Recap win at Timberwolves, look ahead to 5-game road trip | Pelicans Podcast

Recap win at Timberwolves, look ahead to 5-game road trip | Pelicans Podcast

Welcome in to the New Orleans Pelicans podcast the official podcast of your New Orleans Pelicans a podcast dedicated to everything you need to know about the squad hear from players coaches broadcasters and those who cover the NBA on a daily basis it’s time to flock up the New Orleans Pelicans podcast starts

Right now I mean Z’s doing it all he is drawing so much attention and then he just stole the inbounds on Q right hand Throwdown thank you Zion hello everybody and welcome to the Friday edition of your New Orleans Pelicans podcast the official podcast of the New Orleans

Pelicans it is TGIF it is Friday I’m happy a smiling Janik Hofer is sitting here across from me ear as well smiling for so many reasons what what a way you know the first week I’m going to I’m going to throw in New Year’s Eve as the

First week of January you got you win against your Lakers the pels continue to win five straight now on the road four straight overall and my goodness man I look John the Sher is going to join us next segment and I can talk to him about

Three hours on that win I think I’m going to open up by actually saying I could talk three hours about that win am I the only one that is that excited I thought that win against the te- Wolves said a lot Jim yeah I mean that was kind

Of a statement Victory I feel like the Pelicans still to some extent are flying under the radar a little bit I mean they’ve won four in a row it’s not like they’ve won 15 in a row and that kind of thing where you you’re garnering automatic national attention but I mean

To be able to go into Minnesota the way that they did only the second team to beat the Timberwolves in Target Center first team to do it in a while it was impressive and uh I mean it was not just that they won but the fact that they

Pretty much dominated the game and and ended up winning by double figures and I think the final score was maybe even a little bit misleading it was really kind of a 20-point win more than a 10 or 12o win yeah I think there’s so many things

That I can take out of there too um I might have texted you I was texting everybody so I lost count in that game against Minnesota but I thought Zion looked the best he’d looked I I thought bi once again is playing remarkable the three starters the assists again I think

It’s another game where everybody had five more assists there’s so much to get into what specifically really stood out to you from some of those players yeah I mean the fact that you know it was almost the third time in the last four games that the quote

Unquote big three all had 20 points um Ingram had 19 so he was one point away from between he uh CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson all having 20 so that was impressive um I mean during this four- game winning streak those three guys are averaged almost exactly the same number

Of points which is kind of an interesting stat that um bi’s averaging 20.8 CJ and Zion are both averaging exactly 21 a game pelicans have a total of seven players that are averaging eight and a half points or more during the four wins so I mean it’s been it’s

Been a bunch of different players contributing and also once again I love what the bench has been doing I mean Jose’s been outstanding uh he had eight points in the first half of the game against Minnesota bringing the defense once again Larry Nance in the second

Half had eight points and just I mean his return to the lineup has coincided with the the four games in a row that they’ve won so it’s interesting the reaction to when he came back was to me was surprisingly negative or tepid but he’s shown that um

When he’s right physically the guy makes a huge difference and that’s been very evident over the last week plus one of the things I wanted to ask you about too especially when you’re seeing what the team is sort of doing look Jose’s kind of mention it Willie sort of mention it

You and I have been talking about we’re head of the game about this team trying to take the step I love that they’re talking about it I love that and will has said hey look we’re starting to get there we’re starting to get this step and that’s you know to be a contender

You have to be consistent on winning there’s a couple of other things to check you know on on that checklist as well but I think that’s one of the things that I I like that I’m hearing this team do right and and one of it is taking every game series going out

Taking care of your business we mentioned they didn’t play with their food when it came to the Nets not that’s not being disrespectful that’s you look at the schedule you got to get into it because the thing that I’m going to get with JD here as well you look at the

Month of January and curious to get your thoughts on this I I I’m trying to paint a perspective picture for fans mhm 15 games in the month and I I think I’m even asked I even asked you this as well give me your top five to seven players in the

NBA who’s your top five to seven players in the NBA right now just off the top of your head I mean you’d have to go joic making half court shots and beid um H after that I I’d have to think about it in terms of how guys are are playing

Right now I mean I think Kawai when he’s at his best is probably somewhere On The Fringe of the top five yeah the reason is is I’m showing you the the month schedule on my phone is Yannis did you see the month I saw bucks logo on there exctly Shay gilders Alexander somebody

That tanini brought up as well that’s on the back toback OKC and Milwaukee Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown pretty good right yeah Boston at the end of the month Luca Dage all he does to score 50 it’s pretty good top five top seven player decent player yeah you’re going to see them

Twice next week we had even got to you know some guy named Steph Curry right in Golden State that’s on Wednesday Darren Fox is not a bad player I don’t know if he’s top five just yet but he’s definitely top 10 J John Des shaser said

