Antonio Daniels breaks down Pelicans’ recent success | Pelicans Podcast

Antonio Daniels breaks down Pelicans’ recent success | 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 hello everyone and welcome to another edition of your New Orleans Pelicans podcast the official podcast of the New Orleans Pelicans it is Friday TGIF and I don’t know about you but I feel fantastic why I don’t know two Pelicans wins to start out this road

Trip best of five let’s see what happens here in Denver tonight but my goodness how about that win at Golden State by this team 141 to 105 a second straight wire to wire Victory Brandon kick it out to Herb rightwing three no rebound dunked in with two hands by Murphy on

The follow our bench explodes back to Hawkins fly by left angle three hit it nothing but net for the rook and the pels Hang 46 on the Warriors in the first quarter nine of 16 from three my goodness gracious Zion on the switch good D on Thompson now pky up top charage through

The legs bumped by Nance spins in the lane lost it ball on the deck taken by McCullum another steal up the floor Trey jump feet out to McCullum right to the top three you know it defense to offense Steve cerr takes a timeout Thompson bounce feet to Davis oh blocked by herb

Ball on the deck taken by yonas herb not on you Dyson no look over to JV and the rightand punch on the bounce pass 12 straight for valent chunis who’s got a game high 21 now Z up top right hand dribble goes to the Lane triple

Team put it up in it anyway and won here’s what head coach Willie Green had to say following that win we know that this is a a group that the Warriors that they they have heart they play with pride um they want to protect their home floor

They just had a loss here um a few nights ago so we didn’t want to let them back in the game they made a run and then a credit to our guys once again they responded and and JV had a huge third quarter uh I think 15 points four

Rebounds something like that but you know it it was a big time response um from our guys Zion who finished with 19 points in the game had this to say I think definitely our uh defensive intensity said it in my postgame interview we just been locked in and

Into tune with each other on the defensive end and it leaves our offense and leaves everybody feeling confident uh we were able to share the ball and I mean we get wins CJ McCullum had 14 points in a game eight assists his thoughts on the victory think we just

Been doing a great job of executing the game plan starts with how we defend um getting off to good starts in that first quarter defending at a high level um taking advantage of transition playing inside and out sharing the ball think we had 39 assists tonight um doing the

Little things that our necessary to win on the road defending not getting up Second Chance opportunities and then you got to make a lot of Threes especially in the league the way it is today and I think we’ve been doing all those things collectively and Trey Murphy knocked

Down four threes as he had 16 Off the Bench says you know the way we’re kind of playing you may have to start to have a certain kind of discussion yeah I mean I would say we have the deepest team in the entire league like we have 12 13 14

Guys that can all play like on any team like all can be rotational players so uh I I just feel like we’re we’re about close to where we need to have that conversation about the Pelicans for sure because uh we’re definitely on the way and what conversation is that you know a

Conversation I’m I’m talking about and speaking of discussing that discussion perhaps Jim ien Hofer from pelicans.com who joins us now what do you make of what that that discussion that perhaps we may have to have a little sooner rather or later yeah I thought that was interesting to hear Trey say that and

Something that we’re going to talk about a little bit with Antonio Daniels when we have him coming in the next segment um just it was an eye-opening win again I think the fact that they did it on ABC I think is significant just from the standpoint of that more people were

Paying attention there’s been a ton of discussion on pretty much every NBA show nationally that exists about what’s going on with golden state so that kind of added to that as well that you know people were talking about that game based on the way that the Warriors have

Struggled lately so there was way more analysis on the Warriors I think than the Pelicans which doing well which I guess is somewhat understand based on you know the history that golden state has and how dominant they’ve been and their their Dynasty and that kind of

Thing but um it was it was great to and I’m sure the fan base was super excited to see them just come out and and put it on the Warriors the way that they did by winning by 36 points um by the way interesting too you know we’ve talked

About and there’s been a lot of discussion about the way that the Pelicans AFF faired on national TV this year which has been very poor in in hasn’t been their best the spotlighted games at least but here’s an interesting question for you do you know how do you

Know what the Pelicans record is actually is on ESPN TNT and ABC now this season this season it’s actually two and two really yeah but if you think about it um the loss to the Lakers on Las in Las Vegas was maybe the most disgusted regular season game in the last 20 years

Are we ever get past that by the way but well here’s the thing it’s funny because you bring that up and there was a stretch out there like do we have to keep going back to it right but isn’t it becoming actually a it is becoming a game that we probably will keep

Referring to because it it does kind of seem like that is a that is a point of the Season not just for the Pelicans but look at the Lakers look at some of the other teams in around that area too so it’s crazy where at first you’re like

Man I really don’t want to remember that and all of a sudden you’re like but you know what since then and it it it’s not a bad thing to say since then because again you want to show that growth which is why I’m so excited we have iio

