Tyreke/Gordon/Jrue, Thats basically a 3-guard lineup. Only 1 ball to go around. And they also have Austin Rivers. Al-Farouq Aminu is like a real poor man's Kawhi Leonard, he'd balance out the lineup but he can't shoot. I wonder if Gordon gets dealt for more complimentary pieces or for future assets. He certainly hasnt been worth his max contract. Besides Anthony Davis who CAN be a PREMIERE talent, it can either be mediocre team, or average maybe decent team in a Rockets/Nuggets/Iguodala Sixers sum-greater-than-parts way. If they came into an established Popovich/George Karl type team foundation, their talents could be maximized. (Shows how continuity and coaching CAN COUNT for something). But I'm seeing 32-35 wins MAYBE. A 5-10 game improvement at most but still out the playoffs picture. And lot of that improvement would come from within with Anthony Davis improvement and Gordon simply being healthy.
The Pelicans will be pretty bad/awful. I don't know what they are doing, but whatever intelligence they showed by getting badass Holiday they just pissed away and then some by giving away a much better all around team player in Vasquez, and the perfect #2 PG for their team on a cheap deal, plus 2 picks for the black hole of all fundamental basketball, team chemistry and good shot selection in Tyreke "Is it possible to give me an assist if I just pretend to pass, and then shoot like always" Evans. Eric Gordon will never be "healthy" until he gets to go back to a team he wants to play for. His value is low and his attitude is crap. He has been pouting since the Clips traded him, and it shows. Ryan Anderson is a great 3pt shooter, but isn't really a stretch 4. He is a really lanky 2, who cant play defense on 2's, 3's, or 4's, doesn't have the strength to guard or rebound against 3's, 4's, or 5's or the hops, inspite of his height, to be counted on to block shots. And he is overpaid for someone who can only shoot 3's. He should be on a Delfino-esque contract. $3 million a year for some hustle and timely 3 pointers. Way overpaid. Cap restricting bad decision by the ugly birds. Anthony Davis is gonna good. But he too is slight of frame to be solid on defense against NBA-size 5s. And with the lineup the billikans are gonna run out, he is basically gonna be the only big surrounded by 4 shooters. He is the only one that will go after rebounds effectively now that Vasquez is gone. The ugly birds seem to be making alotta noise, but I don't see much in the way of positives they have accomplished. And now that have almost no money to improve the squad in the coming years. Those 5 players come in at just under $50 million in salary this coming year. Cap is at $58.5. They just guaranteed themselves the bottom third of the conference for the next 4 years. I think the GM must be competing with Bobcats personnel for most worthless human in an Important NBA Position...
In my opinion, New Orleans, with their new team name, want a fresh new start. They made enough moves that they will no longer be a terrible team like last year. Now, they will be an average team that can occasionally pull off upsets like beating the Heat on national TV, etc. They're capable of doing that with their current roster. They didn't want to be trash during the first year of their new name change. Still, they will be stuck in mediocrity, but I guess that's enough to sell a decent amount of tickets. I'm guessing they'll win 35-38 games.
Their roster is aight, tons of doubts and nits to be picked if that's your thing. I thing Monty Williams is the dark horse here. The guy is a great coach and I wouldn't be surprised to see him mold these dudes into a good squad.
Is he really? I haven't watched him much since his college days but he did have an 18.1 per last year as a 23 year old. I don't know what to think of Cousins either.
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8th seed ceiling, nothing more, nothing less. Starting 3 guards who can't play a lick of defense isn't a solution to the Pelicans problems. Their going to regret giving Tyreke Evans $44M.
Funny how most dudes that have never even seen Evans play this past season are saying stuff that he doesn't even do anymore, mainly poor shot selection. Watch his games from 2012/13. He shot 48% from the field, and rarely if ever took bad shots.
not good, but really it's all about Davis, if he can become a stud 2-way player in the next couple of seasons (he's still really young), than who knows
this. And I'll add that I think it is pretty funny that the majority here in this thread think that the Pelicans can't guard anybody and that they need a better coach. The pelicans have length and defensive talent at all positions and they have one of the best young coaches in the game in Mony Williams. They will be better than the rockets with or without dwightmare.