At times he can play there you mentioned yage um you just mentioned the guys on the Clippers look there’s three Hall of Famers arguably there and qu Leonard and Paul George who are is healthy along with James Harden who’s all so you’re don’t forget Westbrook too who won m

That’s what I’m getting at yeah and we just finished with Anthony Edwards who’s another player that toin any things is an MVP candidate this year because they’re number one seed that that’s the month of January yeah that’s what I’m saying so I’m pay I’m painting that perspective or that picture of

Perspective because of this I think if you can get through the month of January with one more win than a loss you pat yourself on the back It’s a Grind month you get through it and I think if you can do that it really puts you in a

Position I think where you absolutely will be six or above and you’re within earshot with two and a half months to go for that four seed and that’s what I’m getting at where if you don’t you don’t want to be trying to you know battle

Your way back up but man you go eight and seven I I’m feeling really good about this team Todd Todd wants nine or 10 but I I’m I’m just again that’s why I bring it up you’re literally going to be playing easily top 10 NBA players on

Teams that are on the top of their conferences and are playing good basketball you come out with more wins than losses at the end of this month I I’m gonna Pat you on the back sure yeah I I I think part of where graph is coming from not to put words in his

Mouth in terms of his optimism is seems like the way that they’re playing lately you’re shooting higher than one game over 500 but your point is well taken in terms of the opposition that they have coming up and the schedule that they have coming up as well and if I want to

If I can throw in a slightly hot take to here in terms of the month of of January I think you could make a case that the next um six games which is the Clippers tonight here and then the five game Road Trip could be the most important stretch

Of the rest of the season and the reason I say that is because it’s the only stretch that they have left I kind of kind of glan through the schedule and and figured this out it’s the only SK stretch of the schedule they have left

Where um five of the next six games of those that I mentioned are against top seven teams in the west Pelicans are six right now um Clippers are fourth that’s who they play tonight at Sacramento fifth on Sunday Golden State’s 11th that’s the one kind of outlier but it’s

Like the Warriors of the outlier in this gee thanks that’s the that’s the quote unquote weak team that you get to play and that’s at Oakland I mean San Francisco by the way and then and then Friday Denver’s third right now in the west and then you play two games in a

Row against Dallas and they’re in seventh so I mean you could make a case another Factor too that game against Denver is the last meeting of the Season between the Pelicans and the Nuggets um season series will be at stake because it’s 1-1 and then the two games in Dallas are the

Last two times you play the Mavericks this year as well that series is also 1-1 so I mean I don’t want to go overboard here but I do think that this part of January I mean the whole month is important because of some of the teams that you play but specifically

This next stretch of the next couple weeks between um today and Martin Luther King Day we could look back in in April and say you know some of these games determine a lot as far as seating and positioning in the west yeah no doubt like I said I think it makes it exciting

Because you want to see that step so my Gold Gym at the end of this month uh aside from probably you know continuing my New Year’s resolution which sometimes I don’t even make it to days in you know um did you make it to January 5th at

Least I never made it to January 5th no I was not gonna have wine at night I was not going to do it’s it’s gone it’s over so it’s done we we’ll wait yeah they’re still next year next year but that’s kind of what I want to see I would love

To be sitting here and doing that podcast after the Rockets game at the end of the month and saying Jim I think I’m ready to say the New Orleans Pelicans are contenders I would love to say that but I because we’re going to get a lot of taste because one thing

That’s interesting too they’re going to be facing a lot of teams that close well late Shay gild Alexander is one of the best closes on here so we’re going to see if some of those lessons have beenn learned in in clutch moments look I I’d love to say everyone’s going to stay

Healthy somebody’s going to like no one saw Trey Murphy missing a couple games right so you’re going to go through that this month at some point so I I’m curious they might lose two games in a row how do you bounce back we saw them

Do that at the end of December two tough losses you know with Memphis and Houston and they finished at home stand strong so I think this is going to be a very it’s going to be a month of learning and growth I think for this team and I I

Think I I have faith but I think if they do what I think they’re capable of doing we may for the first time legitimately look at this team as a contender we haven’t yet we haven’t look we haven’t even got to the postseason yet Zion Williamson hasn’t played a a playoff

Game ever ever much less with this unit so there’s a lot they got to get to but yeah hey no no one’s telling OKC right now that they can’t compete right so all those different aspects of it but that’s why I think this month the stretch that

You’re talking about it’s going to be key yeah I mean if they I think if they can stay I mean they’re sixth place right now if they can stay in the top six six or you know even if they can get further above uh 500 maybe they’ll be in

The top four of the West two which would be great um so many good signs you mentioned Trey Murphy’s been out the last three games and yet they still won all three of those games so continuing to do a better and better job of being able to win despite not having guys in

The lineup which was not as much the case when they started the season four and six through the first 10 games yep no doubt well Jim as always appreciate the time sir we will talk to you again next week and and again it’s going to be