Daniels um color analyst for Pelicans television to talk about that obviously it’s a big night for Pelicans television here as well which we’ll get into as it’s the first of 10 games but I I I’m curious when we get him on too because Jim I’ll ask you this I’ve been talking

About it on our talk show they’re are very real reasons and I get this there’s a lot of football people that watch their football the Saints just finished their season LSU college football national championship all that that we have the NBA fans but I’m talking you know there’s people like okay let’s

Check out the other team in New Orleans and they the Casual NBA fans and that’s why this I love football too this TV deal is going to be great cuz I think you’re going to get more eyes on it so and people going to go why is so many

People talking about them why are they winning there are very real tangible point to statistical reasons why the Pelicans are doing what they’re doing not just on the road but since Vegas aren’t there yeah and I mean I think this is something that we’ll talk about

With Antonio as well is the defense is way at the top of the list as well it’s something that kind of goes on the back burner a lot of times when people Converse about basketball you you kind of forget like there’s a whole 50% of

The game at the other end of the floor that takes place but really I mean if you look at um some of the numbers that the Pelicans have put together they’ve been for example over since the end of the inseason tournament they have in Road games they have the number one

Defense in the NBA and they’re top five in defense overall as well so um that’s to me always the foundation the Bedrock of a consistent team and a really successful team is that you bring it on the defensive end maybe not every single night but on the vast majority of them

And the fact that during this seven game Road winning streak too five of the seven games they’ve held the other team to under 110 points in the two G the two games that they did give up 110 or more they destroyed the W the Wizards and the

Spurs so even in the games where they quote unquote had poor defensive performances they still won by a million so it’s been something that they’ve been able to just rely on night in and night out of the last few weeks I you heard it in the you know the the sound that we

Played before we got to to you um The Players saying it’s the first things they’re talking about their defense and you know and the ball movement all those things again these are very real things and here’s the thing all those things travel and they also play well at home

Here as well so again you know if you’ve been listening to the podcast you know what we’ve been trying to talk about let’s let’s see what happens in the month of January there’s nothing wrong with getting excited but there’s some things you want to see specifically to

Get you really excited and Jim that kind of leads into tonight’s game which we’ll get into in a little bit but is there anything else you want to touch yeah no I the like you said I mean the challenge of this weekend of the Denver game and

Then the two Dallas games before we record Another podcast on Wednesday we won’t have a show Monday because it’s a day game and also a holiday obviously um this weekend is another really big test as far as defensively if they can keep doing what they’ve been doing against

Some really good off offenses if they can keep that up um that’ll be really impressive and by the way too I wanted to add that um we’re excited about the fact that this this this game will be the first of 10 on great television and Fox8 but this game was also added to

ESPN as the second game of its National double header and it’s very clear to me that the reason that that happened was because the Pelicans are playing really well Denver won the championship last year it’s a given that they were a team that was going to be really good this

Year and a team that the national NW works are going to put on TV a good amount but if the Pelicans were 15 and 23 instead of 23 and 15 right now I can pretty much guarantee you that they would not have added this game but um

The game that was initially supposed to be in that slot was Charlotte vers San Antonio and it’s interesting to me to think that as great as wembanyama has been and as much as there is wemi Mania he’s so much fun to watch I think he might not win rookie of the year but

He’s going to be top two and I think he’s the most fun rookie to watch but they still bumped him off of their Airwaves I don’t that might be the only time that happens this year where the Spurs are supposed to be on national TV and one of the networks says like oh

Maybe we should put a different game on so um to me that’s that’s another sign of what the Pelicans are doing the fact that they’re getting added to National TV not removed the way we saw a few times in the last few recent years yeah

No doubt and as you know we were talking about with TV it is a big night because not just here in New Orleans which you can see your pels but throughout the state of Louis Louisiana Mississippi and Alabama tonight Pelicans basketball will be on television so let’s bring in our

Guest for today’s podcast Mr Antonio Daniels all right the only way I can think of ending a really nice week and starting a fantastic weekend before that frigid uh cold front is to go to where it’s actually cold and frigid Antonio Daniels you’re you love them our uh most

Favorite color analyst part of pelicans coverage here as well I was just gonna say B but ad the big news obviously is not just B but now great television here locally Fox 8 man 700,000 people to seven million people possibly seeing you in a turtleneck how cool is that um not

Seeing me in a turtleneck but just getting an opportunity to put eyes on this team yeah when they’re playing their best basketball of the year I I don’t think it could have come at a better time um it’s it’s and I don’t understand all the intricacies and particulars about cable and all this

Thing all these different things that come along with it I know it is truly a blessing right for the new orle New Orleans area and surrounding areas to get an opportunity to put eyes on this team because they’re playing at such a high level right now and they deserve to

