offense we could not buy a shot, and we made some shots that were wiped away by moving screens. We got a few put-backs and drives, also some Gordon jumpers made up most of the scoring. Hezonja had a few plays run for him and fumbled them away. But, he was able to stay with his man on D.

 

Second quarter:

Started with more Davis dominance as we could not guard him. Several lesser know players and the Pelicans bench made every shot it seemed and they helped extend the lead to 23. A few clean Ibaka blocks were called fouls and the refs made calls they couldn't see, which was frustrating. Towards the last 4 minutes of the quarter NOLA and Davis started taking jumpers and began missing shots, and the defense for the Magic started to affect the game and the tempo sped up more to our liking. The Pelicans made huge shots after every Magic run, but a late flurry got us within 12.

 

Offensively, there were a couple Augustin drives that led to free throws, and some various Jeff Green shots as the lead swelled. After a rest, Payton looked like a new man and did a good job executing the offense, driving the lane, and hitting a few jumpers. He began playing like we need him to. Gordon's shots were falling and we saw a glimpse of the versatility with him at the SF spot. Ibaka was good in the post and money on face up jumpers. When we pushed the pace, the team comes alive, and yes that is with EP running the show. Fournier showed off his driving ability as his jumper was off early. When we began switching properly, AD settled for jumpers and we cut into the lead. If not for big shots by them, we would have cut the 23 point lead they had by even more. Great final 3 minutes of the half.

 

Third quarter:

Most of the 3rd quarter was uneventful. Gordon started with a drive, basket, and the foul, but it was immediately answered by a 3 for the Pelicans. The teams traded baskets and free throws most of the quarter. Ibaka and Payton did most of the scoring, including a jumper and a nice looking 3 by EP. Davis, the unstoppable and running mate Jones did the majority of the Pelicans scoring. We played hard on defense, but the offense could not get enough shots to fall. Eventually we managed to get within 8 after getting a few stops, but after wasting several chances to cut the lead further, Terrance Jones was able to keep the offense going and push the lead back to 12. Our defense was enough to carry the offense for stretches, which was nice to see.

 

Towards the end of the quarter we went to the starters with Biyombo replacing a poor shooting Vuc. Fournier got aggressive in the final minute and was fouled on a drive converting his free throws, which was answered by a pair of NOLA free throws. Fournier then found himself with enough space and buried a 3, which was answered by Jones again on a layup. Then Fournier was left open for another 3 he subsequently nailed. Unfortunately it was Mr. Jones again with a hook to force it to a 10 point lead. But it felt like we finally had some offense going into the 4th.

 

All summer we heard Fournier wasn't worth it, but he has clearly hit the weights and with the way he is shooting, he will be an all-star if he plays like hes been this preseason during the regular seasoning. He is focused and he will earn that check.

 

Fourth quarter:

The Magic started the 4th by immediately falling behind by 15 on a couple easy baskets. Fortunately the offense started to get going after a few important contributions from our new guys. Green was fouled a couple times and converted 3 of 4 free throws. Biyombo made a dunk off a ball that was deflected to him. Ibaka made some nifty moves for a couple baskets and we found ourselves down only 9. But, the Pelicans kept answering with Jones and Hield knocking down huge shots to stop Magic runs. Biyombo battled on one sequences getting 2-3 consecutive offensive rebounds to keep a seemingly lost possession alive when the offense faltered. I was never a fan of him until I heard his press conference and saw the effort he puts in practice and any time he is on the floor. Once the starters, minus Vuc, were back in the game the defense and offense got going. Payton was playing possessed in the whole second half. He was creating easy offense for our guys and was keeping their guards from driving. The lead was 11 or 12 throughout most of the quarter. With just under 4 minutes Ibaka faced a triple team while falling out of bounds under the basket and hit Fournier with a perfect pass that Fournier nailed for another 3. We managed to get a stop and Fournier pulled up for 3 again and hit the center of the basket, giving us 6 straight points. A Payton steal and layup along with a couple more good assists which got us within 3. A few possessions later, Payton's defender gave him too much space, as his drives throughout the game led to open shots or layups, and without hesitation he nailed a 3 off the glass (he called it) in the defenders face to tie the game. After some lock down switching D, we got the ball back with 21 seconds left. For whatever reason Vogel did not put Vuc in for more offense on what was likely the last play of the game. Payton dribbled the clock to about 7 seconds from the top of the key as Ibaka came to set a screen so Payton could drive and dish or get to the line. He instead pulled up for a deep two, presumably because he was feeling good and possibly didn't want to go to the line, and he missed leaving 2.9 (or 3.9, can't remember) seconds on thw game clock. But, Ibaka used a foul we had to give to stop an inbound alley-oop attempt to Davis (think Hedo to Howard a few years back, and we played smothering D on the ensuing in bounds play to force OT.