One heck of a of a road swing for sure I’m really looking forward to this road trip as far as just the you know we said that that the win against Minnesota was a statement win I think they have the chance multiple times to do that going

Forward on this trip give Jim and follow over on X I keep saying it’s Twitter Twitter X do you use Twitter or X the most I’ve been saying Twitter but I’m starting to shift I too it starting to sound more normal you know like At first

I’m like that’s just weird but anyway it is it’s gimore iOffer best place though of course it’s pelicans.com Jim puts all kinds of stuff up there as well so thank you sir appreciate it thanks guys have a good weekend we’ll see you next week coming up now it’s time to talk to the

Man the myth of legend himself Mr John the shaser all right we’ll welcome in our guest for today color analyst Mr John the Shazer of your New Orleans Pelicans Radio Networks are always nice to see you how are you always great especially when the pills are rid the four game

Winning streak my goodness I legitimately could have done all three hours of my talk show on that win I can do a three-h hour podcast on that win am I making too big a deal on the Pelicans win at Minnesota no it was a back-to-back and not just a back toback

A home road backto back against the top team in the conference so these are the measuring stick games if you will uh people want to see what these Pelicans are made out of well the Pelicans beat Dallas they’ve beaten now um Minnesota a couple of times they’ve beaten the top

Teams in this conference Sacramento they’ve beaten the best teams in this conference so if you want to have a measure of what the Pelicans are we know well I don’t necessarily know that we know what they are but we certainly have an indication of what they can be

Because when they’re at when they’re fully loaded when they got everybody available and when they’re playing at their height look they’re they’re giving up you know they’re playing defense like a team that comes from 15 years ago not a team in today’s NBA because today’s NBA teams outscore one another and the

Pelicans are winning defending so it’s interesting you the last thing you just said there was defending and obviously when you look at where the pels are and what they were doing especially in that win against Minnesota you see the three starters above 20 we can talk about Zion we’re

Going to talk about bi but I’m going to go back to something Jose alado said after one of the wins here recently which he said Hey to he said he talked to Willie Green and he said you know what I’m GNA play the bite you know we

Either going to outscore play um teams or we’re going to stop teams and um I think we you know I asked coaches Ashley and he was like I was like you know what do you think what type of Team you he said we gotta be both to be really good

And uh and I think that’s what we’re doing you know we got we being both we being good on both sides and um we winning games now so heu here there John he’s talking about how he talked to Coach and said hey if you want to be one

Of the better teams you have to play you’re going to have to outscore teams you’re going to have to defend teams when you look around the NBA Boston when may odaka was there you look at Golden State in their run they def defended as well as scored the teams that win

Championship games JD they do do both don’t they yeah you got to be versatile I mean because there’s going to be nights where you have to outscore teams you know you might have to win 135 to 128 and there’s going to be times where it’s going to get into a slugfest and

You might have to win 108 to 105 or something like that you have to be a versatile team in order to win both ways that’s what good teams do if you can only score then everybody’s going to know who you are number one and number

Two you know there are going to be games where you just get out scored because you don’t defend anybody if you only defend it’s going to be hard to score so when you give up 115 it’s going to be hard to win that game but if you can

Play both Styles you can adapt to either style in e in any kind of game so that’s what the Pelicans look like they are right now all right so let’s talk about some particulars that I saw in that game that really stood out to me and I think one thing that really stood

Out I think I even text you during the game Zion Williamson looked like Zion Williamson from a year ago he looked bouncy looked Twitchy he was fast he was on the defensive end he had blocks he did a lot of different things that really stood out to me do you think that

That was his best game of the season physically yeah I think I think just his I don’t know if you I don’t want to get all all you know existential here but his Aura seemed to be different in the game it just seemed like not that he

Necessarily was more engaged but he just seemed to be playing with a certain amount of Joy I guess and Verve and vibrancy that I it’s been been present this year but I mean he looked like a dude who like he looked like he wanted to play four more games that night I

Mean he looked fresh and he looks engaged and when you’ve got a guy like that who’s that way leading the team because everybody’s going to take his lead you know now you take a lead from different guys on different nights but when your number one overall pick your

Franchise player is playing that way everybody has to stand up and take notice that you know what oh Z rotated over and blocked a shot oh z z rotated over for a steal oh he’s getting in people’s he’s defending he’s moving his feet he’s standing in front of people that’s that’s

Contagious I think the other thing that’s contagious too that you’re seeing with the fact that the starters are playing the way they did the night before in the win against the Nets which is a complete wire to wire win as well you look at that game none of the

Starters had 20 or more points in the t-wolves game all of the starters had 20 or more points but you keep seeing those assist totals going on is it just literally that it’s clicking for them them or they’re starting to trust they’re starting to buy in is it all the