Be seen yeah ad I think the timing really is perfect with them playing the way that they are and for this package of 10 games to start with a game against the defending NBA champions and like you said the way the Pelicans are playing um right now you know one of the things

That was one of the comments after the gaming against Golden State which you know 36-point win against a team like that that’s accomplished so much over the last few years Trey Murphy said he kind of kept it a little bit vague he said we need to start having a

Conversation about this team and I I guess I was kind of wondering what do you think is the conversation that we need to start having about the Pelicans big picture the the it depends on who he was talking to you I think we can all understand

What he was speaking about but who he was talking to I I was just telling some people yesterday as a player playing in Sacramento at the time it was Arco Arena and playing in Golden State at the time when they were playing in Oakland those are two Arenas that I’ve never heard

Booze never in my time as a player and and my time as an analyst and to walk into Sacramento who’s a top four team and be up by 50 to walk into Golden State and be up by 40 on the road yeah there’s some conversations I agree that

Need to happen and my thing is listen it’s great to talk about it now but there’s still a lot of season left which is the same thing I would say if this team wasn’t playing its best basketball because the bigger picture is the most important picture in my opinion are they

Playing great right now yes they are playing together they’re deep and the big thing is they’re healthy a lot of times when you say this team needs to get healthy fans think that’s an excuse it’s not an excuse when this team gets healthy because now they get an opportunity to get legitimate reps

Together healthy and now you can start to see what it looks like but there’s still a lot of season left which means there there’s a lot of growth left to still happen one of the things I I love having you on here because I I want to

Get your opinion on this it’s something that I’ve been presenting and and speaking with Jim here in the Pod the last couple of podcasts uh two words that start with the letter c so let’s start with one confidence right the importance of not just players having confidence but Antonio I think we’re

Seeing the importance of having a team that has confidence right and you can speak to this a lot better than we can the confidence and belief when you step on a court that you can win and in vice versa when you’re on the court you’re like man that team thinks they’re here

To win and you know them and it kind of gives you the ebgbs and stuff of that how important is that you think you’re starting to see this team have the confidence because if you don’t I don’t think you come back after the kind of losses in Vegas the Clippers Dallas

Things of that nature this team showing I think confidence maturity on there but to me it starts with confidence right that they believe they can move on past a good win tough loss and confidence every single night they can win well this is a results based League like no

No matter what we’re talking about everything is results based it it’s different to have confidence uh when you win like I’ll give you an example when the Detroit Pistons were losing 28 games in a row how much confidence you think they have right not much right because this is a results

Based League when you have a team like the New Orleans Pelicans and you lose three games right you’re 11 and four since that Beatdown In the End season tournament you lose three games by a combined Five Points there there’s confidence that comes with that because you know you’re

Right there you’re right there you are a play or two away from winning those games and then when you actually start to win those games then when you actually start to get healthy and see the amount of boxes that this team can check on a night toight basis and and I’ve said numerous

Times I will take this roster that that’s where my confidence lies it always has even when this team hasn’t been playing well and fans were telling me you’re being too positive you know all you they pay you to be positive no no no no I know what I see and when you

See the depth the star power the Firepower the versatility the length the athleticism and the veteran leadership on this team they check a lot of boxes so there’s confidence that comes with that because I know me as an analyst every game we go into when this

Team is whole and healthy I feel like we have a legitimate chance of winning at home and on the road that’s a definite step in the right direction and that leads to my other thing that I was talking about with Jim here as well contenders or competitors right my goal

I’d love to see at the end of this month in the checklist in the boxes you can tell me what maybe those boxes that you need to check to become contenders I think part of that is a team that can go in on the road at home you know avoid

Long losing streaks things of that nature but I’m with you on this this is why I’ve been calling this team competitors they can compete every single night against any team in the NBA and that is a step in a different direction right ad because in the last couple years somebody misses somebody’s

Injured we’re probably you’re starting out your pregame with Joel all right well where’s the three-point shooting going to come from or where is the 30 points going to come from cuz I in play you mentioned Sacramento up 50 he didn’t even play I mean like there’s no way

That would have been in the past so we’re competitors what would it take for a team to be a contender you have to continue to grow like the thing that you don’t want to do in an NBA season is Peak too early like I had a conversation

With someone the other day and the question was did the Lakers Peak at the End season tournament did they peak in the End season tournament we’ve seen teams throughout the course of history peak in November and peak in December you want to progressively improve right from October to November November December

December to January January all the way through the second week of April and when the second week of April comes is when you would like to be playing your best basketball when you would like to be the healthiest the most confident that you’ve been because you have built up a