 

Overtime:

After the offense came alive late in regulation and once Davis went out early in overtime you felt like we had this game. The period started great, everything we ran worked and the shots fell. We even got a jumper to fall for Vuc who hasn't made the shots we know he will. Vucevic is valuable to this team and is not a sieve on defense when he has another quality big with him. We were scappy on defense and got to loose balls and rebounds. Towards the 3 minute mark the offense stalled and a 3 point play got the Pelicans going, and some nice clutch plays by a rejuvenated Terrance Jones allowed them to tie the game. We were able to get a late Payton floater, a great steal by Fournier, and a clutch FT by Hezonja to force a wild, badly missed desperation heave by NOLA to close out a thrilling comeback and overtime game. Too bad it's preseason. I will add that the game felt like an important regular season game and both sides played like it was a big game effort-wise.

 

This was amazing for a preseason game. We stuck with a 9 man rotation and players like Rudez, Watson, and Wilcox, along with the other scrubs were simply there as insurance, like they should be. Would be great to have Oladipo with this team still, but once things come together I think Henny will prove his worth. Definitely the best exhibition game ever by Elfrid. We were very focused late and we can finally get late stops and possibly close games out like we did tonight. We have a stud PG if this is the Payton we see during the season. Hopefully this overtime victory jump starts our season. This could be a very versatile and dynamic team. For the Pelicans that Asik, Davis, Jones front line looks good and when they get the backcourt together they could be dangerous, especially when Hield is making shots. Odd to see 2 teams with big front lines in today's NBA, but maybe we will inspire a change back to a big man's game.

 

On another note, I'm glad preseason is over so I don't have to hear Adubato anymore and some of the nonsensical things he tends to say, and be subjected to his terrible math. 79-67 is not 8! We are spoiled with David Steele and Jeff Turner.

 

Did Pelicans starters play down the stretch in 4th or bench or mix of bench/starters?

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Did Pelicans starters play down the stretch in 4th or bench or mix of bench/starters?

 

Mix. Arguably their best 5 though. Davis, Terrence Jones, hield, Frasier, hill.

[Magicman28 295]

For those who didn't see it, we played hard all game, even when we were way down.

 

First quarter:

The Magic decided to play Davis straight up and he torched Ibaka inside and out. Vucevic was switched to Davis and he was beat several times also. Biyombo looked lost. The refs called ticky tack fouls and didn't allow the defense to play. Other than 2 travels, Davis was a beast and looked unstoppable and controlled both the offense and defense.

 

On offense we could not buy a shot, and we made some shots that were wiped away by moving screens. We got a few put-backs and drives, also some Gordon jumpers made up most of the scoring. Hezonja had a few plays run for him and fumbled them away. But, he was able to stay with his man on D.

 

Second quarter:

Started with more Davis dominance as we could not guard him. Several lesser know players and the Pelicans bench made every shot it seemed and they helped extend the lead to 23. A few clean Ibaka blocks were called fouls and the refs made calls they couldn't see, which was frustrating. Towards the last 4 minutes of the quarter NOLA and Davis started taking jumpers and began missing shots, and the defense for the Magic started to affect the game and the tempo sped up more to our liking. The Pelicans made huge shots after every Magic run, but a late flurry got us within 12.