Above but it’s beautiful basketball to watch well I think they are trusting one another a little bit more um we’ve seeing less and less of the one-on-one situations and even when they take a guy one-on-one they’re looking for the open teammate uh that’s what makes an offense go when you’re sharing the basketball

Because bodies don’t move faster than the ball does I mean ball travels through the fair through through the air faster than guys can rotate so there’s going to be open shots now of course the responsibility lies with the shooter to make the shot but the fact that these

Guys are are making the shots and they’re continuing to trust their teammates by passing the basketball out of double teams or getting themselves in trouble or drawing double teams and kicking it to the open guy in the corner on the wing those are great signs because we’ve seen this offense bog down

And when it bogs down is usually either Brandon Ingram a Zion Williamson taking people one-on-one and going into a fence and trying to score one-on-one well you don’t have to do that when you’ve got teammates who are putting the ball in the bucket and not only not only that

When you got teammates putting it in the bucket people are a little bit less inclined to double team because they don’t want to give up those open threes so now all of a sudden you get defenses playing playing honest and you’ve got if you’ve got an honest defense playing against Zan Williamson

Advantage is z every single time I love the snapshots that I’m seeing from everyone that covers the pels whether it’s reporters you know podcasters you name it where you see five onone three onone you hear it in Todd’s call you know Zion three people guarding him and so it’s interesting because you look

Statistically sometimes stats tell you the story John and sometimes they don’t and I know that’s part of your job when you cover the Saints and the Pelicans you try to look for the story inside the stats it’s crazy Z a year ago Z Now statistically last year Z more points

More rebounds more assist all those different aspects of it but the team I think is better even though last year at this time team had more wins oh it’s strange how the stats maybe don’t tell the whole story huh it just feels different it it just feels like

Everybody has bought in if you want to call it that or whatever you want to call it but it seems like they’re they’re a lot more on one Accord they’re a lot more cohesive right now even though they did start better last year as you said even though Z had better

Stats as you said last year but it seemed like he was just working a lot harder to get what he was getting even though he was getting it whereas now you know d z can take off he can take off literally a quarter and have Brandon

Ingram scored 12 or 15 in that quarter or CJ McCollum scored you know four threes in that quarter or or Jonas chunis gets you eight points and seven rebounds in that quarter I mean he doesn’t have to stress himself as much and that makes for a better more

Well-rounded team and oh by the way now herb Jones has snapped out of his slump and giv you something offensively so you know you got a lot of things working and I hate to slide anybody because because Larry Nance and Jose Alvarado Off the Bench have been phenomenal the last four

Games um both of those guys individually have been responsible for a couple of wins I think I think Larry pretty much beat Utah and I think Jose pretty much beat the Lakers I know they beat the Lakers by 20 but Jose fueled that win by far so I I think they’re getting great

Contributions from those guys off the bench it’s a great problem to have when you’re trying to figure out where is Jordan Hawkins gonna play yeah or you know when Trey Murphy gets back how are you gonna get his minutes back to where they were or or you know this that and

The third with Naji Marshall in the rotation it those are great problems to have and to figure out but right now we see this team as a team that kind of has its parts fitted and they fit pretty well and they’re in a nice Groove I think one of the other things that

Stands out why I’m spending a little time on Z here as well 29 do you know what that number means I do not 29 games is what he played last year and he just hit 29 games against Minnesota so tonight against the Clippers he will pass that

Look I obviously we all want more than that and all those things but it’s little things like that that change the narrative right JD for him to change the narrative around a lot of the things around it for this franchise to change it he has to do it that this team has to

Play the postseason he has to he hasn’t played a postseason game he has to play he has to finish a season he has to go into all that and I look I don’t know if it’s even going to be mentioned nationally it might on NBA today on ESPN

But it is it is a big thing because I think he he’s going to get healthier as the season Goes On by by the fact that I think you know Wednesday you saw a little twitchier a little faster Zion and in a back to back and look Coach K

Said it right hey Michael Jordan said when I get back to one in to play I play basketball so man what if JD end of February March Health still is there for him he’s gonna maybe he gets closer to what he was last year physically watch out because I think

He’s going to get better I guess is what I’m getting at here as the season goes on basketball players need to play and I’m going to knock wood all over the place that I can find it but I know a lot of angst and consternation was at

Hand when he didn’t play a couple of early backto backs and people were saying oh he’s got to play and you know the Pelicans are saying look this is the plan a good point you know this is the plan you know we’re g to you know there

Are going to be some games where he’s going to sit but we’re trying to make sure that this thing is a long-term thing and so for him to be on on the court 29 games in 30 going into tonight and looking as springy as he does and

Looking like he’s trending upward um is a great sign because it it does suggest that the plan is working and you want to make sure that it works throughout the season I mean there’s no guarantees obviously but for right now you have to you have to at least look at it and say

