True, good thing the teams with the players we are trying to trade for (Boston and Phoenix) are on that list. Takes 2 competitors out and Cleveland isn't going to be a team competing with us to land Rondo or Dragic.
For those of you arguing that the NOP is bubble playoff team, thus the pick is overrated, I agreed with you until I looked at the protection details: The terms do not change until 2018 and even then it is pretty much a "lottery" pick until 2020. Unless NOP turns into a top 10 (or bottom 3) team, this is pretty favorable to us.
We're assuming thst a 7th/8th seed Pellies pick would skip 15-20 due to the conference imbalance, just as Dallas' pick did last year, but there is more parity kn the East now. The Pellicans could squeak into the tournament and convey the #17 pick, a complete and utter disaster.
Another side benefit to letting Chandler go was that improving Dallas lessens NOPS chance to make tge playoffs.
NBA.com off-season power rankings has NOP as the 11th worst team. 11th pick for Asik? **** yeah. An injury to Gordon and jrue it can land anywhere between 8-14
In terms of the Western conference power rankings, where would you put the Pelicans? I don't see them making the playoffs. Probably battling it out with the Lakers and Suns for 9th, 10th, and 11th. 1. Spurs 2. Thunder 3. Clippers 4. Rockets 5. Blazers 6. Warriors 7. Mavericks 8. Grizzlies Lakers Pelicans Suns
Yeah, I think this likelihood is being overlooked a bit. How often is the 8th seed in the West better record wise then everyone in the east except the 1-3 seeds, which I think is what it'd have to be?? Barely ever. Just last year.... The upside here is the Pelicans missing the playoffs, which I'm still betting on because they seem to be injury prone. Eric Gordon (always injured or missing 15+games), Anthony Davis (missed 15+ games both years), Ryan Andersen (more than 66 games only once in 6 years), Tyreke Evans (never played in more than 72 games.. was actually relatively healthy for him last year)... Jrue wasn't oft injured but of course had the season-ender last year.... I don't think Omer was all that injured last year, but you never know. In any cases, lots of guys often injured, coming back from season ending injuries, and integrating a new player... The West is tough man... BUT it's hard to impossible to envision them finishing worse than last year... meaning there have got to be at least 3 teams below them in the West. And most of the Eastern conference non playoff teams are likely to finish below them. So, it's a narrow window of "hope" to maximize that pelicans pick.
If it falls in the 4th to 19th range, it'll be ours. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 20th, 21st and so on, they will keep the pick then we move on to 2016 and do it all over again.
Chicago will be better, Charlotte will be better, Washington will be better, Brooklyn will not begin as a punchline, Cleveland will be a top 3 seed, Toronto might grow. This pushes the western 8th seed pick down.
I think what we're truly undervaluing is the pick ups of Ish Smith, Jeff Adrien and Joey Dorsey. I wasn't even worried about whether or not the Rockets were able to acquire one of the available superstars this year because I knew if they didn't, they could just use the cap room to go out and fill up the roster with solid role players. And boy did they ever do that. Plan A: Sign Lebron, Bosh, Melo or even Lowry then resign Chandler Parsons. Plan B: Let Parsons walk, sign Trevor Ariza and then QUICKLY pick up Ish Smith, Jeff Adrien and Joey Dorsey before any other team has the chance to offer them max contracts. I don't know about you guys, but I think that's a pretty solid plan B! I'm not disappointed at all!
Oh we were. But I am still scratching my head over the other pick ups. And I'm a pretty hardcore Morey supporter. I think he must have something up his sleeve, but I can't even come close to figuring out what it is.
injuries & coaching Injuries and coaching play a big role in how high teams finish. A healthy Pelicans team looks pretty good. Starting 5: Holiday, Gordon, Evans, Davis , Asik Bench: Ryan Anderson, Austin Rivers and possibly Aminu They could easily finish higher than the Rockets not just next year, but for years to come. The Rockets might have to wait 5 or 6 years for that pick.
Better to revisit this thread near the trade deadline. There's no telling where the Pelicans might finish.
Jrue Holiday is coming back from a major injury, Eric Gordon is an injury prone player, and Anthony Davis broke his hand last season, Oh yeah Ryan Anderson is just coming back from a back injury so I don't see him being at 100% for the first few months of the season. Plus they're in the west and in the SOUTHWEST division. Spurs/Rockets/Mavericks/Grizzlies > Pelicans. I think that team needs at least one or two healthy seasons together to be a threat to make the playoffs. If they were in the East I can see them easily sneaking into the playoffs. Quick question though, is this pick protected until 2020, I read that somewhere.. just wondering, thanks!
We won't draft someone better than asik with that pick. Asik was a very very good player in the playoffs