Good report of confidence throughout the course of this season it’s a cliche statement to say it’s a marathon but it is it is championships aren’t won in November championships aren’t won in December but here’s the thing they’re not lost either they’re not lost either so when the team goes through a rough

Patch and you start to hear the Rumblings of oh you know what this and that and no no no no there’s still so much time remaining in this season and I love where this team is right now confidence-wise mentally and I love where they are also physically when you talked about you

Know people being concerned and maybe panicked a little bit with the start of the season the fact that they were four and six in the first 10 games I mean when you talk about how impressed you are with the the depth and the talent that this team has how

Much have you seen that too in the way that they’ve played you know the second and third time against some of these teams compared to the first time and I’ll give you a perfect example first time they lost they played Golden State they lost by 28 second time with a much

Closer to full strength team they win by 36 and I mean you could go across the board Dallas Dallas Minnesota the first two times they played them they were nowhere near 100% And then they lose both of those games the next two times they play them they beat them both by

Double figures so I mean to how much have have that have you seen as far as if you if if you thought it was just an excuse the beginning of the season the way they started you kind of can see how exactly what you’re talking about on what’s happened yeah there’s there’s

Nothing more important Jim in this league than health there’s nothing more important and you just great gave two great examples of it right Minnesota is by record I believe they still still the best team in the western conference right you play them four times the first times you play

Them for no Zion either time no herb Jones no CJ McCullum in either of those games and you lose those games but now you come back the second time herb is available excuse me the third and fourth time where herb and Zion and CJ are available you win those games there’s a

Drastic difference when this team is holding healthy it is you go back earlier in the year when this team was four and six and I would say this team just has to get healthy because at the time we have to understand there was no Jose there was no Trey Murphy there was

No Naji so all that bench energy that we’re constantly talking about wasn’t present right then you start to get some of those guys back then CJ McCullum has a collapse lung he’s out right and then Larry goes out and misses 13 games we have to understand the significance of

These guys that are missing games Larry Nance is is a godsend for this team if you are watching this team play to understand the importance and impact of Larry Nance of Jose Alvarado of Trey Murphy of Dyson Daniels of Jordan Hawkins of Naji Marshall that’s six guys that you have

Coming off the bench outside of that starting five this is a very very dangerous team and when they are healthy again Jim Gus this is the hill I’ll die on I will take this team and stack them against any of the other 29 rosters speak with Antonio Daniels color analyst for New Orleans

Pelicans television we were just talking with Aaron about that very kind of similar thing on Wednesday in terms of matchups and what you have in the depth of this team sort of has I want to throw this at you because I kind of been doing

This on my talk show the last two days especially after that game at Golden State and by no means am I calling this team Golden State or anything of that nature but I’m using the phrase pel State and what I mean by that is maybe

The makings of it so we know where coach Willie Green came from and what I found interesting is after the last two games and the win at Golden State all the players that were available in coach Green from Zion to CJ to Trey all started out their postgame pressors by

Saying defense when I think of the Heyday of the Splash Brothers in Golden State when they boat ran you right in games ad was because not only were they making threes and you can touch on where the pels are at the three-point shooting but they also they never let you bre if

You missed a shot they rebounded they were off and running they scored and when they took a break their bench came in and either extended their lead or if they were trailing shrink it and they played defense I will always tell people this golden state was beautiful to watch

The passing the ball movement which we can talk about assists with the pels but it was their defense as well and I’m not saying they’re there not saying they’re going to be there but you can see what I think what coach green was trying to do

And what this team is trying to form and there’s some similarities differences because different players right but do you think there’s some similars where I can maybe start saying Pelican State here in the near future as to what they’re trying to do I tell you for me

The thing that I’ve noticed that the visible difference for me watching is the willingness of bi and Zion to defend that’s the biggest difference if if your if your stars will defend everything else will fall in everything else will fall in line right to see Z sit down and slide

His feet to see bi be the guy low man rotate over and take a charge that is incredibly contagious it is contagious and again for me it starts with guys that are bringing defensive energy because if guys are bringing defensive energy and you’re not you stand out for not bringing it

Right so when you have guys that are defensive minded Jose and Dyson and herb and Larry Nance you know these guys that are bringing Naji that defensive energy and if you’re playing with those guys if you’re not bringing it it’s visible and the thing that I’ve noticed over the

Last nine T games or so is the stars have been on board defensively they’ve been on board bi’s been defending he’s been playing both sides of the ball Zion has been defending he’s been playing both sides of the ball so just that defensive balance to the offensive

Balance offense is going to take care of itself because the pals have a lot of Firepower and Zion and bi and Jonas you can ride him you know put that ball in the post we saw it against Golden State eight straight points when it felt like golden state was creeping back in the

Game CJ McCullum we know what these guys can do offensively as far as spreading the floor goes Jordan Hawkins Trey Murphy but the biggest thing for me is what this team is doing defensively like think of think of this road trip think of this road trip because we started off