Well you know what they had a good thought there and it looks like it looks like it was the right one because you don’t want to have him play in a back toback early and tweak something and have to sit out five games or pull

Something and have to sit out a week and a half or two weeks or twist something or sprain something and be out longer than that they’ve Managed IT very very well well so far and hopefully that management plan you can throw it out of the window because again as we just

Mentioned man A A A Home Road back toback I don’t know if people understand how difficult that is because you don’t have the Comforts of home where you just play home and home back to back where you you know you go home to your own bed

You know all those things you sleep in late you got to get on a plane you got to go to another city it’s freaking 19 degrees there you got to get up you got to get your body warmed up you got to get your proper stretching in you got to

Get your nutrition you got to get ready for the game and then you got to go out and play against Rudy go in Carl Anthony towns right so for him to do what he did on Wednesday after doing you know after them taking care of business on Tuesday

Cuz I think he scor did he scored 10 Tuesday I think he scored 10 Tuesday I can’t remember exactly but whatever it was they managed Tuesday perfectly they got a lesser team they got them in here they pounded them they got the starters off the court they got them off their

Feet and they went on to Minnesota and handled business the next night as if they had not played the previous night right which is something you just Minnesota had lost one home game had lost one home game that’s probably one of the reasons place to go Minnesota was

Running folks out of there and the Pelicans go up there and in a sense they control the game yeah they control the game when you win by double figures on the road you kind of ran that team out of there because it’s hard to win on the

Road as it is it’s definitely hard to win by double figures and it’s definitely wi hard to win by double figures against the best team in the conference record wise that was one of the things that really stood out to me in that when again I could do three

Hours on that too it was it wasn’t one of those hey Anthony Edwards was off that night oh hey Rudy gobear was off that night oh hey Carl Anthony towns didn’t play well got in foul trouble in the first quarter the pels did all those things to kind of secure that win that’s

What really stood out to me but I had even got to this and we got to get to the clippers but I got to ask you because I don’t think the pels are where they are right now in a big difference from last year to this year I think

Brandon Ingram’s playing the best basketball of his career I think so too I mean and the willingness of he and Zion and CJ McCollum The pel’s Big Three quote un quote to share the basketball but to score when called upon to do so when they get the mismatches and to kind

Of carry the offense for stretches and for this team to recognize hey that guy’s hot that guy’s hot let’s get it to him but Brandon Ingram as you mentioned playing by far his best defense I’m by far his best defense and being efficient offensively because he’s not forcing

Anything I know earlier in the season they wanted him to take more threes it seemed like it was in his head mentally you know hey I’m a guy who takes two or three threes a game but they want me to take six or eight so I’m gonna take

These six or eight and it looked like he was forcing it now he seems to be back more comfortable in his role in his Zone and so for him to be playing the way he is and for him to accept okay I might not have it going tonight offensively

You know I might be three for 10 right now but you know what I can get eight assists I can block a shot I I can I can I can get I can get eight rebounds you know those are things that make everybody turn around and look and say

Okay if he’s willing to sacrifice to win why can’t I sacrifice to win that phrase put some respect on my name he has respect to his name so even when he’s not I mean Defenders are still going to honor it right and that’s that’s the fact you hear the the the phrase gravity

A lot with Z but it’s the same thing with all three of those guys he hey he might have had a bad night but we’ve seen him hit a big shot in the fourth quarter CJ he might go through his stretches where he’s hot in the first

Quarter cold second third hits a big shot in the fourth those three guys have gravity so you have to respect it right yeah absolutely I mean those guys no matter how they’re playing in the game if you’re a Defender you know okay it’s clutch time and this guy can get this

Guy can get them a basket yeah I gotta I gotta honor him I got to defend him I I can’t just stray away from him and pretend he’s not on the court I got to guard him and so you suck away something else because if that guy’s got to guard

CJ on the perimeter that means that guy can’t help on Zion he can’t help on Brandon Ingram and if that guy’s got to guard Brandon Ingram and somebody’s going to rotate over the double that means he’s leaving somebody wide open whether that be Brandon Ingram or whether that be Zion Williamson but

You’re leaving somebody open and now these guys have you know those three seem to have figured it out hey in the clutch moments and we’ll sprinkle you valunas in there for a little bit because they find him and he’ll score two but those guys have kind of played

Off one another very well in these stretches where you know when there’s a clutch basket or when there’s a big basket to be made one of those guys that’s producing it sir you are wearing black and gold and you covered the Saints for many many years and inside

That locker room Drew Brees is a player that constantly said hey when you’re good the next game is the biggest game and they get bigger and bigger the better you play well guess what tonight is a big game because it’s the Clippers and when you take a look at the Clippers

116 106 the earlier season meeting the beard had just showed up this is a completely different looking Clipper team than when these two teams faced earlier in the season right am I wrong on that his team is totally different because they were discombobulated when he first got there and you know people

