Willie Green on Herb Jones, Zion Williamson’s Progression | New Orleans Pelicans

Willie Green on Herb Jones, Zion Williamson’s Progression | New Orleans Pelicans

Well there was a uh or Zion was talking last night and he said the where he had to guard Lillard and he got up there pretty high in the pick and roll late in the game he said herb just like told him he’s like Blitz this one is that like

Does that happen often where just like players are just like let’s just do this like how do you how often does that happen in the game where it’s just like players kind of make a decision and it just happens it does happen and um we we try to make sure that our players

Understand that we we’ll give you environments in which we want to play in we’ll give you game plan discipline that we want to execute but sometimes they see things on the floor and especially if it’s her involved defensively he’s earned that opportunity he’s earned that right Zion is is guarding at a high

Level so when those guys see something like that and they do it and they do it aggressively we’re all about it and with herb it’s like this guy you know really knows what he’s looking at defensively so it’s like sure he may know more about defense than all of us so whenever he

Gives a suggestion we all listen for sure you uh were you surprised at all to see him and Dane barking at each other a little bit last night no I’m not surprised um it’s kind of who both of those guys are they competitors and uh it gets like that sometimes throughout

The course of a game I talked to Dame after the game and he just talked a lot about the physicality that you guys played with how hard that was defensively how pleased are you with that and how much you need to carry that into tomorrow’s game it warms my heart

It’s it’s all I want uh every game every practice every shoot around I want a a team we want our teams to go out and be physical and to compete at a high level and that’s what you ask that’s the request that’s the command that we we

Have on each other and um it was great to see to read Dames I read his quote about the physicality level and the force that we play with that’s who we have to be and you mention the practices and kind of competing on a daily basis

At this point in the season a lot of teams are taking days like today off or are giving guys days AR wrestling you guys are committed to really practicing whenever y’all have a chance how much is that kind of your mindset versus the way these guys kind of work on a daily basis

Well we definitely try to have a balance of when of when we’re going to practice what we can do in practice um but any any day we get any opportunity we get where we can compete against each other we want to do it I think Trey has

Something for you guys hello Coach Grant what’s the first thing you think of when you think of her GES defense first team on defense right first team First Team all defense for sure there thank you sir yeah no problem an excellent reporter right there uh but now just when you see the

Progress Z’s made over the course of the season on defense in particular where have you seen him kind of progress the most uh I’ve seen him the progression for him is number one he’s taking ownership uh that’s a mature step when you can take ownership and responsibility of this is the area that

I want to improve in and then he’s he’s taking the steps to do it um you guys have been watching him all season you can see that he’s competing at a high level he’s guarding at a high level he’s contesting shots and then I love that

His multiple effort it’s it’s not that I just I just stop this guy but if the ball is swung there’s a rotation he may go and block a shot get a offensive rebound defensive rebound and then We’re Off to the Races L can you describe how

Special it is to see Zion where 48 hours ago earlier OKC you guys didn’t close well even said himself he needed the ball more and then he goes out and does it I mean against the league of the 450 the best players for him just to almost

Seemed like he hit a switch he was able to do it yeah that’s special um like you said there were some moments in the OKC game where we thought the ball could have touched his hands and not that he’s going to score all the time but his

Gravity gets other guys shots and uh we wasn’t able to get it in his hands he didn’t demand it as much and then have to carry over the next game to say okay I’m I’m going to go get the ball and I’m going to make something happen get to

The free throw line step up and make his free throws get quality looks for his his teammates I thought it was high level on his part and and definitely a an area of growth for our team in the right direction would you say that’s all NBA caliber to see somebody be able to

Do that the talents that he shows absolutely that Zion is uh you know he he he should get a lot of credit for um the step that this team has taken this season and this the maturity that he’s that he’s shown throughout the course We get on the floor we watch it and and we we try to work at it what do you think things are right now with uh Jose and Dyson um Dyson is progressing well so you know tomorrow is promising but um I don’t want to make a full commitment

Until we get there uh Jose you know didn’t go through practice today so we’ll see we’ll see how he feels but tomorrow’s not looking good for him well I know we’re going to get an update on bii but I’m just curious has he started any kind of movement or

Anything like that is he allowed to do that he was he did some movement today on the floor so he’s getting better and better um but we don’t have an update further than what what we’ve given you guys already

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green’s post-practice interview on Friday, March 28 during the 2023-24 NBA season.
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New Orleans Pelicans Roster
———————————————–
Jose Alvarado #15 Guard
Dyson Daniels #11 Guard
Jordan Hawkins #24 Guard
Brandon Ingram #14 Forward
Herbert Jones #5 Forward
E.J. Liddell #32 Forward
Naji Marshall #8 Forward
CJ McCollum #3 Guard
Trey Murphy III #25 Guard
Larry Nance Jr. #22 Forward
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 Forward
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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