Lottery picks are viewed through rose-colored lenses in the NBA. As the draft approaches, teams, fans and the media alike increasingly overvalue top players and picks. Player comparisons provide unrealistic evaluations, and they put a ton of pressure on young players. Meanwhile, top prospects are mostly under 20-years-old and – more often than not –
New Orleans Pelicans
As Zion Williamson continues his rehabilitation from preseason knee surgery, the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly tinkering with his biomechanics. This is good for both the athlete and team. Rookie phenom Zion Williamson has yet to step foot on the court for an official NBA game, though according to ESPN’s Jorge Sedano, that may change soon after
There’s a certain variation of comfortability in rookies who make the transition to the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies have two from this past year’s draft: No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant and No. 21 Brandon Clarke. Both have been impactful, both have shown flashes of the potential — yet each impacts the game in different
The New York Knicks are playing better basketball of late. They’re 3-3 under interim head coach Mike Miller and they’ve won three of their last four games. They also recently added former EuroLeague and Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt as a basketball operations consultant. That, naturally, is an improvement on the usual state of affairs,
It is no secret that over the past several seasons Russell Westbrook’s offensive efficiency has been an issue. So far, during the current season in Houston, this trend has not changed. Westbrook’s field goal and three-point percentage have taken a hit again, falling to 42.5% and 23.3% respectively, while his free-throw percentage of 75.9% is
The holidays are a joyous time — but particularly so for NBA junkies. Christmas Day is one of the most highly-anticipated events for basketball fans everywhere. Not only do we get to see the best teams in the league face-off — but the best players in the league show themselves off on national television. Needless
Remember when Carmelo Anthony was out of the NBA? That seems so long ago now even though his stint in Portland started less than a month ago. Let’s go back to that time. In ‘Melo’s almost one-year exodus from the NBA, fans, media, and even players alike were begging for his return. To be fair,
Remember when Carmelo Anthony was out of the NBA? That seems so long ago now even though his stint in Portland started less than a month ago. Let’s go back to that time. In ‘Melo’s almost one-year exodus from the NBA, fans, media, and even players alike were begging for his return. To be fair,
The injuries are beginning to mount and NBA teams up and down the standings are looking for fill-in production. Who is being asked to step up? If there is anything that has defined the early portion of the 2019-20 NBA season, it’s injuries. We began the year knowing Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson would likely
Our writers answer some of the most interesting questions of the young NBA season, including Brandon Ingram‘s finishing and more. 1. More surprising — Brandon Ingram shooting 48.6 percent on 3s or Brandon Ingram shooting 66 percent on drives? Louis Zatzman (@LouisZatzman): A hot, early-season shooting percentage is like a monogamous relationship; it takes forever
Can we trust Brandon Ingram’s spectacular start to the season? And what does it mean for his role on the Pelicans moving forward? Four games into the New Orleans Pelicans‘ season, Brandon Ingram‘s hot start is the biggest non-Zion Williamson-related story. Zion’s knee injury is the single most important thing to the team’s future right
We are now officially one week into this NBA season and so far, so good. With the Hamptons Five disbanded, we believed that this was the most parity in the history of the NBA. The season may still be young, but this newfound competitiveness has definitely shown itself. We have some standouts, of course, and,
After two inconsistent seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball made his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans to open the 2019-20 NBA season. Lonzo Ball was taken with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He was the hometown kid who spent the entirety of his basketball career in California. He
Bad news turned worse when it was reported Monday that New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson will be out 6-8 weeks after knee surgery. A hush fell over NBA fandom when it was first announced that Zion Williamson would miss the New Orleans Pelicans‘ final preseason game with knee soreness. That hush became a quiet
The NBA is a star-driven league and, as always, it’s almost impossible to win without one. But as important as they are, you still need role players to fill the gaps in-between. To wit, you need an X-Factor, a player that can elevate his game either as a complement or when the stars are struggling.