Were laughing and you know it was kind of funny because you know James Harden forced his way out of Philly and you know he said I want to go to the Clippers and I don’t know necessarily that Philly got the hall it wanted to but you know more than anything I think

Philly looked at it as subtraction you know addition by subtraction they got a guy out who didn’t want to be there anymore and who was pretty much kind of you know speaking very ill of the organization James Harden goes to the to the Clippers they don’t win early

Everybody’s kind of laughing a little bit but James Harden is a Hall of Fame player and and I think what can’t be overlooked is Russell Westbrook saying I’ll go to the bench to make this thing work I’ll do that so Russell Westbrook goes to the bench James Harden is

Starting alongside Terence man and now suddenly you get the movement and distribution that you’re looking for because James Harden ain’t G to be a ball hog with the Clippers you got Kawhi lyard and you got Paul George those two mouths will be fed you know contractually it says so and ability it

Says so those two guys don’t need James Harden to get what they get but having James Harden there probably makes it a little bit easier for them because now they can operate maybe with a little bit more space well they’re healthy I mean they’re healthy Kawhi Leonard’s

Averaging 24 points a game Paul George is averaging 23 points a game James Harden’s averaging 17 points a game but again those two guys are healthy a lot of times when the PS have played those uh the Clippers they haven’t been so I I’m curious because again matchups you

You say this all the time makeer Miss league and then also matchups that’s the NBA in a nutshell I’m curious how they match up against this team where they’re playing you could argue other than OKC these are the two hottest teams meeting tonight in the last 10 to 15 games are

The Pelicans and the Clippers oh absolutely absolutely I think they’re playing as well as any two teams in the league I want to see what the pells do play Field tonight yeah I want to see what the pills do defensively because you know you know her is going to take

One of those two I’m going to assume it’ll be Paul George because Kawhi Leonard is pretty strong he he you know he’s he’s pretty cut and so maybe that’s going to be Brandon Ingram’s responsibility I don’t know but I’m I’m anxious to see how the Pelicans match up

With them defensively or maybe herb Jones does start on kawii Leonard and maybe you start you know C.J McCollum on Paul George and you see if you can steal some minutes that way you figure Dyson Daniels is going to play a decent amount in this game because you know somebody’s

GNA somebody’s going to have to go out there to try to stop those guys Dyson Daniels Naji Marshall another physical Defender so it’ll be interesting to see how the Pelicans match up but a lot of times in games like this if you’re the Pelicans what happens and I’m sure same

For the Clippers when you’re a good team you force the opponent to do what you want to do and that’s what I didn’t like about what the Pelicans did against Houston Houston forced the Pelicans into a Tempo that the Pelicans didn’t want to do and they got to win and that just

Kind of graded at me because it was like Houston’s not the superior team you got to be able to impose your will on that team so who’s going to be able to impose their will in this game is going to be is going to be serious because you know

The Clippers like to get up and down too the Clippers love to shoot threes they at like you know they’re at like 38 and a half perc on three as a team which is ridiculous ridiculous 38 and a half perc as a team third best in the league so I

Want to see if the Pelicans can one chase them off the line because the Pelicans are one of the best three-point defending teams in the league fourth best and so and I also want to see who can kind of force the other team to do what it wants the other team to do

Otherwise now if neither team can force the other to do what what they want them to it’s going to be a shootout it’s going to be 40 to 137 which will be entertaining but you know ain’t so necessarily so great for the heart but I want to see which team can force the

Other one to do what it wants them to do yeah with a pretty big five-game road trip coming over 10 days and also one of the questions that was asked to Zion at the end of the game on Wednesday was his thoughts on how Willie Green matched up

With Chris Finch look tyou is a really good head coach yes he is and so again this is one of those snapshots too it it is January but I think it’s going to have a playoff feel they know in the locker room and the pels and I think the

Clippers too these two teams could face off at one point in the postseason they’re competing for the Western Conference here so I think the fans are going to feel it I think the play on the Court’s going to dictate I’d be shocked if you see one of these two teams not

Show up tonight I think you’re going to see a really hotly contested game I’m I’m curious you know it’s going to be fun it’s a great measuring stick game that’s a good team this is a good team who’s going to be the best team tonight you know Ric Flair used to always say

You know if you want to beat a man you got to beat the man yeah okay well that’s you know the Clippers are one of the men in the Western Conference that’s a team that when healthy should and probably will contend for a championship if you’re the Pelicans and you want to

Get to that level you know you got to be able to beat teams like that and after that you got to be able to climb down off that cloud and go on the road for five games and be representative because you know you look at at the beginning of

The Season you say man that five game Road Stream Road sweep right there ISO that’s going to be difficult but now the Pelicans have shown they can play anybody just about anywhere so now you don’t feel so gloomy about it because now it’s all of a sudden you know what