Joel and I talked about the fact that you’re starting in Sacramento with dearen Fox then you’re going to Golden State and you’re playing Steph Curry right and then you get Luca and you get Kyrie and you get Jamal Murray right like this is not an easy

Road trip they they H dearen Fox three points yeah they Steph Curry to 14 points four 13 from the field and in both of those games thus far their defense has completely suck the life out of the opposing Arenas which is amazing to me I feel like when this team allows

Their defense to fuel their offense good luck you know two guys I wanted to ask you about specifically ad you know you just T touched on how challenging this road trip is going to be or or you know on paper going into it you thought this is going to be some

Tough matchups we talked earlier this week about just how herb importance that he has on the defensive end against these teams but just the way that he he’s shot the ball on threes what what have you seen from him as far as his last you know seven eight games he’s

Shooting over 55% from three-point range right right 15 to 27 from three over the last seven games and the reason that’s important is because in those last seven they’re six and one but also I am under I am under the belief that if herb shoots well this team won’t lose this

Team does not lose basketball games when herb Jones plays well and the reason I say that is this if you look at the starting five with Zion bi CJ and Jonas herb is that fifth guy so what teams are saying is if we have to leave a guy the

Guy that we are going to leave is Herb Jones and when he’s shooting the ball with the confidence and efficiency that he is shooting the ball with now this is a tough team to beat because the most valued skill in today’s NBA is the ability to shoot it’s shooting and what

Teams are saying is you know what we’re gonna put a a man and a half on Zion or a man and a half on BI or when that ball goes into Jonas we’re gonna put a man in the half on Jonas and the guy that they’re saying let not let shoot but

We’re willing to live with and that starting five is Herb Jones and again six and one in your last seven games and he’s 15 of 27 56% in those seven games that’s important because now it becomes a pick your- poison offense who are you doubling off of right when herb Jones is

Shooting the ball at this rate I I I love it I I love it because you know what you’re GNA get from him on the defensive side but this is also a testament to her’s hard work yeah every practice before and after like Groundhog Day you see him Naji and Coach Fred

Vincent working together on all the shots that he gets in the game those Corner threes those angle threes all the shots that he gets in the game it’s not by accident that herb Jones is shooting the ball at the rate that he’s shooting now it was just a matter of time reps

Always pay themselves off and AD to to one of your points I just looked this up one of the stats that I thought was interesting in the 23 games that the Pelicans have won this year where herbs played he shot 45 % from three point

Range so that that tells you a lot know another player I wanted to ask you about was um what do you think about the impact of CJ McCollum one of the stats I saw the other day that blew me away was that he’s actually at a career high in

Three-point percentage if you think about what he’s done throughout his career over 10 plus years that makes sense to me yeah that makes sense like that he would be at a a career high because of who he’s playing with he played with Dame Lillard right but when

He played with Dame you could really focus and hone in on those two you have to look at the offensive Firepower and versatility of the guys that he’s playing with now when you’re playing with Zion the amount of gravity that comes with him when you’re playing with Brandon Ingram the amount of gravity

That comes with him but also the skill set of both of those two guys to make the proper read it again what’s seen as an excuse isn’t an excuse It’s understand understanding it’s understanding that Synergy takes time you know you need reps on the floor with these guys think when bi Zion and

Bi first started playing this season we are telling ourselves man these guys have only been on the floor this is the seventh time that these guys have started together since Will’s been here oh this is the eighth time but now what you’re starting to see is what Synergy

Looks like with actual reps together together it’s different if CJ’s playing and Zion’s not there it’s different if CJ’s playing and bi is not there or if those two guys are playing and and and CJ’s not there when you have those guys that have an opportunity to get on the

Floor together at the same time there’s an understanding of skill set then bi knows where CJ wants the ball CJ knows where Zion wants the ball Zion knows where Jonas Wass the ball you can’t expedite that process the only way to actually experience it is to experience it and what we’ve got an

Opportunity to see really I like since the n Season tournament is this thing really start to come to and the Synergy really start to click and the other thing to add to that Antonio I I think you can’t simulate and you’re at the practices all the time you’re at the

Shoot arounds you can’t simulate the late game situations you can’t simulate how teams are going to you know change their game plan during the game defend you in that last 20 seconds maybe you’re thinking they’re going to run at you instead they leave you you can’t simulate that because teams haven’t gone

Through it because the Pelicans haven’t gone through it so right I just think experience is the best way to to learn that and that’s why you look at those losses in Memphis and Houston stuff they have to go through that because you haven’t gone through it so you know how

To handle that better the other thing I think pruning process isn’t fun sorry to cut you off guys but the pruning the pruning process is never fun M you know that that that’s the thing that that’s the hard part is to to get through the the pruning process and where you start