Carsen Edwards gets annoyed when people spell his name wrong. Maybe after Tuesday night’s shooting clinic in Cleveland, that won’t happen anymore. In the first half of the Boston Celtics’ preseason finale, the 5-foot-11 rookie had four points, was in foul trouble and just looked out of rhythm after he got bumped in the head
Not too long ago, the Southwest Division was filled to the brim with title contenders and certain playoff teams. Only the Houston Rockets remain in those major categories as turnover has left the rest of the division balancing contention with rebuilding. That has the clear byproduct of introducing a bevy of new players into contributing
“Twin Towers” used to be a term of endearment in the NBA. Back in the old days, if you had two dominant seven-footers in your frontcourt, that was considered to be an advantage on the court. Duos like Hakeem Olajuwon/Ralph Sampson and Tim Duncan/David Robinson put their teams on the map. It seems like forever
The New Orleans Pelicans look pretty good after an offseason roster reshaping, but J.J. Redick was sure to issue a profane challenge to Zion Williamson. J.J. Redick will go down as one of the best 3-point shooters of his era. He signed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason, so he’ll add
Early on in his first preseason NBA game, Zion Williamson threw down a monstrous dunk that serves as an immediate indicator of the kind of coverage he’ll receive this season. It took all of one minute and 46 seconds for Zion Williamson to put someone on his first NBA poster. It wasn’t his first basket
METAIRIE, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 30: Lonzo Ball #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans poses for a photo during Media Day at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on September 30, 2019 in Metairie, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) WWE Hell in a Cell 2019 preview: Universal Championship match by Serena Burks The Pelicans released video
These New Orleans Pelicans, led by Zion Williamson, are not only a must-watch team for diehards surfing NBA League Pass, but anyone who is a fan of basketball. Open up your calendar right now, pull out a Sharpie marker, and black out whatever you thought you were doing on Oct. 22, because the NBA has
Sometime in July, the internet unanimously crowned the Atlanta Hawks as basketball’s newest darlings — everybody’s favorite upstart, League Pass-worthy, fun-as-heck roster that could shock the world and make a postseason bid through high-tempo and athletically electric hoops. Although such claims may, in truth, be premature — at heart, the sport does love a good
The New Orleans Pelicans were in need of 3-point shooting before Darius Miller’s Achilles injury, which is a subtle blow to their floor-spacing. No one can deny the New Orleans Pelicans had a terrific summer, especially for a team that was forced into trading away one of the 5-10 best players in the NBA. They
In one offseason, David Griffin drafted Zion Williamson and surrounded him with the talent to succeed. Where will the Pelicans go from here? It’s a testament to David Griffin’s work in the last four months that the Pelicans’ whirlwind of a summer almost renders the team’s acquisition of Zion Williamson – an unprecedented athletic marvel
When Dwight Howard agreed to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, it was just fitting. It’s not fitting because Dwight fits with the Lakers’ needs. It’s fitting because it’s yet another in what’s been a longline of bizarre storylines this offseason. Seriously, it’s been one after the next. No, it’s not bizarre only because of
Over the next couple of weeks, Basketball Insiders is grading all 30 NBA teams on their offseasons — additions, subtractions, draft picks, trades, etc — and their potential headed into the 2019-20 campaign. Between today and autumn, franchises will be tasked with figuring out how their roster pieces, both new and old, might mesh together
Lonzo Ball once wanted nothing more than to play for the Lakers, but now he sounds excited for a fresh start in New Orleans. The fit was clear, even as his father LaVar attempted to “speak it into existence”, so it was a no-brainer for the Los Angeles Lakers to take Lonzo Ball No. 2
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 8: Jaxson Hayes #10 of the New Orleans Pelicans dunks the ball against the Chicago Bulls on July 8, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the
J.J. Redick is one of the league’s best shooters and his gravity should help unlock the potential of Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. For the Pelicans, trading Anthony Davis to the Lakers not only yielded Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and the No. 4 pick, which was packaged for the No. 8 and 16
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