You know you’re thinking about it ahead of time you say boy that might be a must- win against the Clippers before you go on the road for five well now I ain’t necessarily saying the Pelicans don’t want to win it but you don’t feel as bad because you feel like they can go

On the road and win them but look you want to take care of home at every opportunity that you can and you especially want to do it against the better teams because you want those teams having it in their head if I got to go back there for the playoffs it

Ain’t G to be easy final thing for you because I brought this up on the show and and the graph was uh you know he happened to want some lunch so I treated him to some lunch on Thursday when he showed up but I asked him this as well

And Ali coell give me your top five to seven just stff top of your head NBA players right now currently well I’m going to stay with the Yannis in the top seven uh got to go with Jason Tatum in there um I’m going to go with oh I can’t I can’t forget

Joker God I’m I feel embarrass all get Joker um I still got to put LeBron in there I I think he’s still one of those guys uh I also have to go with with uh a healthy Jimmy Butler I like a healthy Jimmy Butler in that list because Jimmy

Butler is a guy who who kind of Wills them to wins and somehow or another he he just does it and uh let’s think here let’s think who else we got here um dearon Fox when he’s going I don’t know if I put him top seven but I certainly

Have him top top 10 I like him a lot okay um oh God my goodness you should have slapped me Luca good grief Luka Luca’s got to be in there and um I guess I I’m I’m having a hard time going past Luca but I think that’s about six or

Seven right there but I I feel pretty good about that six or seven so here’s the point of my exercise the reason I said that because it’s interesting you brought up two that that didn’t make the list for Ali and the graph Todd put up Shay ildis Alexander OKC’s the second I

Forget team right now right he put them in there as well uh you mentioned Luca and uh dear and fox which is coming up on Sunday Giannis and all that basically it’s the month of January is the point that I’m bringing up the Pelicans are going to be playing either the top five

Or top seven best player in the NBA along with his teams when you think about it right the Kings on Sunday he said dearon Fox notice you didn’t even say Steph Curry yeah right that’s coming on Wednesday the Joker on Friday Luca twice Saturday and Monday you got the Hornets we didn’t

Even talk about Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and of course you know the guy that loves and Booker who can cook it there as well you got the Jazz again at home but then you got Shay GIS Alexander at home a back to back the next night is

Giannis and by the way Dame Lillard is on that team as well and then you go on the road to Boston and it’s brown and Tatum and then the Rockets the reason I bring that up is it’s 15 games in the month of January I would love to just be

Above 500 now it’s not even so you’re going to have to have one more win than loss regardless but I think if you can just and I don’t mean this in a bad way can you just get through January healthy more wins than losses JD I do think at that point

You can maybe say this team could be a contender if you’re nine 10 wins that’s what Todd said I’m like I’d be happy eight and seven I know I want better than that but if I do see nine 10 wins JD I could be feeling that but I think at the bare

Minimum if I’m eight and seven in the month of January I could probably start feeling comfortable that a top six spot for sure and I think I’m mean with I’m I’m within reach of number four and that’s what Larry Nan said to me on media day his goal this team’s goal was

To host a first round playoff match so or series and that’s all I’m saying this month you’re going to face the best in the it’s the hardest schedule in the NBA it is this month I would feel good with eight and seven too I mean because eight

And seven going through that kind of a month It’s a Grind month basically It’s a Grind month you’re talking about 15 games and you’re talking about Elite level competition which you have in the NBA every night anyway sure but there are no breathers and when you’re talking

About the best players and I’m you know I feel so embarrassed if foret Shay Gil just Alexander because he is probably right now for my money probably the best closer in the NBA and so you know now you’re talking about teams that play well down the stretch all these teams

Have Elite scores all these Elite scores get calls which Zion doesn’t get and so so to be able to to get eight and seven out of that you know it it’s it’s going to be a fist fight through the entire month and so you hope that the Pelicans

Are up for it because and I think they are I think they understand right people are looking at them a little bit different right now you know people aren’t looking at the Pelicans like you know one you can’t look at them the same way because they’re not injured so now

You can’t look at them and say okay we can chalk one up now you got to say okay they’re formidable and not only are they formidable because all three guys are out there all three guys are playing well yeah and so now and now you get

Your bench back cuz Larry n coming back he was huge oh Larry n coming back was so big for the bench because you can steal a lot of minutes for valent chunis with Larry Nance on the floor and in fact Larry Nance will be on the floor

Closing out games because he is such a heady player he does all the right things he gets the rebounds he blocks the shots he makes the rotations on defense to take the offensive fouls he does all those little things that that a big guy generally doesn’t do and so he

Can finish out games and then you get Alvarado in the stretch that he’s in so I think the Pelicans feel good and I think people are looking at the Pelicans you know they’re looking at the Pelicans on the schedule now saying you know what that’s gonna be a hard game that’s gonna