To step into the best version of yourself no one just you don’t get to success just From Success you have to fail to get there there’s an amount of failure that goes into being successful like when you think of of of Steve Jobs you think the first time he created the

IPad that he succeeded on the first time no not a chance but the failure part and how you respond to failure usually dictates and determines how quickly you can get an elevator success yeah no doubt about it the other thing I want to touch on you guys have been touching on

It too about the three-point shots the the the quick starts when you look at these big wins against these teams especially on the road the importance you’re going to need again tonight against Denver right but the ability to you’re in the game you know I don’t know

How to sort of put it but it’s it’s one of those where you’re not down 134 in that first quarter right you’re up up 134 but to see those first few shots ad as a player goes back to the confidence right you feel good now you’re in the

Game crowd really can’t get into it you’re not struggling playing from behind winning the first quarter all those things but this team’s been able to come out I mean we kind of joke about it CJ it almost looks like he’s looking for a three-point shot the very first

Thing that he’s shooting in the game but for the pels to get going that’s something that’s really stood out to me they are knocking down threes early in these first quarters and it’s I think spurring them to win and for me it’s it’s the it’s the ball movement it is

The ball movement or as I call it on the broadcast passing plates Everybody Eats and in the last two games this team has 72 assist on the road that is impressive 72 assists on the road 37 and 35 when the hardest thing in this league to guard is ball movement man movement the

Easiest thing to guard is isos because every team is prepared to guard isos every team is not prepared to guard ball movement and if you look at the way these games are starting it’s starting with ball movement it’s starting on these past couple of games just almost

Been I don’t know if it’s a conscious effort to get that ball inside to play in the paint and a lot of times and when I say play in a paint it doesn’t mean scoring the paint it just means touch the paint when that ball touches the

Paint and you have spray out three you know you penetrate you collapse that defense and hit someone for three that’s hard to guard so now as opposed to you chasing the game on the road you have the opponent chasing the game on the road and the how do you how do you win

Your last six on the road how do you win your last seven on the road because you’re getting off to Great starts on the road by ball Movement by touching the paint and also by the defensive effort that you referenced earlier G yeah there we go so give me give us one

Key tonight man to be paying attention to obviously this is a very good team they’re defending champs and you say it all the time on the broadcast it is a matchup League I kind of feel like the pel sort of match up where there again goes to confidence I wouldn’t say they

Don’t fear them but they feel confident they can compete with them right that that that’s a fair thing yeah it seems like every time there’s a game with the Denver Nuggets it’s GNA come down to the last two or three minutes that’s just I don’t hopefully I’m wrong hopefully it

Doesn’t come down to the last two or three minutes and me and Joel are joking about the lottery or power ball because we’re up by so much that would be fantastic but for me I I what has really stood out to me is just this ball movement and Jonas

Said it best to Jin Hill in the postgame after the Golden State game it’s fun to play This Way Willie said it in the locker room after the Golden State win this is beautiful basketball and it’s fun to watch what you don’t want to see

As a game with 181 19 assist you don’t want to see that you want to see a game with 29 30 31 assists while taking care of the basketball on the road you take care of that ball you value the ball maximize your offensive possessions and move Denver around make joic guard

You’re gonna be in a great position in the last two to three minutes of this game all right sounds good looking forward to it ad safe travel sir and we will see you soon for sure appreciate it Gus thanks Jim thanks ad well that was fun I don’t know about

You Jim I could do probably six I don’t know if he’d want to do it but I could do a six hour podcast Sports Talk Show you can do anything I I almost feel as well with ad you can do anything and it would be not only entertaining you’d

Learn something and then you’d want to go like do it you know what I’m saying no what is whether it’s cooking baking you know working out something I love listening to him because I mean he’s even says this kind of admits this he’s like you know I I

Love talking and maybe I’m not everyone’s taste I’m not everyone’s flavor but yeah um he has so many opinions about so many different things and what’s great about him another thing that’s great about him is that you know you don’t even really have to set him up

Much he can talk for a long time I really liked what he said about when I was when I brought up CJ McCollum the context that he can bring as a former player who played in the NBA and also the fact that he’s follow he follows the

League so closely and has for a long time so there’s a lot of different insights that he provides that are really interesting to me and really valuable so always love having him on the podcast whenever possible well you can see on my notes in front of me I

Literally just have ad basketball that’s it I it was it Pelicans Denver that’s pretty much no it’s true but I think the other thing too and we know him personally because we get to see him a lot more uh than the folks that just see

Him on TV and that’s what I mean by that look he he travels with this team he he was a player he understands the game and that I think that’s the beauty that I do love and I think it’s the hardest thing to do is to convey that and do that it’s