 

Offensively, there were a couple Augustin drives that led to free throws, and some various Jeff Green shots as the lead swelled. After a rest, Payton looked like a new man and did a good job executing the offense, driving the lane, and hitting a few jumpers. He began playing like we need him to. Gordon's shots were falling and we saw a glimpse of the versatility with him at the SF spot. Ibaka was good in the post and money on face up jumpers. When we pushed the pace, the team comes alive, and yes that is with EP running the show. Fournier showed off his driving ability as his jumper was off early. When we began switching properly, AD settled for jumpers and we cut into the lead. If not for big shots by them, we would have cut the 23 point lead they had by even more. Great final 3 minutes of the half.

 

Third quarter:

Most of the 3rd quarter was uneventful. Gordon started with a drive, basket, and the foul, but it was immediately answered by a 3 for the Pelicans. The teams traded baskets and free throws most of the quarter. Ibaka and Payton did most of the scoring, including a jumper and a nice looking 3 by EP. Davis, the unstoppable and running mate Jones did the majority of the Pelicans scoring. We played hard on defense, but the offense could not get enough shots to fall. Eventually we managed to get within 8 after getting a few stops, but after wasting several chances to cut the lead further, Terrance Jones was able to keep the offense going and push the lead back to 12. Our defense was enough to carry the offense for stretches, which was nice to see.

 

Towards the end of the quarter we went to the starters with Biyombo replacing a poor shooting Vuc. Fournier got aggressive in the final minute and was fouled on a drive converting his free throws, which was answered by a pair of NOLA free throws. Fournier then found himself with enough space and buried a 3, which was answered by Jones again on a layup. Then Fournier was left open for another 3 he subsequently nailed. Unfortunately it was Mr. Jones again with a hook to force it to a 10 point lead. But it felt like we finally had some offense going into the 4th.

 

All summer we heard Fournier wasn't worth it, but he has clearly hit the weights and with the way he is shooting, he will be an all-star if he plays like hes been this preseason during the regular seasoning. He is focused and he will earn that check.

 

Fourth quarter:

The Magic started the 4th by immediately falling behind by 15 on a couple easy baskets. Fortunately the offense started to get going after a few important contributions from our new guys. Green was fouled a couple times and converted 3 of 4 free throws. Biyombo made a dunk off a ball that was deflected to him. Ibaka made some nifty moves for a couple baskets and we found ourselves down only 9. But, the Pelicans kept answering with Jones and Hield knocking down huge shots to stop Magic runs. Biyombo battled on one sequences getting 2-3 consecutive offensive rebounds to keep a seemingly lost possession alive when the offense faltered. I was never a fan of him until I heard his press conference and saw the effort he puts in practice and any time he is on the floor. Once the starters, minus Vuc, were back in the game the defense and offense got going. Payton was playing possessed in the whole second half. He was creating easy offense for our guys and was keeping their guards from driving. The lead was 11 or 12 throughout most of the quarter. With just under 4 minutes Ibaka faced a triple team while falling out of bounds under the basket and hit Fournier with a perfect pass that Fournier nailed for another 3. We managed to get a stop and Fournier pulled up for 3 again and hit the center of the basket, giving us 6 straight points. A Payton steal and layup along with a couple more good assists which got us within 3. A few possessions later, Payton's defender gave him too much space, as his drives throughout the game led to open shots or layups, and without hesitation he nailed a 3 off the glass (he called it) in the defenders face to tie the game. After some lock down switching D, we got the ball back with 21 seconds left. For whatever reason Vogel did not put Vuc in for more offense on what was likely the last play of the game. Payton dribbled the clock to about 7 seconds from the top of the key as Ibaka came to set a screen so Payton could drive and dish or get to the line. He instead pulled up for a deep two, presumably because he was feeling good and possibly didn't want to go to the line, and he missed leaving 2.9 (or 3.9, can't remember) seconds on thw game clock. But, Ibaka used a foul we had to give to stop an inbound alley-oop attempt to Davis (think Hedo to Howard a few years back, and we played smothering D on the ensuing in bounds play to force OT.