Be a difficult team to beat you know we we just can’t walk in and just roll it out there and get those guys because everybody’s healthy and they’re playing well so I I take eight and seven I I really would I’m I’m like gra I’m hoping

Nine and six but I take eight and seven because I think that’ll show a great deal of progress because you know in former years I keep I hate to refer former years but it is we’re showing the steps yeah former years you might be you

Know 3 and 12 over five and 10 out of that’s a big difference and that’s a huge difference to be eight and seven n and six now you’re battling is the point that I’m trying to make now now all of a sudden the the the trade deadline is a

Little different you look at it and now you’re you’re trying to move up because people look at the NBA Allstar Weekend as the halfway point it’s not the halfway points in the month of January so you don’t want to be having to fight up and look I keep saying this with Jim

All the time the the better they can play here and you can tread this month the further and further you’re getting away from 10 yes and the only reason I’m saying that is because in the past couple of Seasons JD for whatever reason it’s injuries or whatever this team’s

Battling just to get to 10 man to nine to seven I am going to enjoy and I would love a spring of trying to get to four or five and oh you’re six that I don’t want to be anywhere near the play I don’t want to be talking about it you

Know what I’m saying I kept using the analogy to two-lane football remember when Willie Fritz first got here it was six wins then he got the six wins again and now the last two seasons I have Cory glor on or somebody from tane on and oh

Oh that’s right that was win number six you’re Bowl eligible in October like you don’t even think about it that’s where I think this organization needs to get the NBA more than any other Sport and you know this you have to take steps and and there’s steps so but get to that point

Keep moving but I want to bring perspective for pels fans oh they’ve lost three or four they hey it’s a tough month yeah get one more win than one loss in this month and I think you’re in a good spot to bit six or above I I understand fans are fans are emotional

And I get it you know you lose two in a row and everybody ought to be traded and every coach ought to be fired and you know the the owner ought to sell the teamm in the city yeah wo my goodness woo you know there are days where I

Should kind of stay off Twitter because it’s like you know what this is pretty absurd and I just I probably shouldn’t be watching this but but you got to understand that this team and again you got to understand also that these big three haven’t played together a lot yeah

They they’re they they’ look like they’re figuring it out pretty well but they don’t have a great deal of experience together and they’re learning together and it’s fun watching it come together as a plan and so yeah eight and seven over this kind of month I i’ look

I take it I’d run to the bank with it I deposit it because you know everybody else is playing tough schedules in January too so if you’re one of the teams that’s above 500 that’s going to be to your benefit and then as you mentioned you’ll be talking about you

Know playing for the four seed as opposed to playing for you know 10 to get into the playin and that kind of thing I don’t want to be do I don’t want to be dealing with the playin this year I I want to have to fool around with

That 100% that’s what I’m saying all right I’ve taken way too much of your time let’s go have some fun it’s the Pelicans and the Clippers tonight and then when we come back on the Pelicans podcast on Monday we’ll be talking about two games not the clippers but game one

Of a five game Road Trip against the Sacramento Kings as always appreciate your time anytime yep for sure you’ve been listening to the Pelicans podcast as always make sure you like and follow the show and then boom it’ll pop up on your computer and your phone when the

New one drops and it sa and you can go and check it out so appreciate you and we’ll see you next week on the New Orleans Pelicans podcast have a good weekend everyone thanks for listening to the New Orleans Pelicans podcast join us three times per week on pelicans.com the

Pelicans mobile app the iHeart Radio App or where you get your podcast and be sure to give Jim and Gus of follow onx at Jim IC can offer and gcat un17 we’ll see you next time right here on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast

On the latest New Orleans Pelicans Podcast from Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, Pelicans Radio color analyst John DeShazier joins Jim Eichenhofer and Gus Kattengell to recap the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and discuss the importance of the Pelicans’ schedule in January. Jim gives his thoughts on the big win and previews what he thinks could be a season defining upcoming 5-game road trip.
#NBA #Pelicans #NewOrleansPelicans
Latest NBA News & Pelicans News @ https://www.pelicans.com

New Orleans Pelicans Roster
———————————————–
Jose Alvarado #15 Guard
Dyson Daniels #11 Guard
Kaiser Gates #12 Forward
Jordan Hawkins #24 Guard
Brandon Ingram #14 Forward
Herbert Jones #5 Forward
Kira Lewis Jr. #13 Guard
E.J. Liddell #32 Forward
Naji Marshall #8 Forward
CJ McCollum #3 Guard
Trey Murphy III #25 Guard
Larry Nance Jr. #22 Forward/Center
Matt Ryan #37 Forward
Dereon Seabron #0 Guard
Jonas Valanciunas #17 Center
Zion Williamson #1 Forward
Cody Zeller #44 Forward/Center

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