Like when we had Jason Smith on a couple weeks ago you can hear some of the things that he went through and he did and there was just something from a player perspective and then when you find a player that can really convey that and and and let you understand it

In a way you know I love how he explains little things like in this conversation we just had Zion moving his feet sitting down being able to do that Brandon Ingram taking a charge like these are things that he sees that he understands that he he’s at practice that he sees

Maybe some players do and don’t do that’s a different like it’s easy you and I can look at a stat hey they’re winning they’re playing more defense he can specifically say no this is why he’s doing he’s rotating he’s moving and it kind of goes to something I meant to do

It when he was talking but I saw a clip somebody pulled the clip because I didn’t again I was doing radio but it wasn’t actually televised game on Wednesday and Zion was miked up and on one in the fourth quarter he kind of took over right he kind of started doing

And I think it was the play where he he went and dunked and he got the pass he was talking to somebody on the pel’s bench I have a terrible memory but he was talking specifically about what that was and and he was talking about it um

Cerebrally and he was saying look that’s this is what was this is what they’re doing this is what we want to do you can hear Zion’s but you know to um his understanding his basketball IQ of what they’re trying to do what they were doing and again I think that is so

Awesome to see too that it’s not just Zion give me the ball me to do that he he was specifically in that audio clip talking about what they’re doing he knew it was going to happen so that’s what they’re trying to do and that’s what’s different with this team right now yeah

I mean that’s one of the reasons why I’ve always loved talking to Antonio and David Wesley too is they understand a lot of the Dynamics of a team there’s kind of a a lot of things that go into you know when he was talking about bi and Zion setting a tone defensively of

How important that is I mean it kind of feeds into the talked about that after the game one against gold it flows through the rest of the roster because I know Larry Nance talked about this recently he’s like if our top two or three star guys are all playing defense

And all given everything they possibly can what excuse do I have to not do the same so um it’s definitely a lead by example thing I mean leadership comes in a lot of different forms but one of the things that you can never question is if a guy is bringing a 100% effort

Especially at the defensive end of the floor I mean that’s that says it you don’t need to say anything you just do that and we’ll be good yeah look let’s see what takes place tonight against Denver you got two games as you mentioned against Dallas and by the time

We speak again on Wednesday we’ll we we’ll see where they are from that aspect of it I love how we do during the week Monday Wednesday teams and players to look I I look I didn’t want to put any more work to you but you said you’re gonna do something on Friday that’s

Right I came up with a new uh segment I think I’m going to call this the trending number and it’s going to be a a stat or a number that is very relevant to the Pelicans and something that is worth kind of discussing or looking at the trending number today for this

Friday is 45.7 and that is the Pelicans three-point percentage over the last seven games which is number one in the NBA like number one one yes like not number one in the division not number one in the three teams best best in the league um you know we talked about

Earlier in the season there was concerns about the three-point shooting is this going to be a weakness is this going to be something that game in and game out you’re like oh man they’re not making enough threes the way that they’ve been playing late Le has been incredible from

The perimeter and to me it’s not just the fact that they’re shooting you know the almost 46% best in the league it’s the fact that it’s coming from so many different guys you see a lot of teams in the NBA who might lead the league in in

January or lead the league in the first half and it’s usually Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and then there’s a couple guys that do a little bit here and there um but it’s it’s usually two or three guys that carry a team’s three-point shooting attack um over the last seven

Games uh the Pelicans have seven guys shooting 40% or better and all of those are a decent amount it’s not like I’m using somebody’s two for three and I counted that as above 40% all seven of these players have made at least five three-pointers over the last seven games

Larry Nance is one of them actually five for eight at 63% herb 56% you know we talked about that with Antonio CJ is 31 for 61 51% Dyson Daniels and Jonas Val chunis in a little bit less volume but they’re both shooting 50% and then you have Brenan Ingram 48% Jordan Hawkins

44% 10 of 23 and then an eighth guy who’s almost at 40 during that stretch is Jose Alvarado 8 for 21 at 38% so there you have it you have so many guys that are making threes right now um is it sustainable to shoot this level probably the rest of the Seas probably

Not but if you can do anything close to this this will be be something that teams around the league will be very concerned about when they play the Pelicans and it’s to your point right you’re not depending on somebody to have to hit seven or six and we’ve had those

Nights in the last couple 10 11 in games yep but if guys can just hit two a night right four five six guys that can hit maybe one or two a night right I mean like herb Jones two a night three a night I mean but but as as

Ad said in our conversation when when herb is hitting you know two or three a night the chances are you’re going to be winning so and that’s that’s I think the the key point that you just brought up too that that is interesting you’re not depending