 

Overtime:

After the offense came alive late in regulation and once Davis went out early in overtime you felt like we had this game. The period started great, everything we ran worked and the shots fell. We even got a jumper to fall for Vuc who hasn't made the shots we know he will. Vucevic is valuable to this team and is not a sieve on defense when he has another quality big with him. We were scappy on defense and got to loose balls and rebounds. Towards the 3 minute mark the offense stalled and a 3 point play got the Pelicans going, and some nice clutch plays by a rejuvenated Terrance Jones allowed them to tie the game. We were able to get a late Payton floater, a great steal by Fournier, and a clutch FT by Hezonja to force a wild, badly missed desperation heave by NOLA to close out a thrilling comeback and overtime game. Too bad it's preseason. I will add that the game felt like an important regular season game and both sides played like it was a big game effort-wise.

 

This was amazing for a preseason game. We stuck with a 9 man rotation and players like Rudez, Watson, and Wilcox, along with the other scrubs were simply there as insurance, like they should be. Would be great to have Oladipo with this team still, but once things come together I think Henny will prove his worth. Definitely the best exhibition game ever by Elfrid. We were very focused late and we can finally get late stops and possibly close games out like we did tonight. We have a stud PG if this is the Payton we see during the season. Hopefully this overtime victory jump starts our season. This could be a very versatile and dynamic team. For the Pelicans that Asik, Davis, Jones front line looks good and when they get the backcourt together they could be dangerous, especially when Hield is making shots. Odd to see 2 teams with big front lines in today's NBA, but maybe we will inspire a change back to a big man's game.

 

On another note, I'm glad preseason is over so I don't have to hear Adubato anymore and some of the nonsensical things he tends to say, and be subjected to his terrible math. 79-67 is not 8! We are spoiled with David Steele and Jeff Turner.

 

 

Kahpya!!!

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

Where did all the negative preseason nancys go?

[Odin 137]

Where did all the negative preseason nancys go?

 

While we should not be overly concerned by the losses at the beginning of the preseason, on the same note we should not place too much weight on the performance in the final preseason game.

 

If preseason does not matter, then preseason does not matter. Wait until a few regular season games are played before passing any verdict.

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

While we should not be overly concerned by the losses at the beginning of the preseason, on the same note we should not place too much weight on the performance in the final preseason game.

 

If preseason does not matter, then preseason does not matter. Wait until a few regular season games are played before passing any verdict.

 

I agree. I'm just amused by the silence after a win.

[Magicman28 295]

Where did all the negative preseason nancys go?

 

 

It's going to be an rough, inconsistent start. We're going to look real good some nights, and blah on others. Eventually time will reveal and we will all (well, most) come to the same conclusion. Consistency is an very difficult thing to achieve in our situation but it's possible and that's all that matters presently.

 

Just enjoy the moment and don't forget life is bigger than basketball.

[Justin Jaudon 221]

I've said it before, this team will go as far as Elfrid Payton allows it to go. If he plays like he did last night on a consistent basis, we'll probably make the playoffs and be a darn pesky team. I'm starting to think our frontcourt might actually work, so long as we don't expect to see tons of minutes from Mario at the 3 (which, at this point, it doesn't look like he's earned them anyway). And at least we have depth at PG if Payton struggles.

[Ibn Battuta 127]

Where did all the negative preseason nancys go?

 

Not taking the bait

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

Not taking the bait

 

What bait? I just feel it would serve the board well for those that pick apart losses to also pick apart wins. Why was Payton sucessful tonight? What changed after halftime? Why the slow start? Was the win do to coaching? Ect...

 

We had one guy break down the game and only one person even responded to that.

 

Let a loss happen and there are 3-5 doom and gloom guys picking apart every negative aspect of the game.

[Odin 137]

http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nba-predictions/

 

fivethirtyeight currently gives us a 49% chance to make the playoffs, and estimates that our record will be 38-44.

[The Neighborhood Bully 266]

Wonder if we're getting any calls on CJ Watson.

 

If you were getting used to the roster as currently constructed, you may need to wait before putting ink to pen. The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly in advanced talks to acquire a backup point guard via trade per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com From Vardon's report: The Cavs are in advanced discussions with at least one club, according to a source, and could make one or multiple trades to fill the one, glaring need on a team otherwise built to defend its 2016 championship. Cleveland has an asset in emerging wing Jordan McRae, 25, who led the Cavs in scoring during the preseason at 14.0 points per game but would struggle to crack the team's rotation with its glut of small forwards and shooting

http://sports.yahoo....nced-trade.html