On kind of what we thought going into the season or last year right Trey Murphy is responsible for the three-point shooting of the Pelicans they drafted Jordan Hawkins so he could be the three-point shooter in the team I don’t know if people thought yonas is hitting threes CJ’s hitting threes

Brandon might hit A3 herb is hitting a three Larry is hitting a three Corner Nai for a three that that’s the point that you’re bringing up here we all thought it’s just maybe two players that are the three-point Shooters maybe not looking at it as the team and how and in

Inadvertently I didn’t even mean to make this point but inadvertently I just realized too that of the seven players over 40% during this stretch Trey Murphy actually isn’t even one of them so not he’s actually been especially by his standards he’s in kind of what you would

Call a slump over this recent stretch can I text him that Jim called you a slumper yeah he’s 10 for 30 in the last seven Games 33 % which As We Know by Trey Murphy standards is low so I mean he might be on the verge of breaking out

As well so let’s just add him into the mix as well these guys that are shooting threes in in the lookout but I’m glad we did this especially on the podcast today here as well they’re very real reasons and these are not bad basketball teams

These are not bad tough places to go in so I think that’s why it’s exciting because it’s not well they’re just hot or those teams had bad nights the pels are doing things things to win the games the way they’re winning they’re playing defense they’re shooting well they’re

Passing they’re playing well as a team and and you’re seeing the confidence grow you’re seeing certain things that kind of stand out here that make you feel you know what maybe there are one of the better teams in the NBA and that’s awesome because you still got as ad said a lot

Of basketball to play but I would much rather be sitting here on January 12th going maybe they’re one of the better teams in the NBA than I don’t know if they’re even going to be a playoff team in the NBA and that’s different that’s different than where

We’ve been and to kind of tie this all together from everything that we talked about especially related to the Golden State game I think to your point it’s a really good example of even though as I mentioned a lot of the analysis from the Golden State game was what’s wrong with

Golden state we need to Circle back to um the way the Pelicans played in that game I feel like the vast majority of the teams around the NBA at the end of the at the end of the night would have been saying oh boy this is this was a

Rough night but it wasn’t necessarily that golden state was terrible there’s definitely areas of the game that they probably should have been better in it seemed like their energy was a little low and the Pelicans were winning all the loose balls but I do want people to

To if the Pelicans keep playing like this you got to start giving them credit and not saying like what’s wrong with these other teams it’s more just about New Orleans playing at a level that is something I don’t think we’ve seen in a long time no doubt that’s Jim iik can

Offer again our thanks to Antonio Daniels and I I’m excited game one of 10 here on grade television as well you can still it’s a triple cast you still can check it out on B if you do that here’s the beauty of it no matter where you

Watch it B Fox8 here locally anywhere that great television has their TV stage it’ll still be Jen Hae it’ll still be Antonio Daniels it’ll still be Joel Myers Aaron and crew you know you heard her on Wednesday they’re going to be a part of everything here as well it’s

Just where you’re going to go check it out so that’s the cool part about it and of course if you want you can still listen to us on the app and and you can watch the game on ESPN but I think locally this is something that we should

Point out too I think locally the game will be blacked out on ESPN and you’ll be able to watch it with you know Joel and AD and Jen um which is better brast if you’re out right if you’re outside of the coverage area which we know a lot of

Pelicans fans that tweet to us are live somewhere else now don’t live in this area they’ll be watching it on ESPN and um Unfortunately they won’t be able to catch Joel ad and Jen but um they’ll be back in action for you guys on Saturday with the Dallas game Y no doubt guess

The big question is are you going to come hang out with us at 9:00 tonight over in the studio what I would I didn’t realize I had an invite yeah well you always do you always do you we have not seen you at all on any road I haven’t

Had a road game yet this year and I actually was on the road for a few games so that was my excuse for not being there but I promise you don’t if it’s going to be tonight but I promise you if the Pelicans are in the top 10 anywhere

In the top 10 you will start seeing me at Road game being the conductor we’ll we’ll bring the chips you know we’ll bring some breves we’ll have some fun outstanding I’m looking forward to that let’s go see uh what takes place tonight pelicans and the Nuggets 9:00 is

Your tip time here locally and then you got Dallas tomorrow night and in that 1:30 tip time on Monday again no podcast we’ll be back with you on Wednesday they hopefully talking about at least two wins three wins thanks as always for tuning Us in I’m G Scott G that’s J Mike

And Hoff you’ve been listening to the New Orleans Pelicans podcast have a great 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 a follow on X at jimon offer and

Gcat 17 we’ll see you next time right here on the New Orleans Pelicans podcast

On the latest New Orleans Pelicans Podcast from Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, Pelicans television color analyst Antonio Daniels joins Jim Eichenhofer and Gus Kattengell to break down why the Pelicans have been playing solid basketball and why Pels fans have every reason to be excited moving forward.
#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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